Sunday 8C: The Synodal Pathway...where to from here? (2 March 2025; Luke 6:39-45)

A reflection inspired by Luke 6:39-45 focussing on the next steps of the Synodal Pathway. Written and spoken by Kieran J. O'Mahony OSA. 

Gentle piano music to close the meditation

Transcript

John’s Lane

Dublin D08 F8NW

2 March 2025 

Luke 6:39-45

Ecclesial and synodal discernment

Welcome

I would like to talk to you about the Synodal Pathway, the great project of Pope Francis for the Church in our time. Last October, a significant milestone was reached: the second session of the assembly of bishops competed its work and published its Final Document. Stage One of the Synodal Pathway was the worldwide consultation; Stage Two was the two assembles in 2023 and 2024; Stage Three is now upon us. It is up to us locally to bring this teaching home and embed the synodal approach on all levels in our church. 

Let me start with background. In our readings and prayers, we use English. For us, this is completely natural. For those of us with longer memories, it has been “natural” only since the late 1960s. Before that, it was also natural for the Mass to be in Latin. The switch of languages was the result of a meeting of bishops in Rome from 1963 to 1965. The Second Vatican Council —  now a long time ago for most people — was a game-changer in the life of Catholic Church. It was not called to confront a specific question or heresy. Instead, Pope John XXIII called the Council to consult that whole church and to bring the church up to date, what was called then “aggiornamento”. Until then, the church was defined hierarchically, from the Pope down. But Vatican II, in its reflections on the church, began not with the clergy but with the people of God, all the baptised. 

The proposed Synodal Pathway as a way forward for the church is a logical continuation of the Vatican II. The Final Document acknowledges this clearly: 

5. The synodal journey is indeed putting into practice what the Council taught about the Church as Mystery and Church as People of God, called to holiness through continual conversion that comes from listening to the Gospel. In this sense, the synodal journey constitutes an authentic further act of reception of the Council, thus deepening its inspiration and reinvigorating its prophetic force for today’s world.

Topic

We can ask questions? Why is this taking place? How can I take part? Will it make any difference? 

Steps

Why is this taking place? There are negative and positive reasons. Negatively, the church has not found a way to offer the Good News of Jesus Christ effectively in our time. This is very evident in Ireland: handing on the faith is a real challenge, as every family knows. The church is also marked by a sinful history, as we also know too well. In our culture, our proclamation of the good news will always be hamstrung until we find a way to integrate women into the government and ministry of the Church. And so on. 

Positively, the Pope launched a huge world-wide consultation to re-energise the whole project by listening to the experiences of every single Catholic. In one sense, Pope Francis stands within a long tradition: synods have always been called. So far, so traditional. In another sense, asking for the advice of every single Catholic in the world — 1.2 billion believers — was new and vast, radical and even revolutionary. In practice, it was uneven but was still a game-changer. We are all invited to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches by listening to each other. Even more the participation with voting rights of some 70 lay people, half of them women, was nothing short of revolutionary. There is no going back after that. God speaks to and through everyone, all the baptised. 

The Final Document of the Roman synod, in spite of its dull title, repays repeated reading and reflection. To give a flavour what what is in the Final Document, here are just two sentences: 

5. The Second Vatican Council was indeed like a seed thrown onto the field of the world and the Church. … The Synod 2021-2024 continues to draw upon the energy of that seed and develop its potential, putting into practice what the Council taught about the Church as Mystery and Church as People of God, called to holiness through a continual conversion that comes from listening to the Gospel.

21. Baptism is the foundation of Christian life. This is because it introduces everyone to the greatest gift, which is to be children of God, that is, to share in Jesus’ relationship to the Father in the Spirit. There is nothing higher than this baptismal dignity, equally bestowed upon each person, through which we are invited to clothe ourselves with Christ and be grafted onto Him like branches of the one vine.

 How can I take part? 

The next stage has practical and spiritual dimensions.

On a spiritual level, we are being invited to listen deeply to each other, to our joys and sadnesses, to our hopes and fears, as we move forward as a community. We are invited to listen to each other with the greatest of respect. Today’s gospel is a direct help. Do not judge others; instead, look to yourself first of all. As we attend to each other respectfully and prayerfully, the Spirit will be among us. A buzz-word for the consultation is “discernment.” Discernment is a disciplined way of listening, especially listening to others. Again, today’s Gospel is a help: first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.

On a practical level, in Ireland, individual dioceses are preparing for synods and assemblies. Likewise, there is to be a national assembly. These gatherings represent an unparalleled opportunity to let our voice be heard. We know the clergy are ageing; we know that the future supports of the community of faith will be lay women and men. Now is the time to engage. 

Lastly, will it work? No one is quite sure. The experience of the church in South America says yes, this works. It depends a great deal on each one us: to be present, to take part, to tell my story. If we care about us the future of the faith community, the church, then we are being challenged to step to up the plate — to make the extra effort to be there and, as appropriate, to speak our minds. This is our chance to be heard: lets not miss it!

Conclusion

A final comment. This vast listening process was not a once-off event. Nor is it primarily a lead-up to the assembly of bishops in Rome in 2023 and 2024. Instead, it is meant to model new ways of being church, especially at the local level. It is a conscious continuation of Vatican II: the church is first of all the people of God. 

For further reflection, you make like to download my own “ten take-aways” from the final Document available on www.tarsus.ie.