Pope Francis announced the Synod on Synodality, or as it is officially known, the 16th Synod of Bishops under the theme "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission" in 2021. Press releases from the Vatican described it as "walking together and listening to one another, but above all to the Holy Spirit."
The Synod on Synodality was to begin with the consultation of all of the faithful (all baptized Catholics). Not just bishops and theologians - but lay Catholics from around the globe.
At the end of this multi-year listening process, the Pope will issue an Apostolic Exhortation - a teaching document - likely in 2025. It will summarize what he has taken from the synod and what changes will be implemented in the future life of the Church.
Today, in the Summer of 2024, the Synod on Synodality is not only already well underway, but by some measures, entering its final stage. Here is a brief outline of the process and where it currently stands:
The Diocesan Phase (October 2021 - April 2022) The Synod on Synodality began with a Diocesan Listening Phase. Short summaries of each local gathering were consolidated into a diocesan synthesis and submitted to the national bishops conference - in our case, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). (COMPLETE)
The National Phase (May - July 2022) The USCCB gathered together those diocesan summaries - 290 in number from all dioceses of the US - and synthesized them into one concise document. This summary, one of 114 representing nearly every bishops conference from around the globe, was submitted to the Vatican in August 2022. (COMPLETE)
Consolidation and Approval (August - October 2022) The input from the National Phase was reviewed by a group of international experts who were tasked with consolidating those national documents. That document - entitled “Open Wide Your Tent” was then presented to Pope Francis for his approval. After his approval, the document was released as the basis for the next phase of deliberation - the Continental Phase. (COMPLETE)
The Continental Phase (January - March 2023) In the Continental Phase, the document distilling the hopes and concerns from Catholics all over the globe - “Open Wide Your Tent” - was returned to the seven continental churches for their review and approval: North America, South America and the Caribbean, Europe, Oceania, Africa and Madagascar, Asia, and the Middle East. A group of clergy and lay people from each region was asked to carefully review the consolidated document. Did this document fairly reflect the concerns and hopes that came out of their diocesan and national listening sessions? Was anything important left out? Did anything need to be added back in? (COMPLETE)
Instrumentum Laboris (IL), or in English, The Working Document (released in June 2023). Continental groups from all around the world went through the same process and submitted their final changes to Rome for inclusion in a document that would become “The Working Document” for the Synod on Synodality. This would be the basis for discussion at the face-to-face gathering in Rome in October of 2023. (COMPLETE)
In my next post I’ll spend more time on this important document.
Thomas "Tip' O'Neil, a senator from Massachusetts and Speaker of the House at one point, famously said," All politics are local.".
Upon reading the post above this came to mind as I reviewed the gathering +summarizing process described that has been taking place since 2021. My thought is that that this process is one of winnowing out and reducing / eliminating down to the most relevant, most frequent, most prominent and /or most pressing comments, issues or concerns., leaving the less-than-relevant,- frequent, -prominent and/or -pressing ones on 'the cutting room floor', as it were. Obviously, within this process, they cannot all be addressed.
But this begs the question of just how does one (committee, conference, congregation or even synod) "hear" what the Spirit or those moved / beckoned / called to 'speak' on behalf of that Spirit, has to say? Is it what most frequently appears? Or is most fervently pleaded? Or is most vehemently opposed? How is that still, quiet voice to be heard within such a process? How does a cast of thousands pray ? Or does it fall upon one man's ears and heart to sift through it all to find the golden nuggets?
Returning to Tip, I shall paraphrase here and write that all religion, viz.,churches, to be authentic, should be local. And all spirituality, to be genuine, must be personal. Perhaps one can hope that, through the mysterious power of the self-same Holy Spirit, that message (one of Jesus' favorites I'd wager )will re-emerge for all of us to re-consider one more time.