The 16th Synod – On Synodality : Final Report

Oct 27, 2024 | 0 comments

“The Church exists to bear witness in the world to the most decisive moment in history: the Resurrection of Jesus.”

Making clear that every person in the church is challenged to embody this conviction, the final report of the 16th Synod of the Bishops of the Catholic Church – focused on the meaning and practice of Synodality – was published on Saturday October 6th 2024

“The whole People of God is an agent of the proclamation of the Gospel. Every baptised person is called to be a protagonist of mission, since we are all missionary disciples.” 

Making clear that all are called to deep conversion, the report emphasises the importance of formation for all and suggests that the next step will be ‘the formation of formators” – the expansion of the training of of facilitators and leaders at every level of the church – from parish to curia. Implementation of the document will depend also upon the response to this challenge from the ten study groups set up by Pope Francis to report on burning issues such as the role of women in the church and canonical changes  to make meaningful consultation mandatory even at parish level.  Those ten groups must report finally to Pope Francis in June 2025.

To read and download the report in its entirety, click here.

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ACI’s Campaign for Lumen Gentium 37

The Promise of Synodality

What we have experienced of synodality so far gives ACI real hope that a longstanding structural injustice in the church may at last be acknowledged and overcome.

As all Irish bishops well know, the 'co-responsibility' they urge lay people to share - as numbers and energies of clergy decline - has been sabotaged time and again by canonical rules that deny representational authority and continuity to parish pastoral councils.  ACI's 2019 call for the immediate honouring of Lumen Gentium Article 37 becomes more urgent by the day and is supported by the following documents - also presented to the ICBC in October 2019.

The Common Priesthood of the People of God and the Renewal of the Church
It was Catholic parents and victims of clerical abuse who taught Catholic Bishops to prioritise the safeguarding of children in the church

Jesus as Model for the Common Priesthood of the People of God
It was for challenging religious hypocrisy and injustice that Jesus was accused and crucified. He is therefore a model for the common priesthood of the laity and for the challenging of injustice - in society and within the church.

A Suggested Strategy for the Recovery of the Irish and Western Catholic Church
Recovery of the church depends upon acknowledgment of the indispensable role of the common priesthood of the lay people of God and the explicit abandonment by bishops and clergy of paternalism and clericalism - the expectation of deference from lay people rather than honesty and integrity.

For the full story of ACI's campaign for the honouring of Article 37 of Lumen Gentium, click here.

Prayer

"Come Holy Spirit, Renew Your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost. Grant to Your Church that, being of one mind and steadfast in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and following the lead of blessed Peter, it may advance the reign of our Divine Saviour, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen."

Saint Pope John XXIII, 1962 - In preparation for Vatican Council II, 1962-65.

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