Do as I say, not as I do OR Synodality
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
Letter from the Pastor
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nov. 4, 2023
Do as I say, not as I do OR Synodality
“Do as I say, not as I do,” is perhaps a modern interpretation of what Jesus told the crowds in today’s Gospel from Matthew: “Do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.” A stinging rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees.
I assume we have all had an experience where an authority figure or someone in power, perhaps grasping for an identity from within their title, made sure we knew who they were. Sadly, we live in an era where our church continues to reconcile and hopefully heal from a self-inflicted wound of sexual abuse by priests and Religious men and women. As most would agree, the silence and the culture of secrecy around this abuse only intensified this horrible reality.
It seems to me that Pope Francis’ call for a Synod on Synodality is an attempt to break the silence, on many levels.
The first session of the Synod came to a close on October 29th. There are plenty of reports, reviews, and comments – both positive and negative – that can be easily found on the internet. Although there was, and certainly still is, uncertainty of what this will all mean, it seems to me that Pope Francis has begun a conversation from within the entire church. Simply by listening, perhaps Pope Francis could be accused of reinterpreting Jesus’ mandate to wash each other’s feet. There takes a certain humility to actually want to listen to the stories of someone else’s life and there is a profound humility when the Holy Father wants to hear what the church is saying, thinking, believing. If we do believe, as Vatican II said so clearly, that we are the church, the Body of Christ, it makes sense that we should listen to each other.
At the beginning of the article posted on the USCCB’s [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] website they report, “the church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded, but also acknowledged fears of betraying traditional church teachings and practices.” Among the topics addressed in the report were clerical sexual abuse, women's roles in the church, outreach to poor and the concept of "synodality" itself.
The article also said that the final report from the Synod included, "As disciples of Jesus, we cannot shirk the responsibility of demonstrating and transmitting the love and tenderness of God to a wounded humanity.”
"A profound spiritual conversion is needed as the foundation for any effective structural change," it continued. "Sexual abuse and the abuse of power and authority continue to cry out for justice, healing and reconciliation."
As this Synod closes there will be a year-long period of reflection that will end in a second and final synod assembly in late 2024.
Here are some websites if you would like to read more about the Synod on Synodality:
www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-10/the-synod-report-a-church-that-involves-everyone.html
www.usccb.org/news/2023/synod-synthesis-shows-agreement-divergences-including-synodality
www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/10/28/synod-synodaloty-final-report-246392
Peace and All Good!
Fr. Francis J. Di Spigno, OFM
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