Nevertheless, our new
Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, had been active in previous phases of synodality and
is now presiding over the Synodal leadership, as shown in this post’s photo
from an article in Vatican News HERE. This group is encouraging churches to
follow through with the third phase of the Synod, known as the Implementation
Phase, and has provided resources on the Synod site HERE.
The sweeping XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Vatican Synod of Bishops 2021-2024 is completed and has produced its Final Document. This project started in 2021 by gathering comments from all aspects of Catholic Church membership, from laity to priests to men and women belonging to religious orders, as well as Bishops, and of course Pope Francis who initiated it.
The links in various languages of the Final Document can be found on the website for the Synod at this page HERE. I don’t know if it will be available indefinitely at this web address, so you may want to download it soon if you are interested, even if you intend to read it later.
The dates for the second session of the Vatican Bishops’ Synod on Synodality are Oct. 2 to Oct. 27, 2024. I had previously given the Vatican News site (HERE) as more informative of the Synod than the actual Synod website. However, there are now new documents posted at the Synod website which are pertinent to the second session. I have the Synod home page link HERE, and the documents are under the link “Towards the 2024 Assembly.”
After this, I do not plan to be posting as many links to news and publications leading to this Synod as last year, assuming that those who are interested have caught on to finding information.
The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO) is starting a webinar series about Synodality in the Catholic Church called “School for Synodality,” February 27-29, 2024. The First Session of the Synodal Assembly 2021-2024 resulted in a synthesis document to which I previously linked (a direct link to the document is HERE). The WUCWO school will focus especially on Section 9 of the document, which concerns the role of Catholic women in the Church. The link to the website for registration is HERE.
I’m sorry this post is so late but I only noticed this announcement today, Feb. 27, 2024, on the Vatican News site (and as far as I know today is when it first showed up). The first two days of the webinar are in Spanish and French respectively. The February 29 presentation is in English. I hope you can still register and watch if you are interested.
As I still try to catch up with my various activities from a very busy 2023, I’ll just add a short post to keep my blog presence alive for another month.
Further developments have recently taken place concerning
the second session of the Catholic Bishops’ Synod of Synodality (16th Ordinary
General Assembly).
In December, a document was distributed to bishops
world-wide to help them continue the process of synodality. An article
describes it at Vatican News HERE.
Just announced, Pope Francis, along with setting the dates
of Oct. 2 to Oct. 27 2024 for the second session, is creating study groups to explore themes from the
first session of the Synod. More details can be found at Vatican News
HERE.
At a mass celebrating the Holy Spirit's approach to mankind after Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, Pentecost on May 28, 2023, Pope Francis related that event to the upcoming Bishops' Synod on Synodality (link HERE to the article, and first reference at bottom of post):
The Catholic Church's current Synod of Bishops should not be a "parliament for demanding rights," but a journey in accordance with the Spirit.
He emphasized, "the Holy Spirit is the heart of synodality and the driving force of evangelization."
But from the same homily, Francis warned, "We often hear so many so-called thinkers and theologians who give us cold doctrines that seem mathematical because they lack the Spirit."
The Pope covers at least three themes in his statements: the Holy Spirit; Church synods; and "cold" (assuming bad) doctrines of theologians. I'd like to address the third in my last post on these quotes.
First, I don’t know if Pope Francis meant the doctrines or
the theologians “lack the Spirit,” but I will not speculate directly on whether
a specific individual has the Spirit or not.
Simply put, Catholic doctrines are defined as all Church
teaching in matters of faith and morals. Heresies are ideas contrary to
accepted, approved religious beliefs. Theologians study God and write about
their findings and their thoughts can be very complex. Many of us don’t
understand them and thus lies one of the problems. We trust in our educated
Church leadership, many themselves theologians, to sort through the opinions of
others through the ages and then tell the rest of us what we need to know.
Popes and bishops sometimes need to actively oppose false doctrines, as we
saw in the Arian heresy (described in my last post HERE), where our Nicaean Creed was drawn, so that all
Catholics can know the clear beliefs of the Church. Yet, as we saw in the same
Arian heresy, many leaders were misled for a long time. So much so, that St.
Jerome at one point said the world “awoke with a groan to find itself Arian.”
Some theologians resist what the pope and magisterium teach.
At times, popes have required Catholic professors to sign pledges to teach
orthodoxy (Church approved beliefs). That does not always stop their
resistance, however. And, to be fair, the Church does change for the better
sometimes due to new realizations, such as the injustice of slavery.
