Part I - The Heart of
Synodality
Called by the Holy Spirit to Conversion
Early on the first day of
the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had
been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, the
one whom Jesus loved (Jn 20: 1-2).
13. We encounter three disciples on Easter Morning: Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus loved. Each of them is seeking the Lord in his or her own way; each has his or her own part to play in enabling the light of hope to dawn. Mary Magdalene is so driven by love that she is the first at the tomb. Alerted by her, Peter and the Beloved Disciple make their way to the tomb. The Beloved Disciple races to the tomb with all the strength of youth. He looks intently; he is the first to understand, yet he lets Peter go first, he who is the elder, entrusted with the responsibility of leading. Peter, weighed down by his renunciation of the Lord, has an appointment with mercy, the mercy which he will minister in the Church. Mary remains in the garden. She hears herself called by name. She recognises the Lord. He commissions her to proclaim his Resurrection to the community of disciples. For this reason, the Church recognises her as Apostle of the Apostles. Their dependence on one another embodies the heart of synodality.
14. The Church exists to bear witness in the world to the most decisive
moment in history: the Resurrection of Jesus. The Risen Christ brings peace to
the world and gives us the gift of His Spirit. The living Christ is the source
of true freedom, the foundation for a hope that does not disappoint, the
revelation of the true face of God and humanity’s ultimate destiny. The Gospels
tell us that in order to enter into Easter faith and become witnesses to it, it
is necessary to acknowledge our own inner emptiness, the darkness of fear,
doubt and sin. Yet those who, in the midst of darkness, find the courage to set
out as searchers discover that they themselves are the ones being sought. They
are being called by name, offered forgiveness, and, in turn, sent out to their
brothers and sisters together.
The Church as the People of
God, Sacrament of Unity
15. The identity of the People of God flows from Baptism in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This identity is lived out as a call
to holiness and a sending out in mission, inviting all peoples to accept the
gift of salvation (cf. Mt 28:18-19). The missionary synodal Church springs from
Baptism, in which Christ clothes us with Himself (cf. Gal 3:27) and enables us
to be reborn of the Spirit (cf. Jn 3:5-6) as children of God. The whole of
Christian existence has its source and horizon in the mystery of the Trinity,
which brings forth in us the dynamism of faith, hope and love.
16. “It has pleased God, however, to sanctify and save men and women not
individually and without regard for what binds them together, but to set them
up as a people who would acknowledge Him in truth and serve Him in
holiness” (LG 9). The Eucharist, the
source of communion and unity, continually nourishes the People of God on their
journey towards the Kingdom: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are
one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Cor 10: 17). The Church,
nourished by the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, is constituted as
His Body (cf. LG 7): “you are the body of Christ and individually members of
it.” (1 Cor 12: 27). Enlivened by grace, the Church is a temple of the Holy
Spirit (cf. LG 17); the Spirit animates and builds it, making us all living
stones of a spiritual edifice (cf. 1 Pet 2: 5; LG 6).
17. Gathered from every tribe, language, people and nation and living in
different contexts and cultures, the synodal process gave us “the spiritual
taste” (EG 268) of what it means to be the People of God. The People of God is never the simple sum of
the Baptised but the communitarian and historical subject
of synodality and mission still on pilgrimage through time and already in
communion with the Church in heaven. Within the plurality of contexts where the
local Churches are rooted, the People of God proclaim and bear witness to the
Good News of salvation. Being in the world and for the world, they walk together
with all the peoples of the earth, in dialogue with their religions and their
cultures, recognising in them the seeds of the Word, journeying towards the
Kingdom. Incorporated into the People of God by faith and Baptism, we are
sustained and accompanied by the Virgin Mary,
“a sign of sure hope and comfort”
(LG 68), by the Apostles, by those who bore witness to their faith to
the point of giving their lives, and by the saints of every time and place.
18. In the holy People of God, which is the Church, the communion of the
faithful (communio Fidelium) is at
the same time the communion of the Churches (communio Ecclesiarum), which is manifested in the communion of
Bishops (communio Episcoporum) by reason
of the very ancient principle that “the Church is in the Bishop and the Bishop
is in the Church” (St. Cyprian, Epistle 66,
8). The Lord placed the Apostle Peter (cf. Mt 16: 18) and his successors at the
service of this manifold communion. By virtue of the Petrine ministry, the Bishop
of Rome is “the perpetual and visible principle and foundation” (LG 23) of the
Church's unity.
