By Jim Thompson
On April 14th I received an invitation to go on a journey - a journey of exploration, adventure and discovery. The invitation appeared in the St. Aidan’s parish newsletter and was addressed to all. The meeting place was Knock Shrine and I had to be there four days later. The conference entitled ‘Synodality Explored: Facing the Future Together’ was an opportunity to explore together the ways in which we can together build an inclusive church with a clear sense of mission.
St Francis was invited in the early 1200s to join a similar mission. Praying in his little ruined chapel of St Damiano in Assisi before the crucifix he heard a voice saying “Francis, Francis go and repair my house which you see is falling into disrepair”.
He realised that many were excluded from the Church in his day, particularly the marginalized and the friends he lived with in the contado, the lepers of Assisi. He later came to understand that Muslims and Jews were also part of the People of God, and he realized that all creation was created for the glory of God. During the 5th Crusade he met the Muslim sultan Malik al-Kamil and found a kindred spirit. He instructed his fellow Franciscans: “Only the man who approaches others, not to draw them into his own life, but to help them become ever more fully themselves, can truly be called a father” (Fratelli Tutti 4). His prayer “Make me an instrument of your peace” encapsulates these ideals.
When I arrived in Knock on the evening of Thursday 19th April Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was taking place in the Apparition Chapel. It was very peaceful and refreshing to sit in silence for a while and to reflect on the adventure I had being invited to join.
In St John’s Welcome Centre the following morning, I was clearly welcomed. The layout of the hall (small tables for eight people) made it clear that everyone’s voice was important. Cardinal, bishops, priests and laity all sat together. Professor Eamonn Conway was facilitator for the two days. Last year the Pope appointed Eamonn to serve as an expert advisor to the 16th Assembly of the Council of Bishops. The day began with music, silence and prayer. The Scripture text I Corinthians 12 reminded us that we are all members of the one body, and that each part of the body must play a role. Cardinal Mario Grech introduced himself as a baptised Christian. He made it clear that each of us was anointed “Priest, Prophet and King” and that we were all of equal dignity and worth. He told us that the fantastic adventure of Synodality was well underway. This journey was initiated with the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium where the Church was redefined as the whole People of God. He reminded us that a synodal Church is an inclusive church, and that we have for far too long excluded so many people, especially the marginalized and women. He shared Pope Francis’ dream of a tent big enough to hold all of creation. He stressed that we are all not only collaborators but also co-responsible for the repair of the Church, but that unfortunately the prophetic voice is often silenced. He went into some detail about the different stages of the synodal process. Crucially, we must listen to the Spirit who speaks through the whole people of God.
The long tea break served in the hall was so important. It enabled us to move around and to meet others in a relaxed way.
Fr Declan Hurley serves as Co-Chair of the National Steering Committee for the Synodal Pathway in Ireland. He gave an excellent talk that all could identify with. He began by addressing us as “A Phobal Dé”. He drew attention to Pope Benedict’s statement in 2009 that lay people are co-responsible and not just collaborators. Fr Hurley asked us to imagine a Church where this ecclesial responsibility could be a reality.
The synodal pathway, he told us, has no clear destination or timeframe. We do not know where this pathway will lead or how long it will take. He took from Scripture the paradigm of the Exodus to understand the pathway of Synodality today. Like us, the people of the Exodus experienced change. They had left Egypt and were on a long and difficult journey into the unknown. Some people resisted change and wanted to return to where they came from. The paradigm of Exodus throws light on our synodal pathway today. It means “a re-structuring of the community” leading to “a just relationship between people in the Church”.
In the afternoon we heard the voice of women. A video of a very informative interview with Professor Miryiam Wijlens, Consultor to the Synod on Synodality, on “Living the Synodal Experience” set the tone.
