Synod Briefing - Day 9: Care of relationships
By Christopher Wells
At the daily press conference on Friday afternoon, Dr Sheila Pires noted that the central theme of this module is care of relationships, both within the Church and between the Church and the world.
Transparency, formation, accountability
This care, she emphasized, must be based on trust, transparency, and coherence. Dr Pires noted, too, Cardinal Hollerich’s insistence on the need for integral formation to form Christians prepared as witnesses for mission, keeping in mind that ecclesial discernment differs from questions of managerial techniques.
Pires highlighted Cardinal Hollerich’s call for the development of participative and transparent decision-making processes within the Church, and the need for accountability through the ongoing evaluation of the work of those with responsibility within the Church.
Processes of transformation in the Church
Turning to the reflection by Fr Timothy Radcliffe at the beginning of work on the Third Module, Dr Pires pointed to the Dominican spiritual director’s comparison between the processes of transformation within the Church and Jesus’ interaction with the Canaanite woman in the Gospel.
Fr Radcliffe said that Jesus’ silence demonstrated a moment of deep listening that can be a model for the Church’s attempts to listen to the cries of those who are suffering and to address the complex questions facing the Church today.
The Dominican preacher's reflection also emphasized the question of the relationship between equality and difference, especially in the context of the different vocations and roles in the community of the baptized.
Finally, he highlighted the need for attentive and continuous prayer, and the importance of resisting the urge to find immediate and simplistic answers. Jesus’ response to the Canaanite woman, Fr Radcliffe noted, shows an openness and a welcoming gaze for those who are different.
The work of the Synod in coming days
Following Dr Pires’ report, Dr Ruffini gave an outline of the work of the Synod over the next few days. On Friday afternoon, the Assembly will hear reports from the various language groups before voting on the agenda for the subsequent discussions, which will begin Saturday morning.
Dr Ruffini also invited everyone to take part in the Synod’s Ecumenical Vigil, which will take place on Friday evening in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs next to St Peter’s Basilica. He noted that more than 80 parishes around the world will hold prayer services in union with the Vigil taking place in Rome.
Tobin: More emphasis given to prayer and silence
Three guests were also present at the press conference: Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R, of Newark, USA; Dr Giuseppina De Simone, a witness of the synodal process representing Europe; and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst, Australia.
In his remarks, Cardinal Tobin discussed some of the differences between the current Synod and the previous Synods he has attended. He noted in particular the preparatory phase of the synod, which involved efforts to reach out to everybody, rather than simply listening to select groups.
The American cardinal also noted the greater emphasis given to prayer and silence in the General Assemblies and pointed to the increased role of specialists, such as theologians and canonists in the second session of the current General Assembly.
De Simone: A great sign of hope
Dr Giuseppina De Simone, whose academic work focuses on the relation between philosophy and theology, as well as phenomenology, also highlighted the methodology of this meeting of the Synod, saying that innovations in the preparation and work of the Synod are truly significant, even revolutionary.
She maintained that the current Synodal gathering is already a “great sign of hope” that offers something to the Church of our time and to humanity at large.
The outcome of the Synod, she said, is precisely the idea of an in-depth and rigorous reflection made together, starting from mutual listening. She, too, highlighted the importance of silence, which she described as an ability to “live within” the questions facing the Synod and not looking for immediate, simplistic answers.
As previous participants have done, Dr Simone emphasized the “beautiful” image represented by the tables, where the all are represented on an equal basis.
The significant presence of theologians at the tables is likewise a great sign, precisely because of the need for “technical and specialised knowledge,” which nonetheless must avoid the dangers of becoming elitist or losing touch with the reality of daily life.
Mackinlay: the Synod and Australia’s Plenary Council
For his part, Bishop Mackinlay spoke about the similarities between the Synod on Synodality and the Plenary Council that took place in Australia over the course of the past few years
He noted in particular the representation of the whole people of God along with the Bishops; the methodology of conversation in the Spirit; and the various stages of consultation; as well as the division of the General Assemblies among the commonalities between the two ecclesial events.
Bishop Mackinlay also noted that similar topics and themes had arisen in both gatherings, reflecting similar concerns and hopes expressed by the People of God in Australia and around the world.
While the Plenary Council in Australia made important and worthwhile decisions, Bishop Mackinlay highlighted the change in ecclesial culture as one of the most important fruits of the process. “We changed the way that we understand the Church in Australia, the standard way of approaching things,” he said, adding that he feels the same thing is happening in the Synod.
Concluding his remarks, Bishop Mackinlay highlighted one of the challenges for Synod participants, saying they are still working on determining how to use the processes of discernment and the method of conversation in the spirit “most effectively” in decision-making. He described the transition from listening and discernment to the resolution of difficulties as “challenging.”
At the same time, he suggested that it might be helpful to gather different models and paradigms that could serve as models for decision making.
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