19. “God’s heart has a special place for the poor” (EG 197), the marginalised
and the excluded. Therefore, they are at the heart of the Church. The whole
Christian community is called to recognise in those made poor the face and
flesh of Christ, who, though He was rich, became poor for us so that we might
become rich through His poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8: 9). The preferential option for
the poor is implicit in Christological faith. The direct knowledge of the suffering
Christ (cf. EG 198) possessed by those who are poor makes them heralds of
salvation received as a gift and witnesses to the joy of the Gospel. The Church
is called to be poor with those who are poor, who often constitute the majority
of the faithful, to listen to them, learning together how to recognise the
charisms they receive from the Spirit. The Church also needs to learn to
recognise them as agents of evangelisation.
20. “Christ is the Light of nations” (LG 1), and this light shines on the
face of the Church, even when marked by the fragility of the human condition
obscured by sin. The Church receives from Christ the gift and responsibility of
being the effective leaven in bonds, relationships and the kinship of the human
family (cf. AG 2-4), witnessing to the meaning and goal of its journey in the
world (GS 3 and 42). The Church assumes this responsibility today at a time
dominated by a crisis of participation, that is, of people feeling that they
are not participants or actors with a common destiny, as well as by an
individualistic understanding of happiness and salvation. The Church’s vocation
and prophetic service (LG 12) consist in witnessing to God’s plan to unite all
humanity to Himself in freedom and communion. The Church is “the Kingdom of Christ
already present in mystery” (LG 3) and “the seed and the beginning of the
Kingdom on earth” (LG 5). It, therefore, walks together with all humanity, strongly
committed to justice and peace, human dignity and the common good. All this,
while it “aspires after the completion of the kingdom” (LG 5) when God will be
“all in all” (1 Cor 15: 28). The
Sacramental Roots of the People of God
21. The synodal journey of the Church led us to rediscover the root of the
varieties of charisms, vocations and ministries: “we were all baptised into one
body and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”" (1 Cor 12: 13).
Baptism is the foundation of Christian life. This is because it introduces
everyone to the greatest gift, which is
to be children of God, that is, to share in Jesus’ relationship to the
Father in the Spirit. There is nothing higher than this baptismal dignity,
equally bestowed upon each person, through which we are invited to clothe
ourselves with Christ and be grafted onto Him like branches of the one vine.
The name “Christian”, which we have the honour of being called, contains the
grace that is the basis of our life and enables us to walk together as brothers
and sisters.
22. Through Baptism, “the holy People of God has a share, too, in the
prophetic role of Christ, when it renders Him a living witness, especially
through a life of faith and charity” (LG 12). The anointing by the Holy Spirit
received at Baptism (cf. 1 Jn 2.20. 27) enables all believers to possess an
instinct for the truth of the Gospel. We refer to this as the sensus fidei. This consists in a certain
connaturality with divine realities based on the fact that, in the Holy Spirit, the Baptised become “sharers [participants]
in the divine nature” (DV 2). From this participation comes the aptitude
to grasp intuitively what
conforms to the truth of
Revelation in the communion of the Church. This is the reason why the Church is
certain that the holy People of God cannot err in matters of belief. They
manifest this special property when they show universal agreement in matters of
faith and morals (cf. LG 12). The exercise of the sensus fidei must not be confused with public opinion. It is always
in conjunction with the discernment of pastors at the different levels of
Church life, as the various interconnected phases of the synodal process
demonstrated. The sensus fidei aims
at reaching a consensus of the faithful (consensus
fidelium), which constitutes “a sure
criterion for determining whether a particular doctrine or practice belongs to
the apostolic faith” (ITC, Sensus fidei in
the life of the Church, 2014, 3).
