The Second Session of the Synod of Bishops in Rome will be a critical moment for the Church to reflect on and respond to the evolving needs of being a synodal and missionary Church. It will involve prayerful discernment and dialogue on how to implement the orientations and proposals outlined in the Instrumentum laboris.
The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops invites all members of the People of God to engage in this journey through prayer and sharing of reflections and in that way contributing to the task entrusted to the assembly members.
As we prepare to walk alongside the delegates to the Synod of Bishops, it might be helpful to consider what it’s like for them returning to Rome as seasoned delegates. Gone should be the nervousness, apprehension, and uncertainty from last year’s session. Relationships that began are being renewed. As the delegates greet each other again, there is little mystery now as the work to be done is outlined clearly in the Instrumentum Laboris.
The retreat time and periods of silence are sure to bring the job at hand into focus. Delegates know the importance of listening and allowing the Holy Spirit to move among them. How things are organized and who sits where and with who could impact another level of camaraderie and fellowship.
Building on the trust that was evident from the first session, delegates will be more free to share deeply and honestly as Conversation in the Spirit opens the door to appreciating the larger picture and the whole Church and moves people out of their silos or comfort zones. There is potential for reaching a higher level of trust and openness as discussions unfold.
In our diocese, one pastor’s experience sums up what we anticipate. At the conclusion of a parish enhancement program, Father Richard Zanotti said, “Our mission is to witness to the love of God for the whole human family. This Synodal process has a deeply missionary dimension to it. It is intended to enable the Church to better witness to the Gospel, especially with those who live on the spiritual, social economic, political, geographical and existential peripheries of our world.”
Let this be our hope for the synod as we continue to pray for the Holy Father, our own Archbishop Michael, and all the synodal delegates on whose shoulders rest a holy burden.
Barb Dowding is special assistant to Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller. She is former Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and was Coordinator of the Office for the Vancouver Archdiocesan Synod from 1998 to 2006.
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