ST CHARLES BORROMEO AND THE SYNODAL PATHWAY

Fr Billy Swan

On Saturday 17^th October, the National Synodal Assembly took place in Gormanstown, Co. Meath. Following this Assembly, the synodal journey now enters a new phase of implementation so that our parishes and dioceses become more synodal spaces and fit for the challenges of mission today. As it has been said many times, the synodal process is not something new but rather a retrieval of a way of being Church that was seen in times past.

On 4^th November, the Church celebrates the feast day of a saint who lead a synodal Church in his day, with great commitment and a resolve to reform.

Charles Borromeo was born in Arona, Italy, in 1538. He became a priest at 25 and two years later, he was chosen to be Archbishop of Milan which was the largest Archdiocese in Italy with about 3,000 priests and 800,000 people. He was a nephew of the Pope at the time - Pope Pius IV, who invited him to take part in the final stages of the Council of Trent. This detail is important for it introduced Charles to the work of a synod when the Church gathers to discern matters of doctrine and pastoral care. For the next 21 years, Charles worked tirelessly to implement the reforms of the Council across his Archdiocese, meeting with people and priests and providing the spiritual leadership required for his reforms to be successful. There are a number of hallmarks of the ministry of St Charles that are important to note.

First, he was close to his people. As a servant of God and father to his people, Charles was an outstanding example of a bishop whose care for the people was tested by fire. In the 1570’s, Milan was struck by a plague that was made worse by a shortage of food that left many people malnourished and more at risk of disease. Faithful to his episcopal motto ‘Humilitatis’ or ‘Humility’, he visited and comforted the sick, sparing no expense of his own to care for the afflicted. His example of pastoral care, compassion and spiritual leadership made the people of Milan look upon him as one of their own and yet as their true shepherd and priest.

Second, he was an exemplary teacher of the Gospel. Following the Council of Trent, Charles dedicated himself to the reform of the Church, not just structurally but spiritually. He supervised the writing of a new catechism in a language and style that made the possibility of faith more accessible and attractive. He formed a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for catechists and might be regarded as the founder of the Sunday School model for helping people engage more meaningfully with the Gospel and to grow in faith.

With all his reforms, Charles’ great instrument was the synod. He made a pastoral visitation of the whole Archdiocese three separate times – a feat that was extraordinary given the limited means of transportation and the size of the Archdiocese of Milan. He founded seminaries, built churches, schools, colleges and hospitals. He achieved all of this, not by working alone, but with other people whose respect he earned over many years. In all, he held about eleven diocesan synods as well as a number of provincial councils. These were not democratic assemblies but occasions when Charles could present to the whole Archdiocese the findings of his journeys and visitations. They were also opportunities for him to teach the faith at which he excelled.

Finally, Charles courageously renewed ecclesial structures to make them fit for purpose and fit for mission. He encouraged priests, deacons and religious to believe in the strength of prayer, penance and encouraging a love of holiness. He famously said that “souls are won only on one’s knees”. His warning to priests against activism at the expense of prayer and self-care has huge relevance for priests today.

To summarise what we can learn from the witness of St Charles. First, the synodal pathway is a route for the Church for greater communion with God and each other. Through many gatherings of the Church, Charles drew close to his flock and because he did, his teaching of the Gospel was heard and was effective. Second, being synodal is at the service of our primary mission which is bring all people into communion with Christ and his Church. St Charles was a man of God and shared his intimate knowledge of God with his people to whom he drew close. During the councils, synods and gatherings convoked by Charles, the process and the message converged on the person of the Redeemer. Third, like many of the saints in every age, Charles is remembered as a great reformer.

From the life of St Charles, we see that structural reform is not enough. What matters most is a spiritual reform. For in the words of Charles: ‘Nothing pleases God more than to be his son’s helpers and to undertake the charge of saving souls’.

On this feast of St Charles Borromeo, may each of us become reformers of the Church from within, beginning with ourselves.