23. All Christians participate in the sensus
fidei through Baptism. Therefore, as well as constituting the basis of
synodality, Baptism is also the foundation of ecumenism. “The path of synodality,
which the Catholic Church is travelling, is and must be ecumenical, just as the
ecumenical path is synodal” (Pope Francis, Address
to His Holiness Mar Awa III, 19 November 2022). Ecumenism is, first and
foremost, a matter of spiritual renewal. It demands processes of repentance
and the healing of memories of past wounds and, where necessary, finding the courage to
offer fraternal correction in a spirit of evangelical charity. The Assembly
resounded with profound testimonies by Christians of different ecclesial traditions
who share friendship and prayer, live together in community, are committed to
serving those living in various forms of poverty, and care for our common home.
In many regions of the world, there is, above all, the ecumenism of blood:
Christians of different backgrounds who together give their lives for faith in
Jesus Christ. The witness of their martyrdom is more eloquent than any word:
unity comes from the Cross of the Lord.
24. Baptism is understood more fully when placed in the context of
Christian Initiation, that is, the journey through which the Lord, through the
ministry of the Church, introduces us to the Paschal faith and draws us into
Trinitarian and ecclesial communion. This journey takes significantly various forms depending on the age at which
it is undertaken, the different emphases proper to the Eastern and Western traditions, and the specificities of each
local Church. Initiation brings each person into contact with a great variety
of vocations and ecclesial ministries. These embody the merciful face of the
Church who, like a mother, teaches her children
to walk by walking alongside them. The Church listens to those in initiation,
addressing their doubts and questions, and is enriched by the newness each
person brings by means of his or her own history and culture. In the practice
of this pastoral action, the Christian community experiences, often without
being fully aware of it, the first form of synodality.
25. Within the journey of Christian Initiation, the Sacrament of
Confirmation enriches the lives of believers with a special outpouring of the
Spirit so that they become witnesses to faith. The Spirit with whom Jesus was
filled (cf. Lk 4: 1), who anointed Him and sent Him to proclaim the Gospel (cf.
Lk 4: 18), is the same Spirit poured out on believers. This sanctifying
anointment seals their belonging to God. For this reason, Confirmation, which
renders the grace of Pentecost present in the lives of the baptised person and
the community, is a valuable gift. It renews in us the miracle of a Church
stirred up by the fire of mission, with the courage to go out onto the streets
of the world with the ability to be understood by all peoples and cultures. All
believers are called to contribute to this impetus, accepting the charisms that
the Spirit distributes abundantly to each one and committing themselves to
place these at the service of the Reign of God with humility and creative
resourcefulness.
26. The celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays, is the first and fundamental way the holy People of God gather and meet. “The unity of the Church is both signified and made a reality” (UR 2) by the celebration of the Eucharist. In the “full, conscious and active” (SC 14) participation of all the faithful, in the presence of different ministries and in the presidency of the Bishop or Priest, the Christian community is made visible, whereby a differentiated co-responsibility of all for mission is fulfilled. For this reason, the Church, the Body of Christ, learns from the Eucharist how to combine unity and plurality: the unity of the Church and the multiplicity of Eucharistic assemblies; unity of the sacramental mystery and variety of liturgical traditions; unity of celebration and plurality of vocations, charisms and ministries. The Eucharist, above all else, demonstrates that the harmony created by the Spirit is not uniformity and that every ecclesial gift is destined for the common good of all. Every celebration of the Eucharist is also an expression of the desire and call to a unity of all the Baptised not yet fully visible. Should celebrating the Sunday Eucharist not be possible despite the desire to do so, the community gathers around the celebration of the Word, where Christ is, in any case, present.
27. There is a close link between synaxis and synodos, between the
Eucharistic assembly and the synodal assembly. In both cases, albeit in
different forms, Jesus’ promise to be present where two or three are gathered
in His name is fulfilled (cf. Mt 18: 20). Synodal assemblies are events that
celebrate the union of Christ with His Church through the action of the Spirit.
It is the Spirit who ensures the unity of the ecclesial body of Christ in the
Eucharistic assembly as well as in the synodal assembly. The liturgy is a
listening to the Word of God and a response to His covenantal initiative.