The Holy Father didn't name any theologians and neither will
I, but I will mention two extremes of intellectual thought that, if not at this
point can even be called Christian theology, have influenced theology and therefore
culture in general. I’m not an expert and I’m defining these theories very broadly,
so anyone out there who reads this and can add or correct, feel free. But I
think these labels will fit well enough to be recognized and cover some of what
is going on in minds both inside and outside the Church.
One theory is called “Naturalistic Modernism” (or some form of the term), where all of existence is from natural laws and material substance. The other theological theory is the “Supernatural Existential,” where all people who in some sense know they are human are infused supernaturally and ultimately called by God to the Divine Nature so that pretty much every person, no matter what they believe about God or have even heard of Him, end up with Him in Heaven.
Naturalistic Modernism started centuries ago and involved
so-called intellectuals denying miracles, mostly because, I think, of the
increase of understanding of nature and scientific method. They wanted to look
at Christ in the sense of a simple human teacher but transformed in stories by what
his disciples thought of Him. The theory led to the elimination of all
supernatural phenomena, including God Himself. And, of course, this is where
many people stand.
Concerning the Supernatural Existential, as I understand it,
individuals, even avowed atheists, do not have to believe in Christ in order to
be Christian. If they accept their own essence as human beings, with an innate
transcendent consciousness open to God as the Other, they are Christian even if
they don’t know it. As far as I can tell, if the theory is right, no one would
be eliminated from Heaven. There is more to this than I can describe here or
fully understand, so I refer you to a book by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, linked
below, called, Gethsemane: The Origins and Rise of the Intellectual
Revolution in the Church.
Cardinal Siri did not flinch in denouncing this theory.
Another negative analysis came from none other than Pope Emeritus Benedict,
previously Pope Benedict XVI, also known as a brilliant theologian. In an
interview HERE (reference below), the Pope Emeritus pointed out that
simply accepting oneself as human does not explain the “drama of change and
renewal that is central to Christianity.”
And this theory is not what is laid out in the Bible. In the
first book of Romans, a letter by the Apostle Paul to citizens of that city,
Paul first describes those faults of Gentiles which Jews point out. But in the
second chapter, he accuses the Jews of the very same faults. In the third
chapter he spells out, with verses marked under the Bible’s New International
Version (Romans 3, NIV):
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Paul continues after naming more human faults:
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith…
Though all have sinned and are justified by the grace that
comes through Christ’s sacrifice, this redemption is only received by faith.
Unfortunately, the Supernatural Existential thinking has permeated the Catholic Church,
leaders and laity, to the point where evangelization is damaged. Why exert
yourself if everyone is saved anyway? Evangelization can be very challenging.
Are people saved who never heard of Christ? It is up to God
if He wants to make exceptions for His own reasons. It is our job to make sure
all persons in our day hear the Gospels loudly and clearly. Are atheists or
persons from other religions saved who have heard the Word and strongly deny either
that God exists or that Christ is God and has atoned for our sins as long as we
believe in Him? I very much don’t think so unless they change, no matter how
much they accept themselves as human or transcendently spiritual they
feel.
Most of us are familiar with the verse, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16). This is stated by Jesus Christ Himself. But the next two verses, especially 18, are not as familiar in our culture: 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (NIV). (Though the wording “they have not believed” may imply “at any time in our lives,” I think that as long as we are alive, we can realize and accept the truth of Christ and subsequently be saved.)
Only Christ leads to God, which He distinctly told us,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me" (John 14:6). We consider the Bible to be inspired by
the Holy Spirit, and although the Bible itself can be challenging for the
laity, it is not impenetrable. We also have faith that the Holy Spirit lives
within Christians and leads us to Truth.
The “cold doctrines” Pope Francis mentions are those that lead
us away from Truth, from understanding and therefore from a right
relationship with God. There are intellectual and theological ideas floating
around right now which openly and obviously counter to what we seek in prayer, hear in our
consciences, read in the Bible, and of what Christ Himself
taught. These can be analyzed by sincere believers, theology professionals or
not, in our reason and our hearts, and should be called out for the "cold doctrines" that they are.
I hope all Catholics will be willing to seek the Lord's will together, throughout the Bishops' Synod on Synodality and its aftermath.
References
Justin McClellen, "Pope on Pentecost: Synod is a journey in the Spirit, not 'a parliament,'" Catholic News Service, May 28, 2023.
https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-pentecost-synod-journey-spirit-not-parliament
Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Gethsemane: The Origins and Rise of the Intellectual Revolution in the Church (Franciscan Herald Press, 1981). (This book is again available in a reprint by Sophia Institute Press, 2022.)
