Editorial

Continental phase of synod offers seeds for future of universal Church

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have published the final document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The continental phase of the worldwide synod involved representatives of bishops’ conferences from all regions of the universal Church meeting to review the findings submitted following listening sessions held in individual dioceses.

For the North American Continental Stage, the United States and Canada held 12 virtual assemblies between December 2022 and January 2023: seven in English, three in Spanish, and two in French. In total, 931 delegates and 146 bishops from Canada and the United States were appointed to participate in one of these 12 assemblies to share their reflections and responses to the “Document for the Continental Stage” (DCS) issued by the Holy See’s General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in October 2022. Those reflections were synthesized to create the final document.

Readers are encouraged to access the full text of the final document, available at usccb.org/synod.

The priorities identified by the North American writing team under the leadership of Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, and Bishop Raymond Poisson of Saint-Jérôme-Mont-Laurier and president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, speak to issues of vital concern to the Church in North America. These issues will contribute directly to the agenda of the October 2023 gathering of the synod in Rome. They will also shape the pastoral priorities of dioceses throughout Canada and the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

The first priority in the final document concerns synodality as a leadership style, and it calls for the kind of spiritual formation that will enable pastoral leaders (both clergy and lay) to “rethink our diocesan and national ecclesial practices and/or structures in a way that truly prioritizes the synodal style.” The concept of synodality is misunderstood—even controversial—today, so it’s essential that Pope Francis’ view of the Church as a pilgrim people journeying under the guidance of the Holy Spirit be widely taught.

The second priority concerns “welcoming those who feel excluded from participation in the life of the Church in a manner that is authentic and faithful to the Gospel and the Catholic faith.” Many people today feel strongly that “inclusion” (welcoming and serving the wounded and isolated in the world and in the Church) is an essential aspect of the mission given to us by Jesus; yet they also see that the complexity of issues involved requires discernment. Everyone is welcome, but that doesn’t mean that the Church can endorse every lifestyle or contemporary point of view.

The third priority is “co-responsibility.” This speaks to the frequently raised issue of shared decision-making and the desire for more transparency in Church governance. Co-responsibility calls for an in-depth understanding of the mission of all the baptized, with specific attention given to particular vocations, including ordained ministry, consecrated life, marriage and the dedicated single life.

The fourth priority calls for unity and communion in the Church in the midst of widespread polarization and division. There is an intense desire for peace and harmony today, especially as divisiveness and factionalism grow in intensity often due to the hate-mongering facilitated by social media. Unity comes from God, whereas division is the work of the devil.

The final priority is “a Church that goes out to the peripheries.” Echoing the familiar call of Pope Francis for Catholics to be missionary disciples who leave their comfort zones in order to “go out” to the poor and marginalized, it serves to remind dioceses throughout North America that “on our continent there is always a danger of forgetfulness of, and indifference to, those who are poor and ostracized.” This priority asks that dioceses encourage and support a more robust formation in the kind of missionary activity that is needed to carry out the Lord’s command to proclaim the good news to all.

These five priorities come as a result of attentive listening and prayerful discernment during the past two years. The issues raised—synodality, inclusion, co-responsibility, unity and missionary zeal—are vital to the Church’s ability to serve God’s people here in North America and throughout the world.

Let’s pray for the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit during the October 2023 gathering of the synod in Rome and as the findings of this four-year synodal journey are integrated into the life of the Church in the years ahead.

—Daniel Conway