Similarly, the synodal assembly is a listening to this same Word, which
resounds as much in the signs of the times as in the hearts of the faithful,
and also a response of the assembly that is discerning God’s will in order to
put it into practice. Deepening the link between liturgy and synodality will
help all Christian communities, in the diversity of their cultures and
traditions, to adopt celebratory styles that make visible the face of a synodal
Church. To this end, we call for the establishment of a specific Study Group
which would be entrusted with reflection on how to make liturgical celebrations
more an expression of synodality. It
could also consider the topic of preaching within liturgical celebrations as
well as the development of catechetical resources on synodality from a
mystagogical perspective.
Meaning and Dimensions of Synodality
28. The terms ‘synodality’ and ‘synodal’ derive from the ancient and constant ecclesial practice of meeting in synods. According to the traditions of the Eastern and Western Churches, the word ‘synod’ refers to institutions and events that assumed different forms over time, involving a plurality of agents and participants. This variety notwithstanding, what unites them is gathering together to dialogue, discern and decide. Owing to the experience of recent years, the meaning of these terms has come to be better understood, and what they represent is more vibrantly lived. They have become ever more deeply associated with the desire for a Church that is closer to people and more relational – a Church that is God’s home and family. During the synodal journey, we have witnessed a fruitful convergence regarding the meaning of synodality that forms the basis of this Document. Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity. Orientated towards mission, synodality involves gathering at all levels of the Church for mutual listening, dialogue, and communal discernment. It also involves reaching consensus as an expression of Christ rendering Himself present, He who is alive in the Spirit. Furthermore, it consists in reaching decisions according to differentiated co-responsibilities. Along these lines, we can understand better what it means to say that synodality is a constitutive dimension of the Church (ITC 1). In simple and concise terms, synodality is a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the Church to be more participatory and missionary so that it can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ.
29. We see the features of a synodal, missionary and merciful Church
shining in full light in the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, of the Church and
of humanity. She is the form of the Church who listens, prays, meditates,
dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides and acts. From Her we learn the art
of listening, attentiveness to God’s will, obedience to God’s Word and a readiness
to hear the needs of those who are poor and to set out along the path. We also
learn the love that reaches out to aid those in need and the song of praise that
exults in the Spirit. For this reason, as Saint Paul VI said, “the action of
the Church in the world can be likened to an extension of Mary’s concern” (Marialis Cultus, 28).
30. Specifically, synodality designates three distinct aspects of the life
of the Church:
a) in the first instance, it refers to “the particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the Church, expressing her nature as the People of God journeying together and gathering in assembly, summoned by the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel. Synodality ought to be expressed in the Church’s ordinary way of living and working. This modus vivendi et operandi works through the community listening to the Word and celebrating the Eucharist, the brotherhood of communion and the co-responsibility and participation of the whole People of God in its life and mission, on all levels and distinguishing between various ministries and roles” (ITC 70.a);
b)
secondly, “(i)n a more specific
sense, which is determined from a theological and canonical point of view,
synodality denotes those structures and ecclesial processes in which the synodal
nature of the Church is expressed at an institutional level, but analogously on
various levels: local, regional and universal. These structures and processes
are officially at the service of the Church, which must discover the way to
move forward by listening to the Holy Spirit” (ITC 70.b);
c)
thirdly, synodality designates
“the programme of those synodal events in which the Church is called
together by the competent authority in accordance with the specific procedures
laid down by ecclesiastical discipline, involving the whole People of God in various
ways on local, regional and universal levels, presided over by the Bishops in collegial
communion with the Bishop of Rome, to discern
the way forward and other particular questions, and to take particular
decisions and directions with the aim of fulfilling its evangelising mission”
(ITC 70.c).
31. In the context of the ecclesiology of the Council, with reference to
the People of God, the concept of communion expresses the profound substance of
the mystery and mission of the Church. This mystery has its source and summit
in the celebration of the Eucharist, that is, in union with God the Trinity and
in the unity among human persons realised in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Against this background, synodality “is the specific modus vivendi et operandi of the Church, the People of God, which
reveals and gives substance to her being as communion when all her members
journey together, gather in assembly and
take an active part in her evangelising mission” (ITC 6).
