Constitutions of Vatican II in Synodal Formation

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