In my previous post (HERE), I commented on Pope Francis's quotes at a mass celebrating the Holy Spirit's approach to mankind after Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, Pentecost. On May 28, 2023, the Pope related that event to the upcoming Bishops' Synod on Synodality (link HERE with reference at bottom of post):
The Catholic Church's current Synod of Bishops should not be a "parliament for demanding rights," but a journey in accordance with the Spirit.
He emphasized, "the Holy Spirit is the heart of synodality and the driving force of evangelization."
But from the same homily, Francis warned, "We often hear so many so-called thinkers and theologians who give us cold doctrines that seem mathematical because they lack the Spirit."
I mentioned that
the Holy Father's comments brought out three major themes: the Holy Spirit;
Church synods; and certain theologians.
Though these themes
are interwoven, in my second post, I'll address Church synods, along with a
closely related subject, Catholic Church councils.
Since it began around 2000 years ago, the Catholic Church has had 21 official ecumenical (worldwide) councils,
listed in Catholic Answers Website HERE. The Pope doesn't have to attend these meetings
of bishops but has to approve their concluding documents.
In addition, there are other meetings of bishops that are known as synods. They can be restricted to a certain geographical location. Also, a synod can be a meeting of bishops called by a pope to discuss a topic of theological or pastoral significance in order to prepare a document of advice or counsel to him. In an effort to keep the spirit of Vatican II (concluded in 1965) alive, Pope Paul VI enacted regularly spaced bishops' synods since then.
Though we might
expect all meetings of Catholic bishops, many of whom have advanced to
cardinals at this stage, to be smooth going, history shows this was not the
case. Two particular situations were especially contentious for long periods of
time.
One was the Arian
heresy. It started when a man named Arius claimed that Jesus Christ was not a
Person of God but rather made by God to be somewhere between God and humans as
a mediator.
For a very in-depth report of that controversy, you can refer to a book, entirely online, by John Henry Cardinal Newman called, Arians of the Fourth Century (link HERE). You can also read a shorter summary under “Arian controversy” at Wikipedia HERE.
There were many synods between the two Councils that are considered the ones that officially condemned Arianism (which were Nicaea in 325 AD and Constantinople I in 381 AD). A list of the intervening meetings is found in Note 6 of Cardinal Newman's book (link HERE). These sometimes pronounced in favor of Arianism. There were various locations of all the synods due to various factors, even prevailing illnesses, so the events can be hard to follow. But in one of these Catholic Church synods the Arian heresy was supported even by a pope's signature (Pope Liberius at the Synod of Sirmium in 357 AD).
In those days, emperors got involved with religion, so some of the divisions were due to their interference. However, there were genuine disagreements between leaders of the Church, especially along what were considered geographical lines of East (Constantinople) and West (Rome).
It is relevant to the current synod to say that the laity were intimately aware of the Arian heresy over these years and actively fighting it. Cardinal Newman felt free to give his view (Note 5 HERE) in Arians of the Fourth Century:
The episcopate, whose action was so prompt and concordant at Nicæa on the rise of Arianism, did not, as a class or order of men, play a good part in the troubles consequent upon the Council; and the laity did. The Catholic people, in the length and breadth of Christendom, were the obstinate champions of Catholic truth, and the bishops were not.After mentioning exceptions on both sides, such as Athanasius, he adds to the above quote:
This is a very remarkable fact: but there is a moral in it. Perhaps it was permitted, in order to impress upon the Church at that very time passing out of her state of persecution to...her long temporal ascendancy, the great evangelical lesson, that, not the wise and powerful, but the obscure, the unlearned, and the weak constitute her real strength. It was mainly by the faithful people that Paganism was overthrown; it was by the faithful people, under the lead of Athanasius and the Egyptian bishops, and in some places supported by their Bishops or priests, that the worst of heresies was withstood and stamped out of the sacred territory.
Another example of
Councils that did not bring immediate solutions were those of Pisa in 1409 and
Constance in 1414 to 1418. In 1309, the geographical center of the Catholic
Church had been moved from Rome to Avignon, France, largely due to political
interactions with the pope and the king of France at the time (info HERE). In 1377, it returned
to Rome, led by Pope Gregory XI. When he died and a new pope, Urban VI, was
elected, he was critical of the cardinals who had lived in luxury in France. Some of them then returned to France
in 1378 and elected an anti-pope, Clement VII. About 30 years later, some of the leadership got the
Church into even more of a bind when they attempted to replace 2 popes at a
meeting in Pisa in 1409, when they elected a new Pope. However, instead of the
desired result of a total of one pope, the election was contested and the Church now had 3
popes.