32. Synodality is not an end in itself. Rather, it serves the mission that
Christ entrusted to the Church in the Spirit. To evangelise is “the essential
mission of the Church [...] it is the grace and vocation proper to the Church,
her deepest identity” (EN 14). By being close to all without distinction of
persons, preaching and teaching, baptising, and celebrating the Eucharist and
the Sacrament of Reconciliation, all the local Churches and the whole Church
respond concretely to the Lord’s command to proclaim the Gospel to all nations
(cf. Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16). By appreciating all charisms and ministries,
synodality enables the People of God to proclaim and witness to the Gospel to
women and men of every place and time, making itself a “visible sacrament” (LG
9) of the fellowship and unity in Christ willed by God. Synodality and mission are
intimately linked: mission illuminates synodality and synodality spurs to
mission.
33. The authority of pastors “is a specific gift of the Spirit of Christ
the Head for the upbuilding of the entire Body” (ITC 67). This gift is bound to
the Sacrament of Orders, which configures pastors to Christ, Head, Shepherd and
Servant, and places them at the service of the holy People of God in order to
safeguard the apostolicity of the proclamation and to promote ecclesial
communion at all levels. Synodality
offers “the most appropriate
interpretative framework for
understanding the hierarchical ministry itself” (Francis,
Address in Commemoration of the
50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015)
and provides the correct context for understanding the mandate that Christ
entrusts, in the Holy Spirit, to pastors. Synodality, therefore, invites the
whole Church, including those who exercise authority, to conversion and
reform.
Unity as Harmony
34. “As a spiritual being, the human creature is defined through
interpersonal relations. The more authentically he or she lives these
relations, the more his or her own personal identity matures. It is not by
isolation that man establishes his worth, but by placing himself in relation with
others and with God. Hence, these relations take on fundamental importance.”
(CV 53). We recognise a synodal Church
by flourishing interpersonal relationships flowing from the mutual love that
constitutes the new commandment left by Jesus to His disciples (cf. Jn 13: 34-35).
The Church as “a people made one by the unity of the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit” (LG 4), can witness to the power of relationships founded in the
Trinity especially where individualism pervades cultures and societies.
Differences that are found in every Christian community with respect to age,
vocation, sex, profession and social belonging provide an opportunity for an
encounter with otherness that is indispensable to personal growth and maturity.
35. Families, which the Council refers to as “as it were, the domestic
Church” (LG11), are the pre-eminent context in which we learn to live out the
richness of relationships between persons, united in their diversity of
character, sex, age
and role. In families, we learn to experience the basic practices needed
for a synodal Church. The reality of brokenness and suffering experienced by
families notwithstanding, they remain places where we learn to exchange the gifts of love, trust,
reconciliation, forgiveness and understanding. Here, we learn that we are equal
in dignity and created for reciprocity, that we need to be listened to, and
that we are able to listen. Here we first learn how to discern and decide
together, accept and exercise authority that is loving and life-giving, and to
be co-responsible and accountable. Families “humanise people through the
relationship of ‘we’ and at the same time promote each person’s legitimate
differences” (Francis, Address to the
Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, 29 April 2022).
36. The synodal process has shown that the Holy Spirit constantly calls
forth from the People of God a great variety of charisms and ministries. “In the
structure of the body of Christ, too, there is a diversity of members and
functions. There is one Spirit who distributes his various gifts for the good
of the church according to his own riches and the needs of the ministries (cf. 1
Cor 12: 11)” (LG 7). Equally, a desire emerged to expand possibilities for
participation and for the exercise of differentiated co-responsibility by all
the Baptised, men and women. In this regard, however, the lack of participation
by so many members of the People of God in this journey of ecclesial renewal
was a source of sadness. There was also a sense of sadness expressed at the
widespread difficulty within the Church in living flourishing relationships
fully between men and women, between different generations and between
individuals and groups with diverse cultural identities and social conditions.
Of particular concern in this regard must be those people made poor and those
who are excluded.
37. In addition, the synodal process highlighted the spiritual heritage of
the local Churches, in which and from which the Catholic Church exists and the
need to combine their experiences. By virtue of catholicity, “the individual
parts bring their gifts to the other parts and to the whole church, in such a
way that the whole and individual parts grow greater through the mutual
communication of all and their united efforts towards fullness in unity” (LG
13). The ministry of the successor of Peter “safeguards legitimate differences
while taking care that what is particular not only does no harm to unity but
rather is conducive to it” (LG 13, cf. AG 22).
