The Final Report: “For a Synodal Church”
The Heart of Synodality
This post and the next one are all about Synodality - what it is and how it can lead to the revitalization of the Church; As in the other sections, it begins with a meditation.
(Note: The numbers included in my reflection below tie to the paragraph number in the Final Report: For a Synodal Church - Communion, Participation and Mission.)
The Synod Assembly once again goes back to the Gospel account of the Resurrection - this time to Easter morning. Mary Magdalene, Peter and John all race to the tomb. Each has a different personality, different strengths and weaknesses, and a different relationship with Jesus, but all three are drawn, and all have an important part to play.
Peter, the elder, the leader, but also the denier; John, the youngest, the beloved; Mary Magdalene, the forgiven, and the apostle to the apostles. They are all mixtures of flaws and gifts, yet they all seek the Lord in their own ways. They are being called by name, offered forgiveness, and in turn, sent out to their brothers and sisters, together. (14) All are necessary to complete the mission, and all are called to serve.
The Synodal Church: A Pilgrim People
The Synod on Synodality helps us realize once again, or for the first time, that we are the People of God. This identity flows from our baptism and is lived out as a call to holiness, and a sending-out in mission. (15)
It is a call to action.
This Synod gave us a taste of what it means to be the People of God. It is not just the sum of the Baptized, but a people on pilgrimage through time . . . rooted in many contexts and cultures, the People of God proclaim and bear witness to the Good News. (14)
The Church is the seed and the beginning of the Kingdom of God here on earth. It walks together with all humanity, strongly committed to justice and peace, human dignity, and the common good. (20) The poor, the marginalized, and the excluded, who make up the majority of the faithful, must be at the heart of the Church. Called to be poor with the poor, the Church must listen to them, learn from them, and recognize their importance as evangelizers. (20)
Synodality is rooted in the Sacraments of Initiation:
Through Baptism we are commissioned.
Baptism is the foundation of Christian Life. (21) Through it we become “Children of God,” brothers and sisters in Christ, and sharers in Jesus' relationship with the Father and the Spirit. In our anointing at Baptism, we receive from the Holy Spirit “an instinct for the truth of the Gospel” - an instinct that is often referred to as “the sensus fidei.” This is not the same as public opinion, but is always exercised in communion with the priests, bishops, and the Pope. (22)
Through Confirmation we are empowered and sent out.
In Confirmation, a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit seals our belonging to God and allows us to become witnesses to faith. This sacrament connects us to Pentecost, to the beginning of the Church, and bestows on all believers special charisms to be “placed at the service of the Reign of God with humility and creative resourcefulness.” (25)
Through the Eucharist we are sanctified for the common good.
In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we gather and meet as the People of God. Inspired by the Word and nourished by the Eucharist, we are unified, strengthened and sent forth. We are one Church, one Body, one celebration, one sacramental mystery, in spite of our different liturgical traditions, vocations, charisms and ministries. (26)
Concrete steps suggested in this section:
The Synodal Assembly calls for the establishment of a Study Group which would be entrusted with reflection on how to make liturgical celebrations more an expression of synodality. This would include preaching within liturgical celebrations, and in the development of catechetical resources on synodality from a mystagogical perspective. (27)
Next time we will explore the Meaning and Dimensions of Synodality.