You’ve probably heard a lot about the synodal process in Germany, where, depending on who you ask, everything is going as planned or the Catholic world is about to explode, and you may be following the process in the United States or just in your own. home diocese.
However, it is likely that you have heard much less about what “synod on synodality” has meant until now in other parts of the world. While the diocesan phase of the synod ended on August 15, America touched base with some well-informed sources to understand how the synod has gone so far in the Amazon region and Asia.
‘Speaking frankly’: an extraordinary consultation in Asia
Christina Kheng, a consultant for the Asia-Pacific Jesuit Conference, described the synodal experience in Asian states as “quite positive overall,” adding that the importance of such a process convening in Asia in the first place should not be overlooked.
The frank dialogue that is at the heart of the synod as envisioned in Rome, a challenge everywhere, is especially difficult, she said, in a “culture known for not speaking frankly, especially when it comes to negative news or saying, ‘No. ‘”
While the diocesan phase of the synod ended on August 15, America touched base with some well-informed sources to understand how the synod has gone so far in the Amazon region and Asia.
Originally from Singapore, Ms. Kheng provides pastoral leadership at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila and served on the Methodology Commission for the Vatican synod.
In an Asian context, she said, “the lack of synodality is not only ecclesiastical; it is in the family, it is cultural, it is social…. It’s definitely political,” she added, “especially with [authoritarian] political trends that are happening now.
“For me, this is quite remarkable [synod participants] were able to name the issues that were important and that would otherwise have been difficult to say,” she said. In dioceses across Asia, the laity demanded greater transparency in church structures and improvements in governance and leadership – even better preaching from their priests.
“The unique thing about this synod is the process itself,” said Mrs. Song. “It’s really engaging with the theme by doing the theme, so we become the church we want to be by starting to take these actions.
In an Asian context, “the lack of synodality is not only ecclesiastical; it is in the family, it is cultural, it is social…. It’s definitely political.”
“For some countries or some dioceses, they are really small steps. I would say that for Asia, what’s happening is really very new, very fragile, and it’s not perfect, maybe in some cases, far from perfect, but it’s good that it’s started, and we have to help to feed this and sustain that. going.”
A synodal start for the Amazon
Theologian Adelson Araújo dos Santos, SJ, lives in Rome but maintains strong contacts with “my hometown”, the Archdiocese of Manaus in Brazil. He is advisor to REPAM-Rede Ecclesial Pan-Amazônia-and CLAR-Confederation of Latin American and Caribbean Religious.
Dioceses of the Amazon region, he said America by email, there was an important start in the preparation for the synod on synodality over other Catholic communities, “already living the experience of preparing for the special Synod on the Amazon in October 2019”. That process involved thousands of Catholics from different dioceses and geographical regions, “a whole movement of consultation and listening to God’s people, so that the current synodal process… already has recognized and assimilated his methodology. [in the Amazon region]both by bishops and other church leaders, and by Catholics in general.”
“Synodality enters naturally at certain important moments in the life of these particular churches, not being reduced to one or another assembly specially assembled to discuss it.”
Now “synodality enters naturally at certain important moments in the life of these particular churches, not being reduced to one or another assembly specially convened to discuss it,” he said.
A recent example, he said, was an annual river procession in Manaus to honor St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, a very popular celebration in a region full of riverside communities. The leaders of the procession took advantage of the celebration this year to promote the synod and its themes “in a simple and catechetical language”.
Getting out of comfort zones
As in other parts of the Catholic world, in Asia, only a small percentage of Catholics attended hearings and other opportunities for dialogue sponsored by various dioceses, Ms. Kheng said. However, she remains encouraged by the responses she witnessed and read in the synthesis documents. She described the process across states that included the Philippines, Southeast Asian countries and India as widespread and systematic.
As in Europe and the United States, enthusiasm for the synodal process was mixed—well attended in some dioceses, a token process in others, or ignored altogether in others. Several bishops and clergy were on board with the synod from the beginning; others hesitated or resisted the process.
“For Asia and probably many other parts of the world, that whole hierarchical system, it’s something that’s pretty ingrained; it is neat and orderly.” It was difficult for many to step out of their comfort zones, she said.
“People fear chaos… disequilibrium. Pope Francis talks about the Holy Spirit disturbing the status quo and, of course, there was some reluctance to enter into that process.”
“People are afraid of chaos…. Pope Francis talks about the Holy Spirit disturbing the status quo and, of course, there was some reluctance to enter into that process.”
In the dioceses where the process was well observed, Mrs. Kheng described a “cascading network” of support for the synod that included training parish-based facilitators who were sent to the grassroots level to ensure a good representation of voices and experiences. achieved.
But other dioceses “took a long time to take action”, some took no action at all or “could have done it in a token way”.
