Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, opened the public session of the bishops’ June meeting with an address on synodality.
Two years after Pope Francis inaugurated the global process for the synod on synodality, Pierre told the USCCB in Orlando, “it may be we are still struggling to understand synodality.”
“Perhaps it has been hard for us to embody this ‘style of God,’” the nuncio said. “Perhaps ‘the adventure of this journey’ has made us a bit ‘fearful of the unknown,’” he suggested, quoting Pope Francis.
Inviting the U.S. bishops to be more “courageous” and “humble” in their embrace of the synodal process, Pierre also repeatedly called them to be open to the Holy Spirit through closer adherence to Pope Francis’ synodal plan — suggesting several times that the synod, the pope, and the Holy Spirit were effectively inseparable.
Francis, as pope, is integral both to the universal communion of the Church and to the synodal process in particular. But Archbishop Pierre’s presentation of a synodality as a kind of personal charism of Pope Francis may also present a problem for the durability of the current synod, and its ability to shape the Church for decades to come….
From The Pillar
The adventure of this synodal journey should not make us fear the unknown. When we fear the unknown, we fear what is not known. It is time for us to be synodally courageous and do what we have been doing, which is to accompany and journey together while we listen. This is what we do, and this is what we have been doing, and this is what we should do. For this is what we know right now. Not what is unknown, but what is known. We must together. Synod together. To see where we are. Where we are headed, where we are going and our vision for where we should be. But also see it as a moment to, yes. Together, address the challenges and to work on the opportunities that are presented by this synodal journey and moment.
World class fisking! Congrats!
This is word salad. If a Catholic wishes to know what synodality is the Catholic can read what it is proposing: normalization of all sexual activity, women clergy, climate, race, and on, sins that the bible condemns. Jesus did not teach these things. They come, rather, from the musing minds of men who are well fed and who no longer go out into the world to make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all things that Jesus has taught, and who ignore Jesus who promised to be with them until the end of time.
Fr. Richard — the above was a clever mocking of the Synod on Synodality, a la Kamala Harris and her word salads.
The Synod has not proposed any of that. It has not even happened yet.
The Synod is part of the Unknown. Your denial of what it proposes shows insecurity and discomfort with change. Rigidity destroys the Spirit. Accompaniment, not contradiction, listening, not refuting – Synod together.
The Synod is in October 2023 and October 2024. Two sessions.
Kamala, thanks for the tongue-in-cheek Venn diagram!
After they are finished going through the motions of polling the flock, Francis and the other woke hierarchy will probably tell us, “You see, we have completed the synod on synodality, and this is what you told us you want: gay marriage, women priests, no Latin Mass, and a one world religion.”
No, of course not.
That must be the insecurity that he was talking about.
Whoever wrote this does not understand it.
It is not a consultative process meant to help the Pope shape his mind.
I know many here have expressed the fear that it is being used to change Church teaching.
The document was very hard to understand.
Mission. It is about the mission of the Church.
Communion in mission.
Participation in mission.
Pray over this, please.
And I agree with him, reading the Diocesan and other documents that most diocese did not understand what they were supposed to do.
It was not supposed to be a survey.
And the German synod was not part of this process. It was a separate thing but it gives a good lesson on the danger of synodality when few listen to the Holy Spirit.
Our religion began with a healthy “NO”…you shall NOT eat of the fruit of that tree. Moses followed with a very healthy list of No’s in the Commandments. Our Lord was tempted and answered NO to suggestions of disobedience . The serpent in the Garden dared Eve to be bold and not fear the unknown results of disobeying God’s clear boundaries. The desire and gift of “fear of the Lord’ is based on love, not fear of the unknown. Isn’t there an ethical principle for decision-making, something like ‘when in doubt don’t act”?
You should not say no to the Gospel.
Abraham did not say no.
Jesus did not say no to suffering and death because it would be the salvation of man.
Say yes to God.
Say no to sin and its occasions.
This misinterpretation that synodality is a personal charism of Francis is another indication that synodality is not understood.
Try to read the documents again.
The theme of the upcoming Synod is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.”
And the purpose is to lead all of us in the Church, clergy, religious, and the lay faithful, to a new appreciation of our responsibility for the Church’s mission of bringing all souls to know Jesus Christ and his salvation.
Archbishop Gomez.
There are sins of omission, too.
Pierre Pied Piper.
There are so many people out there who have never heard the Gospel. They probably have heard the name of Jesus but do not really know who He is. Inaccuracies and misdirections about the Synod are not acceptable.
While you do not need synodality to tell people about Salvation, it would be a good thing if people worked together.
I remember some years ago reading about how missionaries were being sent to Vienna.
All over the world people need to hear the Good News.
Stop worrying about the things silly bloggers worry you over.
Vatican documents should always be read with the mind of the Church, the totality of the Catholic Faith.
Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
More baloney
Fr. Richard Perozich- What you are proposing is a new religion. Let me put it to you this way- I’m gay, one of the people you are trying to include in your salad. I would rather have a burger than your salad! The church has because not a religion but a social activist organization. Yet if you really want a good meal, include the Latin Mass and the Catholic faith of Our Fathers. Then watch the pews, ovations and schools fill up again.
How can synodality be a charism (personal or otherwise) of Pope Francis when he unilaterally changes not only Canon Law, but even the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
Who did he consult about bringing the predator McCarrick back into action and throwing the Chinese Church under the bus?
Who did he consult about keeping the sexual and spiritual abuser of women Religious (Rupnik) on the Vatican payroll?
Synodality (from synod which is Greek συν [“together”] + ὁδός [“way”, “journey”]) is a term “often used to describe the process of fraternal collaboration and discernment that bodies like the Synod of Bishops were created to express.”
He didn’t journey together with or collaborate with his brother bishops, Chinese Catholics or those women Religious. This “style of God” seems not to be of God.
Otto, you are very confused and maybe you are angry.
Please read the synod documents.
some of them are very confusing.
You must first understand that the mission of the Church is to evangelize.
Would you like a synodality (a journeying together) that helped you to evangelize?
Pray for all those you criticized.