By Lavoisier Fernandes.
The first of two gatherings of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synod on Synodality has drawn to a close which will conclude with a second Rome gathering in October 2024. This session of the Synod took place against a tragic backdrop of war in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, Sudan, and Syria.
After the two-year process, the final document of the Synod will be in essence the opinion of the participating bishops and other representatives and is not magisterial unless the Pope explicitly says it is (Code of Canon Law 343). The Final output document is addressed to the Pope, and it is advisory in nature. Nonetheless, in particular, this Synod has been rocked by false misconceptions, ideology-driven rhetoric of anti-synod sceptics suggesting that the synod would somehow change the Deposit of the Faith.
Beginning with a three-day retreat, the Synod was a truly global event, with representation from every continent: from both the Latin Rite Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, with a broad range of ecumenical delegates, and with facilitators, and advisers. The Synod on Synodality was unlike previous Synods of Bishops. It had around 450 participants. Over 350 of these were voting members, 120 of whom were chosen specially by Pope Francis and featured woman and laypeople generally as full voting members.
So, what happened in this month-long synod session?
The month-long session was conducted in accordance with the ‘roadmap’ laid down in the Instrumentum laboris (working document), by means of which the Assembly was able to reflect on the characteristic signs of a synodal Church and the dynamics of communion, mission, and participation that it contains. The synod delegates discussed the merits of issues, identified themes in need of in-depth study and put forward a preliminary set of proposals which led to the formulation of Synthesis report which is not a final document, but an instrument at the service of ongoing discernment.
What is the Synthesis report?
In light of the progress made, a 42-page Synthesis report (Summary report) was formulated with the voting of each paragraph by the delegates. The Synthesis Report is structured in three parts.
- The first outlines “the face of the synodal Church”, presenting the practice and understanding of synodality and its theological underpinning.
- The second part, entitled “All disciples, all missionaries”, deals with all those involved in the life and mission of the Church and their relationships with one another.
- The third part bears the title “Weaving bonds, building community”.
In each of the three parts, individual chapters bring together convergences, matters for consideration and proposals that emerged from the dialogue. The convergences identify specific points that orientate reflection, akin to a map that helps us find our way. The matters for consideration summarise points about which it is necessary to continue deepening our understanding pastorally, theologically, and canonically. This is like being at a crossroads where the synod delegates suggest pausing so that the church can understand better the direction she needs to take. The proposals indicate possible paths that can be taken. Some are suggested, others recommended, others still requested with some strength and determination.
Voting rules and tallies
During a press briefing, Vatican Communications prefect Paulo Ruffini mentioned that the synod rules only allowed for yes or no votes, without the possibility of abstention. Presumably, everyone who was present voted on every paragraph. The votes were done electronically and were encrypted so that the voting would be anonymous.
Many reports have noted that the introduction, conclusion, and each of the document body’s paragraphs were approved by wide margins. According to the vote tallies provided by the Vatican, the bulk of the paragraphs received over 95% approval, with “no” vote tallies in the single digits. No paragraph received less than 80% approval. The paragraph receiving the most “no” votes was approved by a margin of 277-69, or 80.0578% of the participants.
Excerpts from the Synthesis Report sorted in the order they appear in the document.
Introduction (approved by a vote of 343 to 1)
“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13). This is the experience, full of joy and gratitude, that we have had in this First Session of the Synodal Assembly held from 4 to 29 October 2023 on the theme “For a Synodal Church. Communion, Participation, Mission”. Despite our diversity of backgrounds, languages and cultures, through the common grace of Baptism we have been able to live these days together with one heart and spirit. We have sought to sing like a choir, many voices as though expressing one soul. The Holy Spirit has gifted us with an experience of the harmony that He alone can generate; it is a gift and a witness in a world that is torn and divided.
Our Assembly has taken place while wars both old and new have raged in the world, with dramatic consequences that are impacting upon countless victims. The cry of those who are poor resounded among us, of those forced to migrate and of that suffering violence and the devastating consequences of climate change. We heard their cry not only through the media, but also through the voices of many present, who are personally involved in these tragic events whether through their families or their people. We have all, at all times, taken this cry into our hearts and prayers, wondering how our Churches can foster paths of reconciliation, hope, justice and peace.
