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Is the Church more than synodal?

Monday, October 25, 2021 (04:16)

Many of my friends –among them both members and opponents of the Church– react to the questionnaire of our consultation in a way that makes me doubt whether this description of the Church is wide –or clear– enough. Here are some examples.

When we say that the Church is on her journey of seeking what is good and true, some reply:

  • the Church is not on a journey. I prefer to see the Church as a vineyard, planted on solid ground, with roots reaching thousands of years into the past, aligned to the source of truth, our Lord Jesus Christ. Vineyards don’t travel.

  • the Church is not on a journey of seeking what is good and true. The Church’s mission is not to seek the truth but to teach what it knows about the truth.

1. In the Church and in society we are side by side on the same road. – some reply: In the Church we must be a strong community of people who walk together and who know our enemies in society. We cannot embrace everybody. We must keep the needed distance between us and those who don’t believe.

2. Listening is the first step, but it requires an open mind and heart, without prejudice. – some reply: We should not listen to ideologies that try to tell us something that is utterly wrong. Listening to such ideologies makes sense only in order to find arguments against it and to explain the truth.

3. All are invited to speak with courage and parrhesia, that is, in freedom, truth, and charity. – some reply: We must be careful when saying our opinion. We say our opinion only to those we can trust. It is better to keep quiet when the enemy is listening. There is knowledge that must be kept secret to protect it against the enemy. One does not throw pearls to the pigs.

4. “Walking together” is only possible if it is based on communal listening to the Word and the celebration of the Eucharist. – some reply: The traditional way of celebrating the Holy Mass fosters our identity and grows our faith. We won’t let other people tell us how to celebrate.

5. Synodality is at the service of the mission of the Church, in which all members are called to participate. – some reply: History has shown that communism has failed. A communistic participation is not a sustainable way for living together.

6. Dialogue requires perseverance and patience, but it also enables mutual understanding. – some reply: We value perseverance and patience, but we must not waste our energy into dialogue with people who refuse to accept the truth. We should rather keep a clear distance from those who want to make us believe something other than the truth.

7. The dialogue between Christians of different confessions, united by one baptism, has a special place in the synodal journey. – some reply: The purpose of ecumenism is to open a door to other confessions so that lost faithful can turn back to the Church. During Holy Mass we welcome non-Catholic visitors as long as they behave adequately and follow our rules. We shouldn’t waste our time speaking with Christians who decided to stay outside of the Catholic Church.

8. A synodal church is a participatory and co-responsible Church. – some reply: Church needs a clear hierarchy. Whenever humans do something together, it must be clear who is the boss. The boss is responsible in the end. If you are not the boss, then you must rather obey than feel co-responsible. That’s called discipline. We don’t believe in co-responsibility.

9. In a synodal style we make decisions through discernment of what the Holy Spirit is saying through our whole community. – some reply: Common decisions must be the result of a well-organized democratic process. We cannot allow corrupt leaders who do what they want, even if they call it discernment.

10.Synodality entails receptivity to change, formation, and on-going learning. – some reply: The church must not be receptive to every change. The Church must align to Jesus Christ alone, not to a multicultural mix of ideologies. The mission of the Church is to teach others, not to learn from others.