For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission

What do the words “synod” and “synodality” really mean?

“Synod” is an ancient and venerable word in the Tradition of the Church, whose meaning draws on the deepest themes of Revelation. It indicates the path along which the People of God walk together.

Why does this Synod center around three key words: communion, participation, and mission?

Live in COMMUNION – By his gracious will, God gathers us together as diverse peoples of one faith, through the covenant that he offers to his people.

Achieve PARTICIPATION – A call for the involvement of all who belong to the People of God, laity, consecrated and ordained – to engage in the exercise of deep and respectful listening to one another.

Open to MISSION – The Church exists to evangelize. Our mission is to witness to the love of God in the midst of the whole human family.

How is this Synod different from previous ones?

This Synod will begin at the local level through an extensive listening process. During this listening phase everyone is encouraged to gather, respond to stimulus questions/images/scenarios together, listen to each other, and provide individual and group feedback, ideas, reactions, and suggestions. A variety of engagement opportunities, at the local and diocesan, will be organized so as to ensure maximum participation and accessibility. An on-line engagement platform will also be launched in January to engage those who wish to submit their feedback virtually.

What are the key questions for discernment during the consultation process?

How does this “journeying together” take place today on different lives (from the local level to the universal one), allowing the Church to proclaim the Gospel? What steps is the Spirit inviting us to take in order to grow as a Synodal Church?

Synodal speaking and listening is oriented toward discernment in which people listen to each other, to their faith tradition, and to the signs of the times in order to discern what God is saying to all of us.

To review the full list of questions, please click here.

How will my voice be captured?

The Listening Phase provides the foundation for all the other phases that follow, and culminates in Rome with the Synod of Bishops, October 2023. All of the feedback captured in the consultation/listening phase will be gathered into a ten-page synthesis document. The purpose of the synthesis document is not to produce a generic summary of everything that was said or to carry our an academic exercise. Rather, the synthesis is an act of discernment in choosing and writing what will contribute to the next stage of the Synodal Process and eventually the episcopal conference.

The ten-page synthesis report captures common trends and points of convergence, but also highlights those points that strike a chord, inspire an original point of view, or open a new horizon.