38. The whole Church has always been comprised of a plurality of peoples
and languages, of vocations, charisms and ministries at the service of the common
good, as well as of local Churches. In turn, these local Churches have always
possessed their own rites and disciplines as well as their own distinctive
theological and spiritual heritage. The unity of this diversity is realised by
Christ, the cornerstone, and the Holy Spirit, the source of all harmony. This
unity in diversity is precisely what is meant by the catholicity of the Church.
The richness of the plurality of the
Churches sui iuris highlighted by the
synodal process, is a sign of this very catholicity.
The Assembly asks that we continue along the path of the encounter, mutual understanding
and exchange of gifts that nourish the communion of a Church of Churches.
39. Synodal renewal fosters an
appreciation of local contexts as the place where the universal call
from God manifests and fulfils itself. It is a call to be part of God’s people,
to participate in that Reign of God, which is “righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). In this way, different cultures are enabled to
grasp the unity that underlies their plurality and become open to the prospect
of an exchange of gifts. “The unity of the Church is not uniformity, but an
organic blending of legitimate diversities” (NMI 46). There is a variety of
ways in which the message of salvation is expressed. This helps avoid reducing
this message to a single understanding of the life of the Church and of the
theological, liturgical, pastoral and disciplinary forms it takes.
40. The appreciation of contexts, cultures and diversities, and of the
relationships between them, is key to growing as a missionary synodal Church
and to journeying, prompted by the Holy Spirit, towards the visible unity of
Christians. We reaffirm the commitment of the Catholic Church to continue and
intensify the ecumenical journey with other Christians by virtue of our common
Baptism and in response to the call to live together the communion and unity
among disciples for which Christ prayed at the Last Supper (cf. Jn 17:20-26).
The Assembly welcomes with joy and gratitude the progress in ecumenical
relations of the past sixty years, as well as the dialogue documents and
declarations expressing the common faith. The participation of the Fraternal
Delegates enriched the proceedings of the Assembly, and we look forward to the
next steps on the path towards full communion through the incorporation of the
fruits of the ecumenical journey into ecclesial practices.
41. In every place on earth, Christians live side by side with people who
are not baptised yet serve God by practising a different religion. We pray
solemnly for them in the liturgy of Good Friday, and we strive together with
them to build a better world, imploring the one God to free the world from the
evils that afflict it. Dialogue, encounter and exchange of gifts, typical of a
synodal Church, are calls to open out to relations with other religious
traditions, with the aim of
“establishing friendship, peace, harmony and sharing spiritual and moral values and experiences in
a spirit of truth and love” (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Response of the Church in India to the
present day challenges, 9 March 2016, cited in FT 271). In some regions,
Christians who engage in building close relationships with those of other
religions are subjected to persecution. The Assembly encourages them to
persevere with a sense of hope.
42. The plurality of religions and cultures, the diversity of spiritual and theological traditions, the variety of the gifts of the Spirit and of the tasks of the community, as well as the diversity of age, sex and social affiliation within the Church, are an invitation to each person to recognise their particular situatedness, resist the temptation of being at the centre, and open oneself to the acceptance of other perspectives. Everyone can make a particular and indispensable contribution to completing our common task. The synodal Church can be described using the image of the orchestra: the variety of instruments is necessary to give life to the beauty and harmony of music, within which the voice of each one retains its own distinctive features at the service of the common mission. Thus, is manifested the harmony that the Spirit brings about in the Church, the One who is harmony in person (cf. St. Basil, On Psalm 29:1; On the Holy Spirit, XVI: 38)
Synodal Spirituality
43. Synodality is primarily a spiritual disposition. It permeates the daily
life of the Baptised as well as every aspect of the Church's mission. A synodal
spirituality flows from the action of the Holy Spirit and requires listening to
the Word of God, contemplation, silence and conversion of heart. As Pope
Francis stated in his opening address of the Second Session, “the Holy Spirit
is a sure guide and our first task is to learn how to discern his voice, since
he speaks through everyone and in all things”
(Address to First General
Congregation of the Second Session of the XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops, 2 October 2024). A spirituality of synodality also
requires asceticism, humility, patience and a willingness to forgive and be
forgiven. It welcomes with gratitude and humility the variety of gifts and
tasks distributed by the Holy Spirit for the service of the one Lord (cf 1 Cor
12: 4-5). It does so without ambition, envy or desire for domination or
control, cultivating the same attitude
as Christ who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil. 2:7).
