I am grateful for this opportunity to share a brief note on the Synodal formation. It is not theological in nature, but a simple presentation. Fifty-six plus twenty major superiors of congregations serving in the archdiocese of Goa come from different parts of India. This very fact, offers a context for seeing clearly the human condition today in concreteness “with its problems, its wounds, its challenges, and its potential.” It is a time of global crises, in environment, pastoral leadership, political systems. We are also in an age of war. These socio-cultural, ecclesiastical, and pastoral conditions may be considered into the synodal formation keeping in mind the constitutions of the Second Vatican council, Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). Here as we think of ways for synodal formation, the new problems and challenges must be at the background of reading anew the teaching of Scripture and tradition. As part of a synodal formation we need a process of reading and reflecting on these constitutions in a synodal way.
The council
called for a return to the roots. The foundation is Christ. The renewal process
must take us to Christ. It is time to evaluate the ways that led us to fix our
attention on some traditions. There the church does not become a universal
sacrament of salvation, instead it reduces itself to representing certain
historical time and culture. Synodal formation is to enable the members of the
church to find Christ afresh among us.
Liturgy expresses
Christ. Liturgy, whether it is a sacrament, a blessing, offices, or a domestic
liturgical celebration is an experience of Christ. The participation of
everyone ensures awareness, engagement, enrichment in the closeness to Christ.
A synodal formation calls for meaningfully planning for all these types of
liturgies. A true synodal formation can avoid divisions in the name of
uniformity and rigidity in matters of liturgy. As liturgy is catechetical, it
seeks ways for meaningfully sharing, participating, involving, enacting of the
faith. The participation involves involvement of people, not just experts, in
the meaning making and life-giving process in liturgy.
New trends in
religion, - beliefs, structures, attitudes - happening globally do enter the
church here also. When they come in the name of tradition, true faith and
holiness we are even ready to condemn the council and Pope Francis himself.
There are also many exciting and attractive forms of spirituality and religion entering
the church. Many of us are agents of these trends knowingly or unknowingly.
Synodal formation
aims to foster a renewed consciousness that church is the people of God. All
the members together make up the body of Christ. It is a living body, not an
operating system. The synod formation must necessarily work towards resolving
the strangeness created by the church functioning as an organisation. The
deciding group and obeying group distinction is never a synodal way. We must
come out of the full satisfaction of participation in an opportunity to light a
lamp, offer bouquet, clicking photos together. Participation involves planning
and decision making. Are some less powerful and less holy? The universal call
to holiness is often presented by many vibrant preachers as an obligation.
Every walk of life finds and contributes to the holiness of the church, because
of the holiness of Christ. Why then is still the holiness of priesthood and
religious life still on the top of the pyramid and others are worldly. Why we
have nothing to speak when media with wrong ideologies publish these hypes
using the life stories of our members?
The teaching on
the Word of God reminds us that we are not people of the book but we are people
who encounter and live the Word of God. When the Bible is made a magical text
and all kinds of misinterpretations take place, a synodal formation involves
pastoral and dogmatic attention into the ways of reading the Bible. The Words
of eternal life is a participation in an event. Popular practices have made it
a devotion of words and texts. There are practices of bibliomancy and
bibliolatrous. Only a proper ecclesiastical sensitivity to what is happening in
and outside the church lead us into a formative time all rereading,
understanding, and living the word of God with our lives.
Who are to participate in the synodal
formation? Who needs it? Synodal formation is a formation that has to happen
within the whole church. It requires a spiritual and pastoral conversion
towards receptive listening to all voices and an honest reading of the signs of
the times. Its an ecclesiastical formation.
At the foundational level it necessarily
involves redefining of authority and power. The Christian meaning and purpose
of authority and power. We cannot see the kingdom of God coming in reality by maintaining
imperial structures. We need to reflect together how can we make possible a
process of listening to all the members of the church, in order to listen to
the voice of God. Can the authorities allow a synodal process in our systems?
Is synodal formation for ourselves also? Unfortunately, it is in this time when
we speak and discuss many things about the synodal nature of the church, we
find that there is no synodality in many processes. The attitudes behind those
unfortunate incidents must speak to us what image of the church we like to
project to ourselves and our world.
Synod seminars
and discussions are beautiful. But our encounter with truth is far away. We
must acknowledge that many sensitive and unchristian elements are preferred and
maintained. Sincere attention is lacking
in areas that would burn our fingers. Synodal formation cannot happen if we
cannot come face to face with truth. There still exists divisions based on
cast, and regional politics. How can we plan a synodal formation that really
involves the sociocultural, ecclesiastical, pastoral conflicts seriously? Synodal
formation has the potential to form ourselves in basic values concerning human
person and dignity, equality, solidarity with the least in order to form a just
political stand. We also need synodal formation in training ourselves in the values
of the kingdom of God in order to see our faith, liturgy, and the very vision
of the church itself. A hurried synodal process ended up in some question
answer sessions without having the big picture. Instead, people got negative
narratives from videos that it is a destructive process in the church. The conservative blend is going to make a havoc
and rift within our churches. They do have good reception in our communities. If
synod formation has to attend to the growth of faith, how sincerely are we
going to correct the prevailing superstitions and false believes? There is no
synodality when we get no response as we point out these elements to people
concerned. Synodal sensitivity is in want when authorities find very nice with
a media coverage of a person who left a million worth job and joined a
congregation where there are five other ‘ordinary’ vocations also made vows
together. We cannot find a synodal functioning when no response come from higher
CRI authorities when due issues are conveyed. The Grievance Redressal Cell is
not accessible to our members. Even now, if a superior is present to listen to
phone calls or checks letters of the formees our speaking of synod is far from
reality. Synod becomes a mockery when even now, the ‘claimed rape-victimhood’ of
a religious sister and the uncertainty of her companions need to challenge our
synodal listening (The rape accused is no more an accused, instead is acknowledged
as a servant of God). There is no synodal process when sisters have to have
adorations with tears because they don’t get proper salary in our institutes and
are transferred unreasonably.
Synodal formation
involves all of us, what we and our people believe in reality, what we imagine
of a church, how we attend to the complexities of life and try to understand. Are
we still the providers and decision makers? It’s a time to start afresh from
Christ who showed an authority that is life-giving not ruling.
:- Reflection presented at XVII annual major superiors meeting 19th January 2024
