The experience of the synodal process, the methodology and the perspectives of what will be the second session of the XVI Synod Assembly, were the subject of analysis during the first day of the Latin American and Caribbean meeting of synodal fathers and mothers that takes place at CELAM from August 12 to 14.
Event attended by 42 people, a portion of the continental representation made up of 19 bishops, 5 priests, 7 nuns and 11 lay people.
Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, undersecretary of the Synod, began his speech by citing some key points of interpretation or principles that underpin the actions of the Synod in light of Evangelii Gaudium. “The whole is greater than the part, time is greater than space, unity prevails over conflict and reality is more important than the idea.”
Arguments that, according to the prelate, “help to guide actions, enrich the Church’s path and keep clear the theme of the synod, which is to strengthen, develop and concretize the synodality of the Church. For a synodal Church of communion, participation and mission; it is not about talking about everything and it is not about deciding everything.”
Processes in progress
It is about understanding synodality as a constitutive dimension of the Church, how it develops, what it means, what consequences it leads to and in what structures it is embodied. Thus he recalled some actions undertaken during this time of transition between one session of the Synod and another.
Activities that include five commissions of theologians and canonists , who in his opinion helped to deepen the theme of the Instrumentum Laboris, that is, the form, the how to become a synodal Church in mission, from the perspective of the local Church, the groups of Churches and the universal Church. Reflections to which two other perspectives were added that correspond to the synodal method and the place of the synodal Church in mission.
Another exercise that the prelate recalled was the meeting of parish priests held between April 28 and May 2. A meeting of at least 200 priests from around the world who carried out a synodal experience of listening, responding to the logic of the processes in the local churches.
The meeting of the Pope with the missionaries of synodality and the organisation of study groups based on the synthesis report were added to this itinerary , responding to the need to delve deeper into specific themes. Not forgetting the inter-dicasterial collaboration that provided information to the Synod to broaden the perspectives of its work.
The character of the synod
Events that preceded the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris, inputs for moving forward on this path, in view of which it is appropriate to remember that the two sessions cannot be separated, but differ from one another; without losing sight of the objective that guides their realization: the constant search for a synodal church that, in addition to being missionary, assumes the contributions of the work material, the results of listening and the desires of many convinced of a renewal, a change of perspective within the Church.
In view of the proximity of the second session of the Synod Assembly and the hopes of the synod fathers, Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín insisted on understanding the concept of synod, its consultative and not deliberative character; an expression of episcopal collegiality that is inserted in and from the people of God.
The Spanish bishop thus stated that one of the tasks of the synod is to work for a synodal church in mission, listening to and discerning the voice of the Spirit that must inspire concrete proposals, thinking about what the post-synodal phase will be, which must be understood and assumed from practice, as a phase of implementation or action in which unity must prevail, free from any fear of plurality.
Fruits of discernment
Giacomo Costa, special secretary for the Synod on Synodality, spoke of the specific characteristics of the methodology planned for the second session, which in his opinion has an Instrumentum Laboris whose content will challenge the synod members who must not skimp on their preparation to bring the objective of the Synod to life by participating with interventions that are the fruit of discernment.
For the Italian priest, it is important to understand that if in the first session convergences, questions and propositions arose, this version must invite proposals. It is about thinking from the concrete or what he defines as “orientations or steps to grow as a missionary church.” Clarifying that knowledge of the methodology will help participants to position themselves before the assembly with a different focus.
Costa said that this is one of the differences between the two sessions, because in the first one “we needed to recognize each other, listen to each other, discover our cultures and listen to new proposals and this helped us to make a precise consultation process.”
Concrete proposals
Now, the proposal for the second session is to “suggest something concrete to the Pope on different themes, orientations and steps” to advance the main objective of this time. To do so, the formation of study groups on specific issues will be called upon to appropriate discernment as a priority when defining paths and actions both in the working groups and in the assembly.
He also clarified that all groups will analyze the same topics using spiritual conversation, assigning limited times for participation, always seeking consensus on the topics that should be included in the final document or those that are of greater importance.
These processes, he explains, require flexible listening with discussions that allow us to discover the fruits and keys to discernment regarding the proposals of the Instrumentum Laboris. It will then be crucial to make room for others so that, through listening, we can avoid the repetition of topics during group presentations because the idea is to focus the debate and reflect it in the reports proposed by each of the groups.
Reflections and proposals in which Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín and Father Giacomo Costa agree that “all ideological, theological and even structural development must be concretized in the life of the Church. Synodality, like theology or the Church, has faces and is concretized in people, and for this reason, we insist on concretization.”
