VATICAN SYNOD: Briefing on the Synod Assembly Highlight Recurring Themes from Reports
Fr. Andrew Kaufa SMM
A second press briefing to update the press on the proceeding of the synod assembly took place today, Friday, October 6, 2023, at Sala Stampa, where communicators were informed that, for two days since Thursday, participants were meeting in the minor circles.
On Friday morning, the first part of the work was dedicated to reports from speakers from the smaller circles at the assembly, and the second part to individual interventions. The duration of this phase of reporting was three minutes for each because it is a little more compressed than the subsequent modules where the duration of each intervention, both of the rapporteur and the individual interventions, will be four minutes. Approximately, every four interventions there was a pause of silence and prayer by the assembly.
The most recurrent points in the interventions were training of all (on what it is to be a synodal Church), starting from the seminaries, training of priests, the laity, catechists, and the whole Church. Other sub-themes that were most recurrent include the role of ordained ministries and the role of lay people, the role of women; the Eucharist, the Eucharistic celebration, the liturgy, the importance of Sunday, of the Sunday liturgy; the importance of prayer in building communion; the importance of the poor as an option for the Church, to be with the poor and be poor itself; the importance of a welcoming Church for all, the theme of migrants.
On her part, Ms. Sheila Pires the secretary for the Information Commission of the Synod informed the media fraternity about the mood at the Paul XV Hall where the assembly is taking place saying, “We saw the sharing of the different groups and I must say the atmosphere is more synodal. People are now knowing each other. We are journeying together.”
On the practical arrangements and methodology, she also disclosed that “It is not just groups divided by language, but also in each group, we try as much as possible to put, people full of different continents. For example, in the group that I’m in, we have people from Asia, Africa, and North America as well as from Europe. So, it is a combination of different experiences and sharing as to what we have been doing all along during this synodal process. So, there is that diversity, there is that fraternal spirit, and there is that desire to journey together.”
“This afternoon’s session still has some sharings to do – but so far, some of the common issues that have been raised are the whole issue of formation (on synodality), especially for seminarians; the family; the Church being a welcoming home; the Church being the family, like a family that welcomes everyone. So, that was the one thing that also stood out. And of course, the whole issue of migrants, also a bit of ecumenism or interreligious dialogue came up,” she continued.
As a matter of fact, reporting combined with interventions continued to the afternoon session,
“There was also the importance of the participation of women. I don’t know if you noticed this morning, for example, the sessions were opened by a Religious woman. Just to show you that we are trying as much as possible to be inclusive. And we also have the participation of young people who voiced out their concerns as well, the participation or recognition of young people. That is another topic that is a bit common amongst the members. And the other thing of course is the whole listening process,” expressed Ms. Pirez.
Commenting once again on the mood in the assembly, Ms. Pirez says, “I guess the overall spirit from everyone almost, I get a sense of we are already in this synodal journey. There is that atmosphere of joy as much, as there may be some tensions here and there, above all is an atmosphere of joy, an atmosphere of being in this journey together.”
