Grassroots process for Synod of Bishops in 2023

Pope Francis has called for a world Synod of Bishops in 2023, so what does that actually mean for Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans today?

First, it might be helpful to have a broader understanding of what the Holy Father means by the term “synod.”

Pope Francis has said that a synod of bishops is not a parliamentary process where various ideas are debated and opinions are surveyed but a process of discernment – “an ecclesial journey that has a soul, which is the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no synodality.”

When Pope Francis announced revisions to the synod process last month, he asked that it begin with consultations with laypeople on the diocesan level before the discussion and discernment move to a national level for us (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and then to the 2023 synod assembly itself.

In September, we expect to receive from the Vatican a preparatory synod document containing questions for lay Catholics in the archdiocese to answer.

Since the archdiocese completed an exhaustive, yearlong Ninth General Synod fewer than five years ago, we are, in a sense, very much ahead of the game in providing answers to many of the questions we may be asked.

Some may remember that our local synod process was very much a grassroots exercise. In 17 town hall meetings that encompassed various geographical regions and demographic groupings of the archdiocese, more than 5,000 lay Catholics gathered to express what was working well in the archdiocese, what could be improved and what more could be done to invigorate the ministry of Jesus Christ in our local church.

I attended each of the listening sessions and was astounded by the creativity and passion expressed by so many. That grassroots approach led to the creation of our five synod priorities.

We committed ourselves as an archdiocese 1.) to form welcoming communities who celebrate our unity in diversity; 2.) to embrace Christ in every family, parish and ministry; 3.) to minister to families, youth and young adults; 4.) to prepare servant leaders for the church; and 5.) to be a voice and witness for Catholic social teaching.

Attached to each of those priorities were very specific, measurable goals that became the responsibility of some department or other ministry in the archdiocese. I have been amazed at the level of ministry accomplished by the people of God in the archdiocese despite the challenges of the last 18 months.

We expect the local phase of the synod discernment, which will be coordinated by Father Colm Cahill, our director of strategic planning, to run from October through April 2022, at which time we will forward our report to the USCCB, which then will synthesize the local synod documents from across the country and forward a report to the Vatican. Our new synod process will include gathering representatives of each of the 10 deaneries to help update our responses.

The 2023 synod already has begun in one sense. Earlier this month, leaders of the synod’s general secretariat held online meetings with the presidents 

and general secretaries of national and regional bishops’ conferences. Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary of the synod, said the reaction he received from the leaders of bishops’ conferences was “surprising, very positive, and there is a lot of enthusiasm among the bishops we have heard.”

Cardinal Grech said it is vital for Catholics to understand that not much is set in stone for the synod process. “We have some general ideas, but we are open,” Cardinal Grech said. “This is not a fixed process, but we are listening to our partners because the synod is not a project of the secretariat but of the church.”

The cardinal also made it clear that the expanded consultation, listening and discernment is the desire of Pope Francis and based on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that the church is the “people of God.”

Meeting with Italian bishops in May a few days after he announced the synod, Pope Francis said, “The synod must begin from the bottom up. This will require patience, work, allowing people to talk so that the wisdom of the people of God will come forth, because a synod is nothing other than making explicit what ‘Lumen Gentium’ said: The whole people of God – all of them, from the bishop on down – is infallible in belief. They cannot err when there is harmony among all.”

Over the past five decades, the synod process has involved wider consultation with laypeople, religious and priests before bishops are elected or appointed to attend the synod assembly.

For those who wish to read more about Pope Francis’ emphasis on imbuing the church with a synodal spirit, the International Theological Commission in 2018 published a document, “Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church” (bit.ly/3gZ3K3B).

The document says synodality promotes the baptismal call of all Catholics, values the presence of different gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit and recognizes that pastors and bishops, in communion with the pope, are entrusted with the specific ministry of preserving the faith and renewing of the church.

Laypeople must feel that they are heard, and they also accept the role of bishops and the pope in discerning what to do. Bishops exercise their ministry only after hearing what their people have to say.

For the Holy Father, the synod is not just a matter of process, but also a requirement of taking seriously the truth of the church. He often cites St. Ignatius of Loyola as identifying the truth of the church as being both “our hierarchical holy Mother Church” and also “the holy, faithful people of God.”

Pope Francis wants every Catholic to understand that, through the synod input and discussion, he or she has a role to play in the church and in its global mission.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected]