The Transformation Needed for a Synodal Church Presentation to DePaul/CTU Academic Communities November 11, 2015

Transcription

1 The Transformation Needed for a Synodal Church Presentation to DePaul/CTU Academic Communities November 11, 2015 INTRODUCTION Veteran Vatican journalists have noted that there has never been a synod that received such intense media coverage. Of course, a good deal of that interest was driven by the inclusion of the so-called hot-button issues in the synod s working document, such as communion for divorced and remarried people, same-sex marriage and the participation of gay and lesbian people in the life of the Church. But as I spoke with reporters and followed their coverage, it became clear to me that something else was driving their interest, namely Pope Francis himself and his leadership style. His words and actions over these past two years since his election to the Chair of Peter created a sense that something new was happening. They caused seasoned observers, as well as even more seasoned bishops, to wonder whether this synod could be a true watershed moment for the Catholic Church, one not seen since the Second Vatican Council. And, they were right. In fact, it is not just the synod that is a watershed moment, but I believe his entire papacy is. Francis is a transformational leader, who not only called two synods, but is calling the church to be synodal, to think and act, to speak honestly and to listen humbly to journey together. That is, after all, what the word synod means. And taking it seriously means nothing less than being open to genuine transformation. Understanding the synod means being attentive to what Pope Francis is calling our Church to be as we move forward. And in that regard, last month s synod should be viewed as the first stage of this transformation, with the bishops being the first to undergo a transformation in the way they carry on their pastoral ministry with and under Peter. For the Holy Father not only invited the bishops to attend the synod but to be willing to undergo a real conversion with the aid of the Holy Spirit. What is the transformation that the Holy Father has in mind? I see that transformation on three levels, and each involves coming to a deeper sense of trust, which is always at the heart of true conversion. First, I want to talk about the transformation that comes in trusting that Christ is truly risen. It is a trust that goes beyond believing that Christ rose from the dead two thousand years ago. This is a trust that requires a real conversion on our part and that is why we need to pay attention to the signs of the times. The second level of transformation of bishops is about trusting with greater fervor that the risen Christ is active precisely in the ministry of the Church, in our ministry as bishops. It is about trusting in our ministry as the place where Christ is always doing something new and not being afraid when he calls us to that newness. 1

2 Finally, there is a transformation that comes in trusting more humbly that Christ the risen one is at work and revealing his presence in the lives of those we serve. As a result, it means trusting that the people we serve have something of great value to say to us about Christ s will. My concluding remarks will be about why transformation on all these levels is needed if we are to reclaim the mission of the Church. I. The transformation that comes in trusting that Christ is truly risen Quoting St. Irenaeus, who said that in his coming Christ brought with him all newness, Pope Francis in The Joy of the Gospel refers to Christ as forever young and a constant source of newness. i That, of course means that we should always be alert to where Christ is leading us, where he is acting, especially as he has indicated he has come to save what was lost, to bind up wounds and to gather in the abandoned. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council spoke of reading the signs of the times, not in the sense of following societal trends or conforming to the zeitgeist, but rather so that the Church can interpret them in the light of the Gospel, which reveals how Christ responds to the longings and challenges of people not only in his time but in our time. ii It was for this reason that the process of the synod involved the three steps of see, judge and act, which was followed in crafting the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the synod. That text begins with a description of the human condition. Admittedly, some were troubled by this turn to human experience and described it as a cave-in to sociology. They much preferred to begin with Church doctrine and then come to conclusions about pastoral practice. Let me say two things in response to that objection. First, this process of the synod is not new to the Church. In fact, it has deep roots in our tradition, as recorded in Acts when the Twelve were faced with the grave issue of the observance of the Law by the Gentiles. They began with what they were experiencing with these new Christians. Then, they probed the Word of God to understand it, which then allowed them to make a decision. In a word, the process of see, judge and act is the tradition. The second point has to do with our very identity as bishops. By following a method that is purely deductive, that pretends to apply general principles to every situation, we not only distance ourselves from the real life experiences of people and their challenges, we also risk losing our apostolic identity as witnesses of the Risen Lord, who is ever working and active in the world. Pope Francis addressed this point in his remarks concluding the 2014 extraordinary synod, when he warned against a hostile inflexibility that does not allow us to be surprised by God, and to all that we still need to learn and achieve. He returned to this theme at the end of the 2015 synod, reminding us that our role as successors of the apostles is to open up broader horizons. so as to defend and spread the freedom of the children of God, and to transmit the beauty of Christian Newness, at times encrusted in a language which is archaic or simply incomprehensible. What the pope is advocating is not a happy romp into a land without boundaries, which dismisses the importance of formulae, laws and divine commandments. Rather, his aim is to exalt the greatness of the true God, who does not treat us according to our 2

3 merits or even according to our works but solely according to the boundless generosity of his Mercy (cf. Rom 3:21-30; Ps 129; Lk 11:37-54). Indeed, it means upholding all the more the laws and commandments which were made for man and not vice versa (cf. Mk 2:27). This is the first conversion, the first transformation that the Holy Father is calling the Church to the whole Church. It is a transformation that trusts that Christ is risen, that He is always doing something new in our time, and gracing us to see how He is opening up broader horizons to spread the freedom of the children of God. Transformed by this trust in the newness of Christ, we begin to be a Church of inclusion not exclusion. We become an energetic Church, always on the move, not sitting on the sidelines and looking at the world from a glass castle. II. The transformation that comes in trusting that the Risen Christ is working in and through the ministry of the Church. My home parish in Omaha has seven stained glassed windows that feature Christ as the one ministering in each of the sacraments. The sense that comes through is that the priest works in persona Christi. It is clear to me that the pope comes at the issue of the ministry of the ordained, especially bishops, in a way that goes beyond a classical understanding of agency, as if it is only a matter of standing in for the person of Christ. No, Francis is calling us as bishops to trust in our ministry as the place where the sons and daughters of God are called to freedom. It is in our ministry where we experience the risen Christ at work. It is where we come know his will. That is why he tells us to be confident to speak with parrhesia that is, to speak boldly, but also to listen to listen with humility to others who also have this ministry. This belief, our trusting that Christ is working in each of our varied ministries, is also the basis of collegiality envisioned by the Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium and especially Christus Dominus: As legitimate successors of the Apostles and members of the episcopal college, bishops should realize that they are bound together and should manifest a concern for all the churches. For by divine institution and the rule of the apostolic office each one together with all the other bishops is responsible for the Church. iii The point is that no bishop should hesitate to speak about the good of the whole Church from his particular circumstances and perspective. A spirit of openness was on full display at the synod, which was made possible by the revision of the synod process. The level of participation was the highest ever, and there was a wide range of views expressed, with all having equal voice, no matter the speaker s position in the Church. At the same time, bishops were respectful of each other, as the Holy Father asked us also to listen with humility. In other words, bishops should speak with parrhesia, but with a consciousness of communion for the Gospel is not given to any one member of the Church, but to the whole Church. To possess the whole Gospel it is necessary to persevere in the communion of the whole Church. This is the basis of collegiality. III. The transformation that comes in trusting that the Risen Lord is present and active in the lives of all the baptized. 3

4 From the outset Pope Francis has urged the bishops throughout the world to participate in the synod process not only by sending in their own personal recommendations but only after consulting with those they serve. Such consultation is also part of the tradition. In the two dogmatic definitions which Pius IX and Pius XII made outside a Council, they both consulted the episcopate to know the faith of the people. Nor should one overlook Newman s important work, On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine. Consulting the faithful is not trendy or new. On Saturday, October 17, marking the 50 th anniversary of synods, Pope Francis provided a theological basis for this wider consultation, reminding the bishops that we have to be both an ecclesia docens (a teaching Church) and ecclesia discens (a learning or listening Church). In applying that principle to our work in the synod, the pope was telling us that as we relate to those we serve, we are both teachers who speak and learners who listen. Having taught for many years at all levels of education, I know that I always come away from my interactions with students having learned more than I taught. I bet the teachers here know what I mean. Students do push teachers to rethink, reformulate and reframe the information they are conveying, so that it is understandable, but also responsive to the questions and experiences of students. The same has to be the case for leaders in the Church. Our responsibility to teach is tethered and co-equal to our responsibility to listen and learn, so that we can benefit from the wisdom of those we serve. To be clear this listening to each other is more than a matter of being attentive to the thoughts, convictions, and opinions of other people. Rather, we listen to each other to discern where God is leading the Church. Because of our faith that the Holy Spirit is at work in the Church, in listening to each other, we are also listening to the Lord who works in them and through them. As a result, in addition to being an ecclesia docens (a teaching Church) and an ecclesia discens (a learning Church), as Pope Francis tells us, we are also an ecclesia discernens (a discerning Church). iv During the synod there was a good deal of sharing by bishops of various pastoral situations that helped cut through an approach that was purely legalistic and juridical, for the purpose of listening to where Christ is leading us. One bishop told the story of a small boy making his first communion. His parents did not come forward with him to receive because they were in an irregular marriage. The boy, upon receiving his first communion, brought the host back to the pew where his parents were and broke it into three pieces, so that his parents could receive. This very human action of a family member doing something so that his parents would be included in an important moment in his life touched everyone. Stories like this, I believe, had a transformative impact on many bishops, giving us a fresh perspective of the issues at hand. But, they also compelled us to take into consideration how our teaching ministry has to be informed by our interaction with people in their everyday life as we take up the task of discerning where Christ is calling us. Conclusion Pope Francis is leading the Church into something new. He is a transformational leader who is urging us to be a synodal Church. The transformation begins with trusting that Christ, the Risen One, is ever active as the source of all newness. It is a transformation that trusts in the Church s 4

5 ministry as it is the place Christ reveals his will, to the point that each Church should value their experience and share it for the good of the whole Church. And finally it is a transformation that trusts that Christ is working in the lives of all the baptized. The three weeks we spent in Rome were just the beginning of the synod, for now we take up the task of being a synodal Church, walking together, trusting that the Risen Lord is walking with us, working with us and through us as we continue our pilgrim journey and invite others to join us. In the end, mission is our goal. Mission is the fruit of becoming a synodal Church, but it won t be easy. It will require conversion, the kind of conversion that forces us to mature, to grow up into a grown-up Church. It requires a Church of real adults to take up a mission, an adult Church in which all of us live in the freedom of the daughters and sons of God. i Evangelii Gaudium, 11 ii Gaudium et Spes, 4. iii Christus Dominus, 6 iv Additionally, it is worth noting that as an ecclesia discernens, we also are called to listen to the Church across the ages. There are definite standards for distinguishing growth from corruption, standards for authenticating the action of the Risen One and His Spirit, as Yves Congar s clarifies in his classic True and False Reform in the Church. See the second part of the book, which outlines four conditions for authentic reform of the Church. It must be pastoral; it must be in communion with the whole Church; it must incorporate a spirit of patience; it must be a development of tradition, not an external innovation. 5