The attitude of local bishops and clergy indeed often predicted how well the synodal process went. “Some dioceses had a very good team — a mixed team of clergy, religious and lay people — and they were able to organize well,” she said.
A creative and spontaneous church
During this year’s Holy Week, Father Araújo dos Santos visited a remote community in the Brazilian state of Acre, which borders Peru and Bolivia. “I was surprised to see that even there, at that ‘end of the world,’ the synodal process was already happening,” he said.
At the Mass on Palm Sunday, the parish priest reminded parishioners not to forget to put their suggestions for the synod in the “synodal box”, a glass box located at the entrance of the church.
“I believe that all this is typical of a church style characterized by creativity and spontaneity, which are very much in line with the nature of the Brazilian people, especially in the Amazon,” he said. This also reveals “the harmony of the episcopate and the majority of the clergy in Brazil with the vision of Pope Francis”.
“I believe that all this is typical of a church style characterized by creativity and spontaneity, which are very much in line with the nature of the Brazilian people, especially in the Amazon.”
“Of course, this does not mean that there is no resistance and places where the synodal process is not happening or is moving slowly,” he added, “but I would say that it happens more where certain groups are strong that they call themselves conservatives or traditionalists. “-people who “most of the time oppose everything that comes from the current pontificate”.
That mixed response was true across Asia, Ms. Kheng said, but “almost every country, at least a few dioceses, if not more, do it very well.”
In those dioceses, “people were really enthusiastic.”
She said many were excited not so much by the content of the discussions, but that they were happening at all. The process provided a safe, neutral space to raise questions about responsibility and leadership, and she said “even the question of clericalism was named”.
In patriarchal Asian societies, women and young people are not often asked for their opinions, Ms Kheng said. In India, women were moved to tears during the listening sessions, she said, because they were so moved that they were finally invited to participate in a dialogue about church leadership and have “the experience of a voice.”
In India, women were moved to tears during the listening sessions because they were so moved that they were finally invited to participate in a dialogue about church leadership.
Thousands of lay people attended the archdiocesan consultations in Delhi, a process that theologian Stanislaus Alla, SJ, described as “truly historic”. The response from women at the consultations was heartening, he said, citing one woman who told him that “unnoticed people are noticed by the synod.”
The dialogue method for many participants, Ms Kheng said, was also new and invigorating, “taking turns to share, listen and share openly”.
“People were able to bring up and stick to difficult issues,” Ms Kheng said, issues they “wouldn’t have otherwise raised with their parish priests or their bishop.”
Many of the same concerns that emerged during consultations in other parts of the Catholic world were at the top of the list for Catholics in Asia. But in Asia, she believes, concerns about tackling poverty and promoting interfaith harmony were particularly highlighted. Many Asian states experience widespread poverty and often complicated and difficult inter-communal ethnic and religious relations.
The response from women at the consultations was heartening, he said, citing one woman who told him that “unnoticed people are noticed by the synod.”
In the Philippines, lay people challenged bishops to be more forthright in addressing systemic inequality and government corruption. Rafael Cruz, who joined a dialogue in Manila in July, was glad to have the opportunity to confront the problems in the church, especially the apathy he perceived among the clergy toward issues of injustice and poverty.
“At first I was hesitant to join the synod because I know them [clergymen] they would just do whatever they wanted at the end of every meeting,” Mr. Cruz told UCA News. “I see some bishops who are fighting for the causes of the poor. I hope many of them will listen to our calls.”
A way of being church
Ms Kheng is still waiting to see the data from the diocesan reports, but she believes some traditionally marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ people, “have had conversations” as part of the process.
She believes that success has also been achieved by including people from low-income urban and rural communities. “I’ve seen reports of pastoral workers actually going into rural areas to the poor on the margins to engage them.”
She was also struck by the spontaneity and creativity shown by the diocese and various individuals in publicizing the process and explaining how Catholics could participate. Mandarin games were created for children; laypeople posted homemade videos on sharing platforms; songs were composed and dances were choreographed. The Vatican’s instructions were translated “even into some distant indigenous languages.”
“I loved how people took it upon themselves to make videos to guide other people. It’s pretty amazing. It is truly a thousand flowers blooming.” Father Araújo dos Santos was also impressed by the creativity shown in encouraging participation in the process. The Archdiocese of Manaus, “with the aim of attracting the interest of young people in the synod”, he said, started a competition among parishes to choose a hymn for the Archdiocesan Synodal Assembly, choosing an original composition by two young people of the diocese.
In the end, Ms. Kheng said, the synod itself has modeled a way of being church that the laity in Asia may not be willing to give up after this “synod on synodality” ends. “People say they want this to continue [after the formal end of the synod]”, she said, “that they really like to talk to each other, clergy and laity, really talk and share.”