At Constance (info HERE), the
participants eventually emerged with one pope. However, they claimed supremacy
of Church councils over the pope in certain cases, and pronounced that councils
should be held every 10 years. This is known as conciliarism and was declared heretical by Pope Pius II in 1460.
I hope you have
seen it can take time to work out where the Holy Spirit is truly leading us
when it comes to Catholic Church councils and synods.
References
Justin McClellen, "Pope on Pentecost: Synod is a journey in the Spirit, not 'a parliament,'" Catholic News Service, May 28, 2023. https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-pentecost-synod-journey-spirit-not-parliament
Karl Keating, "The 21 Ecumenical Councils," Catholic Answers, 6/1/1993. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-21-ecumenical-councils
John Henry Newman, Arians of the Fourth Century, (Longmans, Green and Co., 1908). https://www.newmanreader.org/works/arians/index.html
“Arian controversy,” Wikimedia Foundation, last modified March 1, 2023, 12:41 (UTC). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arian_controversy
“Council of Constance,” Wikimedia Foundation, last modified July 12, 2023, 05:28. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Constance
At a mass celebrating the Holy Spirit's approach to mankind after Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, called Pentecost, on May 28, 2023, Pope Francis related that event to the upcoming Bishops' Synod on Synodality (link HERE, the article is first reference at bottom of post):
The Catholic Church's current Synod of Bishops should not be a "parliament for demanding rights," but a journey in accordance with the Spirit.
He emphasized, "the Holy Spirit is the heart of synodality and the driving force of evangelization."
But from the same homily, Francis warned, "We often hear so many so-called thinkers and theologians who give us cold doctrines that seem mathematical because they lack the Spirit."
I'd like to comment on the Pope's statements in a very
abbreviated way. As Francis often does, I'll point out three themes. Though the
subjects are intertwined, it is perhaps easier to think about them distinctly:
the Holy Spirit; Church synods; and certain theologians.
To learn about God, we use the Bible, which has records
of Christ's life on Earth and early Church development. All Christians should
read the Bible, with studies available through Church, schools, and other
sources.
That said, God is a Trinity of one essence and three
Persons: the Father; Jesus Christ the Son; and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is
one Person with two natures, human and divine. Though He is God, He came to
Earth and took on flesh in order to live a perfect life and die in atonement
for our sins, so that a just God would accept us into His presence in Heaven
(to read more, click HERE).
To learn about the Holy Spirit, we can see what Christ
said about Him. In the Bible's book of John, chapter 14, Jesus was talking with
His disciples. He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I
will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you
always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither
sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in
you (John 14:15-17, NABRE).
This is an exciting promise since the Holy Spirit is God
Himself! It should make us pay close attention to what Christ means.
What are Christ's commandments? One is to love one
another, as He tells the same disciples in the previous chapter (John
13:34).
But this is not all, as some seem to think. The other
major commandment is to believe in Jesus Christ Himself. Again in the book of
John at an earlier time, Christ answers a question in an exchange with a crowd
following Him: "So they said to him, 'What can we do to accomplish the works of
God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you
believe in the one he sent'” (John 6:28-29). He was referring to Himself as both
God and Son of God.
Most of us are familiar with John 3:16, where Christ
tells a Jewish leader that "God so loved the world that He sent His only
begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life.” Belief is crucial.
Throughout the Old Testament, God had a special
relationship with the Jewish people. However, He insisted they worship Him, the
True God, and no false conceptions of other gods. They often failed and
eventually were exiled by God to foreign lands.
Too often today even Christians don't take belief in the Trinity, including Christ, seriously enough. But it is a fundamental element of our relationship with
God. He wants us to know Him, be devoted to Him and worship only Him as the
Lord. Jesus Christ came to Earth, lived a perfect life and died in atonement for our sins,
and our attention should be focused on what this means.
There are more verses about this subject that could
be quoted. But for now, I want to address the other themes I mentioned, namely
Church Synods and certain theologians.
References:
Justin McClellen, "Pope on Pentecost: Synod is a journey in the Spirit, not 'a parliament,'" Catholic News Service, May 28, 2023. https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-pentecost-synod-journey-spirit-not-parliament
“Good News – The Gospel!” Womanatwell Website, March 9, 2023. https://womanatwell.blogspot.com/2023/03/good-news-gospel.html
The list of participants for the first session of the Catholic Bishops’ Synod on Synodality 2021-2024 has appeared, but it is only in Italian. The organizers have been promising the list in English, but it is not yet available at this writing. The list in Italian is HERE and I imagine the English one will be found from that link when it finally is completed. The list of North American Delegates for the Synod is HERE.
I’ve been reading the Instrumentum Laboris (the working
document) for this general assembly and it is impressive, displaying large
amounts of prayerfulness, thoughtfulness, and hard work of many people.
Recently Vatican News reported (link HERE) that Pope Francis received an award from Italian journalists for persons who “have shaped the narrative of current affairs in Italy with objectivity, professionalism and creativity.” In the article, the Holy Father discusses problems with the press concerning disinformation and efforts to steer public opinion. He asked for help from journalists to report on this upcoming Synod on Synodality. Quoting the Vatican News article:
Reiterating that synod participants want to contribute together to building a Church where everyone feels at home, where no one is excluded, Pope Francis reiterated his request “to the masters of journalism” for help to “tell this process for what it really is, leaving behind the logic of slogans and pre-packaged stories.”
The Instrumentum Laboris (IL, Latin for Working Document) for the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Oct. 4-29, 2023) is now available. Links to the IL are at a Synod webpage HERE.
This document is a culmination of input of thousands of
Catholics, from laity to leaders, from local to Rome. As Cardinal Mario Grech,
Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod said, "The IL is
not a document of the Holy See, but of the whole Church” (link to IL Introduction
webpage HERE).
The IL synthesizes certain themes that have emerged from all
the work, and provides worksheets for the participants of the Synod to
contemplate.
Since I have not read the whole thing yet and am
still catching up with other reading, I won’t make more comments now. I just
wanted to get the links into my blog now that they are available.
As often happens when writing, our topics can change
direction from what we originally plan, at least for a while. I was puzzled myself
about why I continue to focus upon the upcoming Bishops’ Synod on Synodality,
to be convened in Oct. 2023 and Oct. 2024, when other Synods of Bishops have
had important topics but did not take my long-lasting attention. (It is also called Synod 21-24, and my
posts about it can be brought up in reverse order by clicking the label “Synod”
at the bottom of any of them).
When I thought about this Synod, I realized several things
about it run close to my own interests. I looked up the “About” page on the
Synod’s website (found HERE), which describes its goals. “Synodality” is not a
commonly used word, so I’ll quote the first paragraph on the page:
Synodality denotes 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.
I am very interested in evangelization, and the above
paragraph expresses the need for proclaiming the Gospel. I am very interested
in faith, and “People of God… summoned by the Lord Jesus in the power of the
Holy Spirit” denotes those who believe in the Trinitarian God: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
The webpage then states the aim of the Synod:
This Synod is intended as a Synodal Process. The aim of this synodal process is not to provide a temporary or one-time experience of synodality, but rather to provide an opportunity for the entire People of God to discern together how to move forward on the path towards being a more synodal Church in the long-term.
I am very interested in discernment, and the aim of the
Synod obviously includes this concept.
Three themes are listed at the bottom of the “About” page of
the Synod website. They are Communion, Participation and Mission. They are
short paragraphs, worth reading at the link given above.
A writer shouldn’t repeat phrases except for poetic
emphasis, I suppose, so to repeat “I am very interested” is perhaps tiresome to
a reader. But it conveys a feeling of clarity for me of why I have taken this
particular Synod of Bishops so seriously.
Another thing happened to help me connect the dots. I don’t
even remember how I spotted Pope Francis' General Audiences (probably
through a search engine), but two subjects Francis has been talking about
lately are discernment (starting Aug. 31, 2022) and evangelization (starting
Jan. 11, 2023), which you can find from his Audience links pages starting HERE.
The 10:00 am Wednesday General Audiences are presented by
the pope to crowds at the Vatican, either from a window at St. Peter’s Square
or inside in inclement weather. According to Bing AI, they began in 1975 with
Pope Paul VI and have been continued by his successors.
I was aware of General Audiences of popes but had not
followed them. However, I had read some of Pope Francis’ homilies from the beginning
of his pontificate over 10 years ago and found him to be a powerful speaker. His
General Audiences through the years have various subjects, including old age,
works of mercy, and meditations on St. Joseph. Since 2020, the listings are labeled
not only by date but by subject, obviously making it easier to navigate (a few
were labeled in previous years but were not consistent).
