As has been widely reported and commented, including in this column, Pope Francis has convened a Synod of Bishops to be held in October of 2023. That gathering of representative Bishops from all over the world, along with various other members of the laity and clergy will meet in Rome. They will advise the Holy Father in matters related to the topic Towards a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.

 

This past Sunday, Pope Francis began the preparations for the Synod with an opening Mass in the Vatican. I will do so for the Diocese of Rockford by dedicating my regular Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter as the local contribution to the Synodal process. Please feel free to come and join me at 7:30 a.m. for that Mass.

 

The Holy Father outlined his vision of the Synod and its preparation in a recent talk. He made several important points.

 

First, he stressed that the preparation process, which will be held from this month of October 2021 until the Synod convenes in October of 2023, is important and directly linked to the discussions that will take place in Rome. The process envisions input from dioceses, fed into Episcopal Conferences, which will then combine regionally to contribute to the deliberations of the Synod itself.

 

Secondly, Pope Francis has stressed, as the basis for this preparatory work, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Speaking about the preparatory work in his talk he said, “It is not about garnering opinions, not a survey, but a matter of listening to the Holy Spirit, as we read in the book of Revelation: “Whoever has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7).

 

This is an extremely important element of guidance from the Holy Father. It is at the heart of 

our understanding of what authentic Synodality means as part of the Church.

 

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. It is the Spirit that guides the Church, at its institutional level, at the level of individuals, and at every other level in between. At the Last Supper Jesus told His followers, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name — he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.” (Jn 14: 26).

 

One of the telltale signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit is the continuity in the Church. Because He reminds us of what Jesus told us, the Holy Spirit helps the Church to address the changing issues of every age in a manner that is faithful to Jesus’s teaching. Jesus and the Spirit are one with the Father. That is the source and the promise of our unity not only with each other today but with the Church that has gone before us.

 

This is why Pope Francis stated in his talk, “That is how you should try to discuss things at every stage of this synodal process. Without the Holy Spirit, this will be a kind of diocesan parliament, but not a Synod. We are not holding a diocesan parliament, examining this or that question, but making a journey of listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit, discussing yes, but discussing with the Holy Spirit, which is a way of praying.”

 

Our challenge as Americans is not to turn the Synod into part of our argumentative and flawed democratic process. We are seeking the truth; the very guidance of God.

 

The coming months we will engage various bodies and opportunities for input into the Synod process as Pope Francis has asked. Each moment of consultation must seek the truth, seek the words of Jesus and seek to build up the Church. That is our task of listening to the Holy Spirit.