Synod of Bishops 2021-2023

Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Rome in October 2021 to begin the preparation process for the upcoming Synod of Bishops, officially titled “Synod 2021-2023, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.”

The Synod of Bishops was established by Pope Paul VI, on Sept. 15, 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality engendered by the conciliar experience.

The word "synod", derived from two Greek words syn meaning "together" and hodos meaning "road" or "way," means a "coming together." The Synod, generally speaking, can be defined as an assembly of bishops representing the Catholic episcopate, having the task of helping the pope in the governing of the universal church by rendering their counsel (https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_01011995_profile_en.html).

In the words of Pope Francis, the Synod of Bishops is a body that “manifests the solicitude of the College of Bishops for the needs of the People of God and for communion among the churches.” Furthermore, the role of the Synod of Bishops is primarily that of “listening to the people of God,” and as such is the “suitable instrument to give voice to the entire people of God” (https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-10/what-is-synod-bishops-faq.html).

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre explains that this year Pope Francis has decided to do something new with the synod. “This year’s topic is to reflect on the church’s role in listening and journeying with others – a concept that he calls ‘synodality.’ The desire of Pope Francis is to provide an opportunity for the worldwide church to reflect on how the church fosters this gathering of people from all backgrounds, listens to them, and accompanies them in their walks of life.”

Father Patrick Riviere, diocesan director of the Office of the Priesthood and liaison for the diocesan Office of Parish Support who is serving as diocesan contact for the Synod of Bishops, says the purpose of the Synod of Bishops is to assist the pope in reorienting the church in a posture of accompaniment and journeying together. Part of this process involves each diocese around the world listening to their people to see what the Holy Spirit is saying through them, based on several focus questions.

“By journeying together and reflecting together on the journey that has been made, the church will be able to learn through her experience which processes can help her to live in communion, achieve participation, and open herself to mission. Our ‘journeying together’ is, in fact, what most effectively enacts and manifests the nature of the church as the pilgrim and missionary people of God” (Preparatory Document, Synod of Bishops).

The Diocesan Phase

The goal of the diocesan phase is simply to hear the hearts and desires of the people, to see how the church has accompanied them in different areas and seasons of life, how they have “journeyed together” with their church community, and to see how the church can better accompany both those in the pews and those not in the pews. Pope Francis has put particular focus on reaching out to those we don't ordinarily hear from for this reason, explains Father Riviere.

“We want to hear from as many people as possible! Our involvement with the Synod will be done primarily at the parish level. Because of all that our area has been through in the last five months, the church parishes will be participating in a variety of ways at the discretion of the pastor based on the needs and desires of their particular communities,” says the priest.

Some options include scheduling parish listening sessions; utilizing pre-existing small groups or parish councils to gather feedback; having one-on-one conversations to receive feedback from the people; and creating a form or survey for people to fill out.

Father Riviere encourages everyone to check with their church parish to see how they can participate in this phase of the Synod.

“The Synod is providing all of us with an opportunity to listen together as a church to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives today,” says Bishop Fabre. “So often, we are quick to do what we think rather than first stopping to listen – both to the Spirit and to others. This process gives us a reminder to always remain in the posture of listening before the Lord. I encourage the people of our diocese to make their voices heard in the synod process as we take this journey together.”

As the diocesan contact, Father Riviere will serve as a liaison between the diocese and the church parishes throughout the process. The pastors will listen to the people, compile the themes and thoughts they hear based on the questions that have been provided to them. Father Riviere will receive all of the feedback from the church parishes and compose it into a report to send to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) by the end of June 2022, to be included in their report. The reports will go through several phases of review and revisions before the final document is presented in 2023.

“This Synod is providing an opportunity for us to develop a posture of listening that shouldn’t be a one-time thing, but an ongoing reality so that we’re continually listening, continually praying and discerning with people,” says Father Riviere. “I think the most important thing is not going to be the final document the Synod produces, but that the parishes see the fruits of the process and let it be an ongoing process as opposed to a one-time thing.”
For more resources and information about the Synod of Bishops, visit htdiocese.org/synod.