Julieann Moran, the General Secretary of the Synodal Pathway in Ireland, and Monica Morley, radio presenter of ‘Faith Alive’ on Midwest Radio, made clear to us that women need to be listened to. They painted a picture of the Christmas dinner where parents are delighted when all the family, in spite of any problems, sit around the table together. The members of the family not there are sorely missed. A quote I remember is “Those who feel at home in the Church feel the absence of those who don’t.”
The need for formation for both clergy and laity in understanding the Scripture and what a synodal Church could become was high on the list of priorities of both speakers. They pointed out the importance of formation in active listening in order to respect diversity and to achieve unity. They asked for more clarity in the language and methodology used to communicate with everyone about Synodality. For example, they pointed to the importance of distinguishing between the Synodality process (i.e. the stages of consultation, meetings at Continental and global levels etc.), and the ongoing practice of Synodality at local level. Synodality is achieved by doing: “practice, practice, practice”. They encouraged us to ask within our local parishes, “What are the signs of Synodality here?”
The day ended with music and prayer asking the Spirit of the Living God to fall afresh on us.
On Saturday morning Cardinal Grech and Julieann explored for us the Synod in Ireland and the world. It was explained that the processes involving meetings of delegates and expert groups will continue and that there will be a need for clear communication of their progress. However in parallel with this we can live and model Synodality now. Cardinal Grech pointed out that pastors have a moral obligation to promote Synodality.
In the Q and A which followed, the issue of “absent voices” from the discernment process was raised, and the difficulty in reaching the marginalized was acknowledged. Cardinal Grech drew attention to ecumenism in the synodal process: “[It] is very very important,” he said. He mentioned a request to include other faiths.
Dr. Dermot Ryan, Director of Adult Faith Development for the Diocese of Ossory, explored the ways in which we are all called to a synodal life through our parish communities and structures. He gave a very enjoyable session on Pastoral Councils in local parishes as instruments of Synodality. The importance of co-responsibility was again stressed. The parish priest, when asked to make a decision, should “look down at his shoes”. Referring to Luke’s account of Jesus calling the first ministers, he presented pen portraits of each of the apostles. Pointing out the complexity of each of their characters, he concluded that one need not be perfect to respond to a call to mission.
The topic for the afternoon was ‘Becoming a more inclusive church’. We were enabled to imagine what a more inclusive church might look like by Sister Josephine Enenmo and Deacon Julian Drapiewski. Talking to Julian afterwards he told us about the Cenacola Community that was established in Knock in 1999. It is for young men whose lives have been destroyed by drugs and abuse. Seeing these young men going about their work quietly on a small farm in the townland of Aughtaboy, people may not be aware of the transformative work being done there. However, since opening in 1999 hundreds of young men have found a new beginning there. A miracle of Knock.
The conference concluded with an open forum. There was plenty of engagement on issues raised throughout the conference. The questions and answers made clear the need for further exploration of Synodality, the need for formation, and the need for better communication.
It happened that on the Sunday after my return to Enniscorthy Pope Francis made a very special journey. He travelled to Giudecca Prison, the women’s prison in Venice, a city of great beauty and fragility, where the Biennale international contemporary art show is taking place. The theme of this year’s show is ‘Strangers Everywhere’ to show solidarity with all those on the margin. For the Biennale the prison was opened as the physical and conceptual location of the Vatican Pavilion. Women prisoners and various artists created the art that was on display. Seated in his wheelchair, Pope Francis spent time speaking with and encouraging the women prisoners. Afterwards he spent time with the artists who were involved with creating the pavilion. He encouraged them to envision with their art a world based on fraternity where “no human being is considered a stranger”.
The whole idea of the prison as art pavilion and the unprecedented papal visit to the Biennale embodies much of what was discussed during the conference at Knock. The conference asked us to dream of an inclusive Church where everyone is listened to, encouraged and shown respect. In Venice Pope Francis reached out to, listened to, and showed respect to a group of marginalized women. His actions invite us to reflect on our relationships with others in our own communities.