Our meeting took place in Rome, gathered around the successor of Peter, who confirmed us in our faith and encouraged us to be audacious in our mission. It was a grace to begin these days with an ecumenical vigil, which saw the leaders and representatives of the other Churches and Christian communities praying together with the Pope at the tomb of Peter. Unity ferments silently within the Holy Church of God; we see it with our own eyes, and we bear witness to it full of joy. “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity” (Ps 133:1).
…
We carry in our hearts the desire, sustained by hope, that the climate of mutual listening and sincere dialogue that we experienced during the days of common work in Rome will radiate in our communities and throughout the world, at the service of the growth of the good seed of the Kingdom of God.
Ch 2: Synodality: Experience and Understanding
Convergences
Vote: 342-2
- a) We welcomed the invitation to recognise the synodal dimension of the Church with a new awareness. Synodal practice is attested to in the New Testament and the Early Church, taking particular historical forms in different Churches and traditions. The Second Vatican Council “updated” this practice, and Pope Francis has once again encouraged the Church to renew it. The Synod 2021-2024 is part of this renewal. Through it, the Holy People of God have discovered that a synodal way of being silent, praying, listening, and speaking, rooted in the Word of God and in joyful, if also sometimes painful encounters, leads to a deeper awareness that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. An invaluable fruit of this process is the heightened awareness of our identity as the faithful People of God, within which each is the bearer of a dignity derived from Baptism, and each is called to differentiated co-responsibility for the common mission of evangelisation.
Vote: 342-2
- d) In our midst there have been sisters and brothers coming from peoples afflicted by war, martyrdom, persecution, and famine. The plight of their people, unable often to participate in the synodal process, has nevertheless entered into the cycle of our discussions and prayers, deepening our sense of communion with them and our determination to be peacemakers.
Ch. 5. A Church “out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation”
Vote: 312-32
- e) “Missionaries have given their lives to carry the Good News to the whole world. Their commitment is a great testimony to the power of the Gospel. However, particular attention and sensitivity are needed in contexts where “mission” is a word laden with painful historical memories that hinders communion today. In some places, the proclamation of the Gospel was associated with colonization, even genocide. Evangelising in these contexts requires acknowledging mistakes made, learning a new sensitivity to these issues, and accompanying a generation seeking to forge Christian identities beyond colonialism. Respect and humility are fundamental attitudes needed to recognise that we complement each other and that encounters with different cultures can enrich the living and thinking of the faith of Christian communities.”
Ch. 8. Church is Mission
Vote: 308-38
- n) “We need more creativity in establishing ministries according to the needs of local churches, with the particular involvement of the young. One can think of further expanding responsibilities assigned to the existing ministry of lector, responsibilities that are already broader than those performed in the liturgy. This could become a fuller ministry of the Word of God, which, in appropriate contexts, could also include preaching. We could also explore the possibility of establishing a ministry assigned to married couples committed to supporting family life and accompanying people preparing for the sacrament of marriage.
Ch. 9. Women in the Life and Mission of the Church
Vote: 277-69
- j) Different positions have been expressed regarding women’s access to the diaconal ministry. For some, this step would be unacceptable because they consider it a discontinuity with Tradition. For others, however, opening access for women to the diaconate would restore the practice of the Early Church. Others still, discern it as an appropriate and necessary response to the signs of the times, faithful to the Tradition, and one that would find an echo in the hearts of many who seek new energy and vitality in the Church. Some express concern that the request speaks of a worrying anthropological confusion, which, if granted, would marry the Church to the spirit of the age.
Vote: 309-37
- k) Discussion of this question is also related to the wider ongoing reflection on the theology of the diaconate (cf. below Chapter 11).
Vote: 279-67
- n) Theological and pastoral research on the access of women to the diaconate should be continued, benefiting from consideration of the results of the commissions specially established by the Holy Father, and from the theological, historical and exegetical research already undertaken. If possible, the results of this research should be presented to the next Session of the Assembly.