We recognise the fruits of a spirituality of synodality when the daily life of
the Church is marked by unity and harmony in pluriformity. No one can progress
along the path of authentic spirituality alone; we need support, including
formation and spiritual accompaniment,
both as individuals and as a community.
44. The renewal of the Christian community is possible only by recognising
the primacy of grace. If spiritual depth
at both personal and communal
levels is lacking,
synodality is reduced to organisational
expediency. We are called not only to translate the fruits of a personal spiritual
experience into community processes. We are also called to experience how
practising the new commandment of reciprocal love is the place and form of
encounter with God. In this sense, while drawing on the rich spiritual heritage
of the Tradition, the synodal perspective contributes to renewing its forms: a
prayer open to participation, a discernment lived together, and a missionary
energy that arises from sharing and that radiates as service.
45. Conversation in the Spirit is a tool that, even with its limitations,
enables listening in order to discern “what the Spirit is saying to the
Churches” (Rev. 2:7). Its practice has elicited joy, awe and gratitude and has
been experienced as a path of renewal that transforms individuals, groups, and
the Church. The word “conversation” expresses more than mere dialogue: it
interweaves thought and feeling, creating a shared vital space. That is why we
can say that conversion is at play in conversation. This is an anthropological
reality found in different peoples and cultures, who gather together in
solidarity to deal with and decide matters vital to the community. Grace brings
this human experience to fruition. Conversing “in the Spirit” means living the
experience of sharing in the light of faith and seeking God’s will in an evangelical
atmosphere within which the Holy Spirit’s unmistakable voice can be heard.
46. The need within the Church for healing, reconciliation and the
rebuilding of trust has resounded at every stage of the synodal process,
particularly in light of so many scandals related to different types of abuse.
It also resounded in the face of similar abuses in society. The Church is
called to put at the centre of its life and action the fact that in Christ,
through Baptism, we are entrusted to each other. Recognition of this profound
reality becomes a sacred duty that enables us to recognise mistakes and rebuild
trust. There is a missionary obligation upon the People of God to walk this
path in our world and we need to invoke the gift to do so from above. Walking this
path is also an act of justice. The desire to do so is the fruit of synodal
renewal.
47. Practised with humility, the synodal style enables the Church to be a
prophetic voice in today’s world. “A synodal Church is like a standard lifted
up among the nations (cf. Is 11: 12)” (Francis, Address for the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the
Institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015). We live in an age
marked by ever-increasing inequalities; growing disillusionment with
traditional models of governance, disenchantment
with the functioning of democracy,
increasing autocratic and dictatorial tendencies and
the predominance of the market model
without regard for the vulnerability of
people and of creation. The
temptation can be to resolve conflicts by force rather than by dialogue.
Authentic practices of synodality enable Christians to be a critical and prophetic
voice over against the prevailing culture. In this way, we can offer a
distinctive contribution to the search for answers to many challenges faced by
our contemporary societies in building the common good.
48. The synodal way of living relationships and a form of testimony offered
to society. It is also a way of responding
to the human need to be welcomed
and recognised within a particular,
concrete community. The practice of synodality is a challenge to the growing isolation
of people and to cultural individualism, which the Church has also often
absorbed, and it calls us to mutual care, interdependence and co-responsibility
for the common good. Likewise, it challenges exaggerated forms of social communitarianism
that suffocate individuals and prevent them from being agents of their own development.
The willingness to listen to all, especially
those who are poor, stands in stark contrast to a world in which the concentration
of power tends to disregard those who are poor, the marginalised, minorities
and the earth, which is our common home. Synodality and integral ecology both take on
the character of relationality and insist upon us nurturing what binds us
together; this is why they correspond to and complement each other concerning
how the mission of the Church is lived out in today’s world.
(to be continued)
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