National Consultation on Synodality: An Experience (Part 1 of 3)

DaDiTaMa Quarterly Meeting, Diocese of Tagum
September 19-20, 2022

PART I – THE EXPERIENCE: PARTICIPATION AND THE PROCESS

PARTICIPANTS AND PARTICIPATION

The National Synodal Consultation on July 4-7, 2022 held at the Carmelite Missionaries Spirituality Center, Tagaytay City was participated with 87 Diocesan Lay Representatives, 46 Priests and Religious Metropolitan Representatives, and 92 Archbishops and Bishops who confirmed their attendance.

Each participant of the National Consultation was really given opportunity to share his or her experiences about the Pre-Synodal Consultation done in his or her diocese and sub-regions. The sharing of these experiences made the gathering rich in insights and rich in meaning. Not only that each had the opportunity to share, BUT each also heard stories of faith brought from the grassroot levels. It was truly an experience of faith and communion.

PROCESS

Generally, the 4-day gathering revolved around these main movements of the DAILY ACTIVITIES which are: →→ LITURGY →→ REPORTING →→ LISTENING →→ SHARING →→ DISCERNING.

LITURGY

The WHOLE event is highlighted with liturgical celebrations with selected Bishops and Archbishops as presiders, homilists and concelebrants. Guided with the Preparatory Documents and the Vademecum, Biblical texts were chosen to suit the daily flow of the event during the gathering particularly during the daily Bible sharing that opened all the activities of the day. This brought the liturgical celebrations meaningful and synodal.

REPORTING

The 13 Metropolitan Reports were divided into 3 group presentations. Two groups have 4 metropolitan reports and 1 group with 5 metropolitan reports. After each group presentations (4 or 5 reports), a particular theme is followed with corresponding questions as guide for table sharing of the participants.

GROUP I PRESENTORS – (DADITAMA (Video), ZAMBASULI (Video), LIPA (Video and Talk Show), NUEVA SEGOVIA (Power point), and CACERES (Video and Power Point)

THEME: “We Look Together”

Guide Questions for table sharing: (1) What doors were unlocked by the synodal journey? (2) What interesting, innovative, enlightening elements emerged in the synodal journey? (3) What obstacles, difficulties or concerns are pointed out? (4) What causes are indicated?

GROUP II PRESENTORS – (KIDMACO (PowerPoint), LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN (Talk Show), JARO (Reporting with Video), and SAN FERNANDO (Video)

THEME: “We Listen and Discern Together”

Guide Questions for table sharing: (1) What wounds (pains, cries of the least, the last, and the lost) were touched by the synodal process? (2) What discordant points of view and voices (‘out of tune or marginal) have you heard about these wounds? (3) What areas (structures, practices, processes) caused this woundedness?

GROUP III PRESENTORS – (TUGUEGARAO (Video), PALO (Video with live presentation), CABUSTAM (Video), DOPIM (Video and Documentary Style)

THEME: “We walk together”

Guide Questions for table sharing: (1) What signs do you see in your community/culture/structures that help in living out synodality? (2) How can we build up on these signs of hope?

LISTENING AND SHARING

The Bible Sharing as the opening activity every day is remarkable in the sense that it brought all participants to share personal insights about the Word of God coming the biblical texts chosen to serve as guide. Each participant was given chance to share his or her stories of faith moved through the Bible text that had chosen.

Another beautiful avenue of listening and sharing happened when all participants were asked to freely choose sectoral groups for table sharing on the third day of the gathering.

Listening to the sharing from the companions of the table group during the sectoral grouping was really enriching because you will come to know the concrete situations each local diocese particularly the situations of those who are in the peripheries and the margins in the community.

THEME: “Look, Listen, and Love”

During the table sharing on this day, we look at life, we listen to God and we bring love into action, through the sharing of concrete stories that happened inside and outside the church.

Guide questions for table sharing: (1) What is really happening? (2) Are there any reasons why it is happening? (3) How do we feel about it? (4) What does God think and feel about this event? (5) What does God want the church to do in this situation? (6) How can we participate in their story?

DISCERNING

After hearing all the Metropolitan Reports, the participants were asked to discern and envision possible BUT doable things to do for the Church. This will be done in order to plant hopes and aspiration in the hearts and minds of all participants during the National Synodal Consultation. (Rev. Fr. Edilberto R. Mahinay)