Exiit qui seminat "The sower goes out to sow"
Synod on Synodality
There has been a lot of strong reactions from what has been coming out of the Eternal City as bishops of the world gather together with Pope Francis for the Synod on Synodality. A synod is nothing more than a gathering of bishops either from a particular region or a part of a particular group to talk and discuss about how the Church can continue her mission. There was a recent synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. Pope Francis called a synod of the family, as well as the Church from the pan-Americas. Synods are the visible sign of collegiality among the bishops. That all of them, including the Bishop of Rome, are coworkers in the Lord's vineyard, acting with one voice, united with the deposit of faith. It is that unity that is expressed in the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. This synod is particularly unique because it is focusing on synodality - on how the collegial nature of bishops works and operates. While it may seem like it's begging the question, it really is not. One of the main focuses of Pope Francis' papacy has been the concept of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity is the principle that decisions should be made at the lowest level possible, with higher levels of authority intervening only if the lower levels are unable to accomplish a task as well or as efficiently. While the weight and the burden of governance in the life of the Church is shared, it doesn't mean that the Catholic Church solely relies on consensus and majority rule. Just the opposite. In fact at a recent synod, a bishop stated, "[T]his text has been given to us by the Holy Spirit. This assembly is not a parliament, and we don't decide matters by majority vote." That bishop's name? Pope Francis. As a Church we are reminded that we are grounded in the reality of being one, true, catholic and apostolic. Just because people in that same Church may have some differing opinions or ideas, that reality does not change ... ever. As St. Paul reminds us this Sunday, we are called to live out "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious ..." It is God's truth that continues to guide us. The truth that this Church has been founded upon, and while things might seem a little crazy and haphazard sometimes, Jesus Christ is still Lord and always will be. Keep the faith!
