Synod of Synodality: Cardinal Mario Grech warns about fear of ideologies

Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, warned that “there is a fear” that the study documents for the Synodality Synod “will not be taken seriously or that ideologies and pressure groups of the faithful will take advantage of the synodal path to impose its own agenda.”

The cardinal explained that these reports “often relate the experience of people who have made a true personal conversion.”

“Others, however, are from people who continue to experience confusion, worry or anxiety,” he continued.

In this sense, he reiterated that the Synod on Synodality “is not about this or that topic, but about synodality, about how to be a missionary Church on the way. All theological questions and pastoral proposals for change have this objective.”

“The Assembly will be above all a time in which each participant, placing themselves on a path that began in 2021 and contributing the ‘voice’ of the people of God from which they come, will invoke the help of the Holy Spirit and that of their brothers and sisters to discern the will of God over his Church, and not an occasion to impose his own vision of the Church,” he asserted.

The work of theologians in the Vatican ends

As reported by the General Secretariat of the Synod this June 14, the first works on the Work tool 2 or “working instrument” for the second and final session of the Synod of Synodality by a group of theologians has come to an end.

This group of theologians, made up of bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay people, has met in the Vatican since June 4 to study 107 reports from the Episcopal Conferences and the Eastern Catholic Churches for the Synod of Synodality.

Likewise, they have studied the more than 175 observations, coming from international realities, university faculties, associations of faithful or communities and individuals.

According to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, General Rapporteur of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “the Holy People of God has set out for the mission thanks to the synodal experience.”

“This one knows enthusiastic and creative responses, but also resistance and concerns. Most reports show, however, the joy of the path taken, which has given new life to many local communities and has also caused significant changes in their way of living and being Church,” she highlighted.

The reports studied are the fruit of the work that the local Churches carried out based on the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the Synod, held in October 2022.

Among the topics studied are “training for synodality, the functioning of participation bodies, the role of women, young people, care for the poor, inculturation, transparency and the culture of accountability.” by those who assume a ministry in the Church.”

In addition, they include other topics such as “catechesis and Christian initiation, collaboration between Churches or the figure of the bishop.”

The next stages

It should be noted that the process of preparing the Instrument of Labor 2 will continue with other stages: first, the Ordinary Council will carry out a first discernment of what was written by the theologians.

Later, the drafting phases of the document itself and a system of extensive verification will follow until the Ordinary Council approves the document that will be submitted to the Holy Father for final approval.

Mons. Riccardo Battocchio, Special Secretary of the Synod of Synodality, pointed out that the Instrument of Labor for the second session “it will be different from the previous one.”

“If for the first session it was important to highlight the breadth of the topics to be discussed, the working document for the October session aims, instead, to highlight some knots that must be unraveled to answer the question How to be a synodal Church on mission,” he reported.

To do this, he noted, the path traveled so far will be taken into account and “theologically founded arguments will be proposed along with some concrete proposals to help the discernment entrusted to the members of the assembly.”

The work, which took place at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Synod, was directed by the two Special Secretaries, Bishop Riccardo Battocchio and Father Giacomo Costa, and was attended by Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich .