World synod in 2023 will start with local response

Can you give an update on the local process for the Archdiocese of New Orleans to respond to the Vatican’s call for input prior to the World Synod of Bishops in 2023?

I have appointed a diocesan liaison to coordinate our input for the synod. In the upcoming months, he along with a small team, will lead a series of discussions with clergy, church leaders and laity in the Archdiocese of New Orleans with a goal of having our report to the USCCB by the end of the calendar year. One of the encouraging things is that just five years ago, the archdiocese completed an extensive consultation process for our archdiocesan synod, the Ninth General Synod of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We will be able to use much of that experience in drafting our report.

For those who may not remember, can you give a synopsis of our local synod process for the Ninth General Synod?

In the course of nearly two years of deliberations, we held 17 “town hall” listening sessions across the archdiocese that were attended by 5,000 people, who gave their input on what was working well in the archdiocese, what could be done better and what might be done that wasn’t currently being done. The participants in those town hall sessions were faithful parishioners and even those who may have felt distanced from the church but wanted to give their input. We also held special listening sessions for specific groups such as the elderly and the young church. The fruits of those encounters were evident in our final synod document, in which we identified five priorities to enhance our mission over the next several years. Those five priorities were to:

1. Form welcoming communities who celebrate our unity in diversity.

2. Embrace Christ in every family, parish and ministry.

3. Minister to families, youth and young adults.

4. Prepare servant leaders for the Church.

5. Be a voice and witness for Catholic Social Teaching.

What is the timetable for the run-up to the world synod in 2023?

Every diocese in the world has been asked by Pope Francis to begin a local synod process on Oct. 17. Each U.S. diocese will submit a 10-page report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) by the end of January 2022. Those reports – about 190 of them – will be synthesized to create a summary document for the U.S. that will be sent to Rome. The summary documents produced by each bishops’ conference from around the world will be used to write a working document that will become the start of discussions when continental synod meetings are held from September 2022 through March 2023. Then the synod is expected to take place in Rome in October 2023.

What are some of the questions that the Vatican is asking the archdiocese to respond to?

The Vatican has framed the discussion like this: A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together.” So, we have to ask ourselves the question, how is this “journeying together” happening today in our local Church? And what steps does the Holy Spirit ask us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”? The Vatican sent a list of 10 themes as starting points for discussion. They include topics such as being “companions on the journey” (how do we walk together and which groups or individuals are left on the margins?); listening to each other with an open and sincere heart; speaking out in freedom, truth and charity; celebrating the Word and the Eucharist with full and active participation; sharing responsibility for our common mission; dialoguing within the local church and with society at large; developing a spirit of ecumenism; encouraging the participation and responsibility of the laity in parishes and ministries; discerning and making decisions with the gift of the Holy Spirit; and developing a spirit of receptivity to change, formation and ongoing learning.

It sounds that rather than this being a synod on a prescribed set of topics, the pope feels there is value, especially among the laity, to learn more about and truly live out the idea of synodality itself.

I think that’s exactly the point. The Holy Father is not asking us to “solve” particular issues but instead to reflect on how the church can open up the lines of communication. This is focused on making sure people can speak up and are heard. It’s a process of communication and making sure the church is more open to those on peripheries. I get the feeling that too many people may be reading the idea of this synod as “What are our issues?” I think it’s more a question of “How do we open up communication among the people of God, particularly those who are not often heard?”  One of the great stories we have to tell is our experience of how we engaged in the synodal process by bringing together a vast and diverse number of people during our Ninth General Synod. We listened to them. We also listened to those who were away from the church. I believe Pope Francis wants us to reflect on how best we can engage people and comfort people.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].