I noticed that around the time of the 2014-2015 General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, some of the General Audiences
were about the family. Pope Francis has been talking recently not only in Audiences
but in homilies and meetings about how we should seek the Holy Spirit to lead
us to walk together as a Church, especially in relation to the upcoming Synod
of Bishops on Synodality.
I also found the present Holy Father continued the series on
the subject of faith by Pope Benedict XVI, who had previously declared a Year
of Faith for the Catholic Church, starting October 11, 2012. Pope Benedict was
giving General Audiences about faith when he resigned as pope in February 2013
(the series started at the link HERE).
Pope Francis’ first General Audience was March 27, 2013, two
weeks after he was elected. It was in the middle of Holy Week, and he urged
Catholics to get out of their comfort zones for the sake of following Jesus
Christ’s example and speaking on behalf of Him (link HERE). Then he resumed the
“faith series” the next week (link HERE).
Christians need the Holy Spirit to refine our faith and help us evangelize. But though we may attempt to hear what the Holy Spirit says, do we
really know how to do it? For one thing, I believe it can take time, as in past
Church crises for example, where Church leaders fought over their opinions. I
also think it is very important to try to understand.
I have read the Holy Father’s General Audiences on discernment and
am following his series on evangelization. Though Pope Francis may not have all
the answers, I think these Audiences, each of which does not take long to read,
may be worth contemplating in learning to discern the Holy Spirit.
The Continental Stage of the ongoing Bishops’ Synod on Synodality is completed. The final stages will meet at the Vatican: the first on October 4-29, 2023; the second in October 2024. In the Continental Stage, groups of Catholics, including laity, religious, priests and bishops, met in small groups, either in person or virtually. They continued the line of discussions which were started at local levels. The North American Continental Document, with choice of languages, is available at the USCCB website at the link HERE.
At the Vatican News website, the April 20, 2023 article, "Synod Continental Stage: ‘Most innovative aspect of synodal process'" can be found HERE.
As you may tell from my repeated links to the continued activities of this Synod, I have been quite interested in it. Part of the reason is that it is the first in which not only the opinions and concerns of the average Catholic are directly expressed and included in forming the points of discussion of a Bishops Synod, there will be laity and religious who will be able to vote (comments from laity were sought for the Synod of the Family in 2014, related post HERE). Of course, many of the problems discussed by the Catholic Magisterium throughout history were to guide and protect all Catholics about spiritual matters. But somehow, as one bishop mentioned in the continental document, the organization that the Church has become seems to have separated the leadership from their very people. From page 17 of the document:
Indeed, the listening sessions in the local Churches caused bishops to reflect on the structural challenges that make it difficult to sustain this style in a consistent way. “Has the Church been so organized that it becomes difficult to speak to it? The Church has organizationally isolated itself from the people of God” (Session III Group 17).
Many have felt there is no turning back from the Synodal way. However, even when all are asked to participate, much depends on leadership, for there can be resistance to change. I pray for Pope Francis to be able to continue his efforts to help us walk with the Holy Spirit.
Here are a few more links to information about the upcoming Bishops Synod on Synodality (Synod 21-24). Of course, with my blog’s less than systematic posts, I won’t be covering the Synod like a reporter would. I do follow some of the coverage, though, and would like to comment on it occasionally. Perhaps the links I provide will help someone less familiar with the proceedings to get connected.
An article which reports that the Working Document for the Synod on Synodality is approved is HERE.
A website
that lists the participants of the General Secretariat of the Synod is HERE.
And, again, the main Synod on Synodality website is HERE.
The
Vatican website has general information on the Synod of Bishops. Under "The Synod
of Bishops: An Introduction," the first paragraph reads:
The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI, 15 September 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the positive spirit engendered by the conciliar experience.
The link to this webpage is HERE.
The biological facts of Creationism have been a big part of my blog, along with other subjects as listed in the right column of the original format. I’m grateful that I’ve felt free to write facts and opinions, and even some personal journaling, in the Womanatwell mix. I am still reading some things about the theology of Creationism but would like to get on with some other topics I’ve just touched upon or not addressed at all.
I also want to
keep an eye on the ongoing Catholic Synod on Synodality, as I have done in some
of the past few posts. Another major announcement has been made about the Synod, to which I will link below.
