The prayer intention for October is for the success of the Synod which will be held in Rome this month. Fr Chris Chatteris SJ works with the Pope’s Prayer Network internationally and has written a reflection piece to help us get our minds around what synodality is:
Synodality and hierarchy; how to put the two together? That, I think, is a great challenge for the Catholic Church at this historic moment. Unfortunately, we seem to be living through a moment of revival of clericalism in the Catholic Church, which sharpens the challenge! The clericalist mentality naturally favours hierarchy over synodality, not that the two should be opposed to one another.
Hierarchy means the rule of the priesthood, but of course, the question is always whether a form of government has any checks and balances built into it and whether there is a separation of powers. Some might object that this is far too a political way of viewing the matter. Of course, we are dealing with structures infused by the Spirit of God, but the structures are made up of human beings and therefore subject to the shortcomings of the human condition. Hence a need for checks and balances through which the Spirit can work. In contrast to hierarchy, synodality is defined as ‘Journeying together as the people of God’. No mention of the priesthood or hierarchy there. Nor is there here: ‘[Synodality] indicates a way of listening to each person as a member of the Church to understand how God might be speaking to all of us.’
I wondered if the intention isn’t over-optimistic when using the phrase ‘sustain a synodal lifestyle’. From anecdotal evidence, it seems that there are parts of the Church where synodality is yet to make much impression.
And yet, and yet, there is a sense in which the Church has already quietly become synodal, for example when it comes to mission. I am constantly inspired and consoled at how mainstream and taken as normal is the weekly work of ministers of the Eucharist. When the ministers come up to receive the hosts they are about to distribute to the sick of the parish, they will quietly tell the priest how many they need. The numbers are quite telling. One man recently asked me for nine!
This discreet yet indispensable work of ministering to the sick, the housebound, and those in hospital, is a powerful form of synodality in action and a great tribute to those so selflessly involved. There are other examples of synodality in action at parish level. You just have to look at the various organizations that comprise the parish community and note their impact and contribution. In many parishes in South Africa organisations like the Sodalities are the local church and their indaba-like structures, with plenty of dialogue and discussion are already synodal and they cooperate happily with the hierarchy. Henry Newman put it amusingly to the priest who asked him what he thought of the laity. ‘Well’, he said, ‘we clergy would look rather silly without them!’ Synodality is a ‘thing’ as people a fraction of my age say these days! What we need to do is to acknowledge it joyfully where it exists and encourage it prayerfully where it is still to flourish.
