Five Lessons we’ve learned so far…

This article, by School for Synodality’s Co-Director Avril Baigent, was first published in the Clifton Evangelist summer newsletter 2023 here >>

Four years is a long time to keep up enthusiasm. When the Synod on Synodality was first announced, few people realised that we would still be in the midst of it in the summer of 2023. The parish processes that culminated in April 2022 with the writing of diocesan reports seems a long time ago, and the end point of October 2024 with ramifications for the Church for years to come is beyond most of our horizons. Isn’t the Synod done and dusted for the time being?

The worldwide Synod process came out of Pope Francis’ desire for the Church to engage with our changing world and with those on the margins to regain a renewed sense of purpose and mission. However, putting this into practice is not so simple. As a Church, we don’t necessarily have good ways of listening to voices on the margins and connecting to people’s lives. We struggle to have difficult or creative conversations, and to step away from our own agendas. In many ways we have lost the habit of seeking the Holy Spirit, and we are often paralysed by indecision.

Pope Francis challenges us to become a listening, engaged church, through becoming more synodal. While this is definitely a work in progress, 18 months on it is becoming clear that synodality has the potential to transform our communities. Here are five lessons we’ve learned so far:

1- Importance of prayer

Ok, so starting with the obvious here! But through the Synod process we re-discovered the power of praying together, particularly reflecting on Scripture. If your parish pastoral council/finance committee/school governor group etc starts a meeting with a ‘quick Our Father’, take up a challenge to commit 10-15 mins to praying together as a group. We have found that this transforms the quality of our meetings, particularly the ‘lectio divina’ technique of hearing a passage two or three times with silence between, then sharing what word or phrase particularly resonated. Living faith communities are created by these practices, and conversations are sharper and more focussed on the mission of the church.

2 - Silence

In our busy, noisy world, many people are unused to silence. However, it’s been an essential part of synodal listening, allowing us to be fully present to one another, and creating space for the voice of the Holy Spirit to be heard.

3 - A different kind of listening

Most of us go to meetings or have conversations with an outcome in mind, and this can prevent us from truly listening and being present to one another. Attentive listening is at the heart of synodality. As Pope Francis says, “The Spirit asks us to listen to the questions, concerns and hopes of every Church, people and nation. And to listen to the world, to the challenges and changes that it sets before us. Let us not soundproof our hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties. Let us listen to one another.”

4 - Discerning the Spirit

When we listen to someone in this way, we can’t help but be changed ourselves. It is a meeting of heart and heart. It requires us to ask of the Holy Spirit, “What does God want to say to us in this encounter? What new understanding is being shared?”

5 - Action

Finally, synodality must have consequences. We can’t hear someone’s story without wanting to respond in some way. Without waiting for whatever will come from Rome at the end of this process, what are some everyday but impactful actions we could take to improve the quality of our communities? So, to take up Pope Francis’s challenge to become a more synodal church, we can:

  • Open ourselves to the power of prayer

  • Practice silence, especially when the voices are loud around us

  • Learn how to hold prayerful, truthful and safe conversations which value gracious listening and courageous speaking

  • Consciously seek the Holy Spirit’s inspiration

  • Be compelled to action by the stories we’ve heard

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Keynote speech at St Vincent de Paul Society’s National Meeting 2023