The latest news
is about the participants that will be attending and for the first time able to
vote in a Bishops’ Synod.
From the Catholic News Agency article, “Vatican announces laypeople, including women, will vote in Synod on Synodality assembly,” dated April 26, 2023 (link HERE):
The biggest change announced Wednesday was the removal of the “auditor” role. In past synods, auditors included priests, religious, and laypeople, who did not have the right to vote in synod deliberations.
Now, these 70 members, who may be priests, consecrated women, deacons, and laypeople, will be able to vote. They will be chosen by the pope from among a list of 140 people selected by the leadership of this year’s continental synod meetings.According to the synod leadership, it is requested that “50% of [the selected people] be women and that the presence of young people also be emphasized.”
I
am pleased about women becoming more a part of the voice and leadership of the
Church.
Women are not just physical companions to men but intellectual and psychological colleagues as well, and that includes single and married women. This is despite the prevailing philosophy, already in Aristotle's time, that said women are incomplete or deficient men. Thomas Aquinas stated that women had little intellect and were only good for generation (reproduction). Supposedly our inferior sexual status was sometimes brought about by moist south winds at the time of our conception (Summa Theologica, Part I, Q. 92, Art. 1). Science has changed, and although Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas were both geniuses, that doesn't mean they were always right. When women are kept from education, they may seem less brilliant than these men, but fortunately we now have that opportunity.
And we must
remember the ultimate goal for us all: Catholics need to carry out the real
purpose of evangelization, which is telling others about God the Father, Holy
Spirit, and Jesus Christ, Who suffered atonement for our sins, rose from the
dead. and is our only way to Heaven.
1 At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. 3 Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, 4 whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the holy Spirit… [goes on to name others].
The Pew Center for Research reports on religious trends through percentages of the population. In December 2021, they announced, “About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated.” Self-identified Christians make up 63% of our population, down from 75% 10 years ago.
This 2021
survey also describes some denominational differences, for instance between
trends among Catholics and Protestants in church attendance. The website for this particular report is HERE .
At one time there was Catholic growth in the US but proportions are now at a standstill. The numbers of Catholics who attend mass every week is low. I don’t want to imply that numbers of persons are what are important like some kind of quota. The Church is here to evangelize the good news of Jesus Christ to individual souls. But if there is a decrease of Catholics, or Christians in general for that matter, it probably means we are not spreading the word adequately or more and more people are resisting it, or perhaps some combination of both.
Some point to places such as Africa where Catholic Christianity is increasing. I am happy for those believers. But Christianity increased in the West at one time and now is waning. There is no guarantee it will not decrease in other places when, inevitably, challenges to belief come along.
LAST POST, I wrote about the upcoming Bishops’ Synod on Synodality, to be held in Rome at the Vatican. To describe it again briefly, Pope Francis initiated a Synod on Synodality in 2021, calling on Church leadership to organize listening sessions for all members of the Catholic Church. The Pope said he is especially concerned with those who feel out on the margins, including immigrants, the disabled and women. The Vatican Synod, which is to be held in October 2023, is a point in a process that has already started and is to continue from now on. (I later found there will be a second Bishops’ Synod session in 2024 with an open plan for possibly more in the future.) The opening web page for the Synod on Synodality had at first presented a photo of persons on a wooded path that said, “Let’s Walk Together as a Church with the Holy Spirit.” (It has since changed in design for a new stage.) The Synod website link is HERE.
The Secretary General for the Vatican Synod Committee is Cardinal Mario Grech. One of two undersecretaries is a French nun, Sister Nathalie Becquart XMCJ. A Vatican News article where she describes the Synod on Synodality 2024 extension is HERE.
When this whole process started, the Synod Committee presented one main question and 10 related themes to Catholic participants for consideration in listening sessions. They are all in a booklet called the Vademecum, section 5:3, starting on page 39 of 60-pages. This instruction booklet was/is to be used with another booklet, along with other resources. A Synod on Synodality website page for resources is HERE.
A link for the Vadmecum is HERE.
To provide
an idea of the main question and first two themes that were presented to
participants of the listening sessions, I’ll give some excerpts:
The Main Question Highlighting Significant Aspects of “Lived Synodality” :
This
Synod poses the following fundamental question: A synodal Church,in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together.” How is this “journeying together”
happening today in your local Church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”?
To help people explore this fundamental question more fully, the following themes highlight significant aspects of “lived synodality”:
1. Companions
on the Journey
(Preparatory
Document, nos. 1, 9, 20; Vademecum nos. 1.3, 1.4, 5.3)z
• In
the Church and in society we are side by side on the same road.
