USCCB Report on the diocesan phase of the 2021-2023 Synod for a Synodal Church

What is this?  If you remember,  in January and February of 2022, we had listening sessions throughout our diocese at designated places where all Catholics — lay parishioners, nuns, brothers, priests — were invited to express our deepest preoccupations and hopes for our church. 

In the United States there are 66.8 million Catholics grouped in 178 dioceses and archdioceses who celebrate their sacraments in the “Latin rite,” plus 18 Eastern rite eparchies and archeparchies who are also in union with the pope but celebrate their sacraments in the languages of the Near East.

This national synthesis concludes the diocesan phase of the synodal process.  Every Latin Rite diocese in our country participated in these listening sessions, and their conclusions were compiled and synthesized by a writing team appointed by our National Conference of Catholic Bishops who approved the final document and sent it to the Holy See. The Eastern Rite eparchies each sent their reports directly to Rome.  Another 112 submissions were also received from U.S. Catholic organizations.  An estimated 700,000 people participated in these listening sessions.

The next stage of this synodal process will be for the Holy See to incorporate the documents received by continents and present a final synthesis to a synod of bishops to be held in Rome during 2023.  Bishop Daniel Flores, chair of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, in his introduction to the synthesis of our national listening sessions writes: “As Pope Francis frequently reminds us, synodality is not a one-time event but an invitation to an ongoing style of church life. We have taken the first steps of this path and we have learned much; we have more to learn and more to do.  Let us pray that this national synthesis will in some way serve to deepen our communion as a church and encourage our continued path together as witnesses to Christ Jesus in our time.”

“Listening brings forth the impetus toward healing our enduring wounds and enhancing our healthy communion and participation.”

So, after listening to each other in our dioceses, eparchies and organizations, what did we as American Catholics say?

1.  The first thing was that we liked the process.  “Those who shared their stories, especially those who participated in small group sessions, stated that they felt listened to by the church for the first time.”

2.  Some wounds emerged during the discussions.  The main one was the sexual abuse crisis.  “The sex abuse scandals and the way the church leadership handled the situation are seen as one of the strongest causes of a lack of trust and credibility on the part of the faithful.”  The pain of the situation “has had a compounding effect on priests and lay ministers’ willingness to develop closer relationships with the people they serve due to a fear of being misinterpreted or falsely accused.”

3.  The COVID-19 pandemic “has led to the fraying of our communities in some ways, accelerating a trend towards disengagement and intensifying the isolation and loneliness of many, youth and the elderly in particular.”  However, the “absence (of community) heightened a sense of how important the experience of church and, more particularly,  Eucharist is for the life of faith.”

4.  The church is deeply divided.  “... the divisive political ideologies present in our society have seeped into all aspects of our lives. The most common issue regarding liturgy is the celebration of the pre-Conciliar Mass. The limited access to the 1962 Missal was lamented.”  The laity picked up “a lack of unity among the bishops in the United States and even of some individual bishops with the Holy Father, as a source of grave scandal.” In one region it was noted that “our use of media increasingly serves to reinforce our preconceived notions or preferred ideology.”

5.  Related to the wound of polarization is the wound of marginalization.  The youth particularly notice a lack of representation in the church on the part of those who lack social and/or economic power: immigrants, ethnic minorities, undocumented, unborn and their mothers, the poor, homeless and incarcerated.  Also marginalized are those who are kept out of the decision-making processes of the church, namely women (who also are often underpaid when working on parish staffs).
Also marginalized are those impeded from full participation in their church: divorced and remarried without decrees of nullity, the LGBTQ community and those married civilly, but not in the church.  Among all marginalized there is a deep hunger for healing and for communion and a sense of belonging. Support for one another is essential.

6. “The people of God desire to draw closer to God and to each other through a deeper knowledge of Scripture, prayer and sacramental celebrations, especially the Eucharist.”  Suggestions for building communion around the Eucharist included warmer hospitality, healing services and more invigorating preaching by the clergy. “The most common desire named in the synodal consultations was to be a more welcoming church where all members of the people of God can find accompaniment on the journey … They want the church to meet people where they are.”

7. There was a deep appreciation for the impact of women religious and a call for “a variety of ways in which women could exercise leadership, including preaching and ordination as deacons or priests. This last recommendation is seen as a matter of justice, not simply a solution to the priest shortage.
8. We need to welcome diverse cultural and ethnic communities.  “Rather than divide us, our diversity should be a source of strength.”

9.  Catholic people of color spoke of routine encounters with racism, both inside and outside the church. Indigenous Catholics spoke of the generational trauma caused by racism, both inside and outside the church.

10.  “Practically all synodal consultations shared a deep ache in the wake of the departure of young people and viewed this as integrally connected to becoming a more welcoming church. Youth who participated in synodal sessions want to be both seen and heard and included more in church life, especially by participating meaningfully in parish and diocesan councils and ministries.” On the other hand, parents and grandparents lament how many young people simply reject the church.

11. Another common hope that emerged from the synodal consultations was the desire for life-long spiritual, pastoral and catechetical formation as disciples. Every age group spoke of a desire for Bible studies, on-line courses, lectures and small-group discussions about their faith and especially retreats and other opportunities to advance their spiritual lives. The people also wanted better training for seminarians to understand the needs of the laity.

12.  A need for ongoing formation in the area of social mission was also demanded.  However, there was little reference to explicit Catholic social doctrine.  Education is needed in this area.

13.  Improvement was called for in the use of media and technology to create unity and reduce the spread of misinformation.  This would also help to engage young people. There was also a warning for Catholic media not to fall into ideologies that exacerbate division.  With regard to communication, “The general category of transparency was mentioned over and over again.”
14.  In the area of co-responsibility, “Many want to see church leadership take more seriously the talents and knowledge of the laity.  Some expressed the need to use more effective parish councils and diocesan pastoral councils.”  More effective use of the laity would allow priests “to be present and to develop relationships with people of the parish — something both priests and lay people desire.”

15.  Through this process of synodality, there has appeared a seed of renewal, “a commitment to re-learn the art of listening and envision a new mission, goals, and priorities remembering that we are on a pilgrimage together.”  Through this process we can see what changes can help us grow.  And as we grow in our faith we develop more trust in the Holy Spirit “who is at work in every place and time.”   
“Through participation in the diocesan phase of the Synod, the people of God have already begun to build the church for which they hope.  Listening brings forth the impetus toward healing our enduring wounds and enhancing our healthy communion and participation.”

(The numbers before these statements are my own, put there to remind me of sections of the document I thought were important and to be highlighted.  No numbered sections appear in the document itself.  You can read it in its entirety, just 13 pages of text plus two of footnotes and references, by googling usccb.org/synod.)

This will be my last regular bi-monthy column in The Catholic Commentator.  After more than 20 years of very enjoyable writing on my part, it is time for an 84-year-old to stop trying to meet deadlines.  Thanks to all who encouraged me to write.  I pray that our Catholic Commentator will continue to be a source of information and inspiration for our diocese.

Father Carville is a retired priest in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and writes on current topics for The Catholic Commentator. He can be reached at [email protected].