With the third session of the Catholic Church’s meeting on synodality in Rome, it is good
to reflect on what lay men and women and clerics will be discussing. The result will be a
working paper on the process of how the Church should proceed to meet the needs of the
people in our times. This paper will be given to Pope Francis who will produce his letter
on the “Synodal Church with Mercy for Mission” to be given to the Catholic community
around the world.
In his opening remarks to the Synod, Pope Francis described what he was most concerned
about. It was not the changing of doctrine or discipline in the Church, but the establishing
of a process of discernment in which all of the people could be heard and take part. If you
have seen or know about the TV series called “Downton Abbey,” you witness two levels of
society: the upstairs with all the people who had titles and downstairs with all of the
people who served the people upstairs. A synodal church would put all of the people
together. This understanding was the vision proclaimed in Vatican II’s definition of the
Church as “The People of God.”
- Has your understanding of “church” changed over the years?
- If it has changed, what was the “old concept”?
- How does the Church need to be updated to better meet the needs of the people
today?
O God, help me be open to the working of the Spirit in the Church today.