• A truly
synodal Church walks together, side by side, along the same road towards renewal in the Spirit and the good of all people.
•
Journeying together requires great commitment to listen to the voices of all
who make up the People of God, but especially those who have often been marginalized, and the openness to discern the path forward that prophetically renews and enlivens.
2. Listening
(Preparatory
Document, no. 26, 30; Vademecum, nos. 1.5, 5.3)
• Listening
is the first step, but it requires an open mind and heart, without prejudice.
• The
synodal process necessitates that we, as the People of God, first listen with an open heart and open mind to where the Spirit is calling us and discern to whom we are needing to listen and what steps need to be taken to more fully live out our mission.
(End of excerpts.)
Beyond the Pope’s heart for the poor and marginalized, he is no doubt aware of the deep hurt and anger felt by many persons due to the sexual abuse crisis. It’s not altogether comforting to laity to have the same bishops who brought about the problem assure us that the same or similar thing won’t happen again.
And surely
Catholic women are making themselves clearer that they want a voice in Church
decisions. The priest shortage may well reflect mothers who themselves feel
ostracized and hardly motivated to encourage sons until some changes are made.
To me, the question and themes present some mixed messages, although they may be ironed out by the time of the Bishops’ Synod. At least the question mentions the synodal Church “announcing the Gospel,” but seems to run quickly past it to get to the concept of “journeying together.”
In the second point of the second theme, “Listening,” there is direction to listen to the Holy Spirit for discernment of “whom we are needing to listen.” Yet, there would be no one presently on Earth better to whom to listen than the Holy Spirit. If we can discern the Holy Spirit in the first place, then we should follow His guidance.
In history, after Christ ascended to Heaven, the practice of the Catholic Church has been to consider the Pope our leader on Earth. Though there have been some less admirable popes, we hope most have been led by the Holy Spirit. Also, along the way there have been Church Counsels and ordained and laity praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit. However, now Pope Francis is telling us to follow the Holy Spirit and listen to each other. It seems like there is some kind of loop here. Though I believe the Lord does lead us in the end, my thought is that we could all benefit from attention to how we can discern as closely as possible what the Holy Spirit is saying. In any case, a reference for the Pope's Launch of Synod, Vatican News 10-9-2021, is HERE.
My own Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI, did have listening sessions and had its own synopsis of them on its website, the link of which is HERE. I thought the Grand Rapids Synthesis was professionally done and, given its necessary limits in length, covered important aspects of the group listening efforts as well as individual input from an online survey.
The Grand Rapids Synthesis reported some persons were perplexed about the Vatican Synod Committee’s original question and themes for which they were instructed to respond. It found that persons did not always respond directly to the themes but brought up their own concerns and considerations. Two of the early paragraphs were revealing:
When
asked to reflect on how well the Church is living up to its mission call,
participants believe the Church would benefit from clarifying the mission
itself. “Sometimes the Church herself doesn’t know her own mission: we are
given mixed signals, contrary theology among clergy. We need to unify our
mission, make it solid within our own parishes before we can evangelize to
others.”
Participants
expressed confusion or dissatisfaction with the way that mission is often
understood and lived. Participants’ understanding of the Church’s mission
seemed varied with some investing great importance in what might be called charitable
outreach or corporal works of mercy while others thought “The Church needs to
rediscover its mission for the salvation of souls.”
Reading on, participants report doing spiritually related ministry in such ways as Communion to the homebound, but more activity seemed to tend toward “social work,” such as collecting food for the needy or the like. I’m not saying these acts of mercy are unimportant, but I agree with those concerned about the salvation of souls. We need to find priority levels for various aspects of the Church, not just of "social" activities but of faith and necessities for the afterlife.
I was glad that the authors of the Grand Rapids Synthesis were forthright in presenting these concerns, because I think they are valid, serious and not to be ignored. They run right into fundamental problems of the Catholic Church today. The Church itself is wonderful: the Bride of Christ. It is the human members who get into trouble. We need to keep to the straight and narrow of the path God gives us. Only one person who is fully human and fully divine has been perfect on Earth. He came here so we could have a happy destiny. He, Jesus Christ, came to show us who God is and how to spend eternal time with Him.
The Pew report shows us that we have a lot of work to do.
Update: I just discovered there will be an additional session in 2024 with an open plan to continue even further into the future.
