Sr. Gill Goulding CJ is Professor Ordinarius Systematic Theology, Regis College, Senior Research Associate Von Hugel Institute St Edmund’s College University of Cambridge UK, and a Member of the Theological Commission Secretariat of the Synod, Rome. She was appointed by Cardinal Grech to the Theological Commission of Synod in April 2021. Sr. Gill was involved in the writing of the Preparatory Document, The Vademecum, and the Document for the Continental Stage and also took part in five of the North American Continental Sessions.
The Instrumentum Laboris (IL) for the First Session of the Synodal Assembly to be held October 2023 is an interesting document and well worth reading! It is a fruit of the synodal consultation that took place from October 2021 when Pope Francis opened the synodal process to April 2023 when it was written. This is the most substantial process of consultation that we have seen within the Church at the local, national and intercontinental levels. The basic question in this process has been the one that was formulated in the Preparatory Document and which continues to guide the process. “How does this ‘journeying together’, which takes place today on different levels (from the local level to the universal one), allow the Church to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the mission entrusted to Her; and what steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow as a synodal Church?” The IL is the result of gathering the fruit of the listening phase where from the local level onwards the focus was on reflecting together on the word of God, engaging in spiritual conversation and discerning together what seems to be the priorities emerging under the guidance of the spirit of God. It requires a real trust that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church through the openness of Her members. Perhaps a word on spiritual conversation would be helpful here. It is a discerning, dialogical style of interacting which is also an encounter with human goodness and the reality of grace at work in another’s life. It is not the kind of conversation which is more a debate or a discussion, rather it is a conversation conducted in an atmosphere of prayer, deeply attentive to what others are saying and where there is a resonance in one’s own life and experience. It is grounded in the conviction that the Lord will guide us if we are attentive and it presupposes a certain reverence, inner freedom, and gentleness towards others.
Accordingly, the IL came to be written through an ongoing discernment process which began in local groups, was taken through dioceses to episcopal conferences and all this material was then sent to Rome where at least three people read every contribution sent to the Secretariat for the Synod. In October 2022 a group met in Frascati to write the Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) which was then sent to the different Continental gatherings to discern the resonances produced in the local churches of the continent, in order to identify the priorities on which to continue the discernment during the Synodal Assembly. From these meetings seven Continental Documents were sent to Rome and the IL was written in April 2023. I recommend reading these Continental Documents, which are all on the synod website. A key point emphasised in the IL is that the experiences that occurred in the different gatherings were richer than any document could completely capture.
There are two goals for the IL. The first is that it is to sustain the ongoing synodal process in the local churches, which is why I would encourage all to read it. The second goal is to lead the synodal assembly in October in the discernment process. The document is divided into two parts and the first indicates what has been learned from the process. The second raises priority issues that have been discerned and for each of these issues five worksheets are included with questions as a working tool, to assist reflection and discernment. The three priority issues that have been identified are according to the dynamic of communion, participation and mission, each with a significant question. A communion that radiates: How can we be more fully a sign and instrument of union with God and of the unity of all humanity? Co-responsibility in Mission: How can we better share gifts and tasks in the service of the Gospel? Participation, governance and authority: What processes, structures and institutions are needed in a missionary synodal Church?
A key issue for many throughout the world is how can the Church of our time better fulfil its mission through greater recognition and promotion of the baptismal dignity of women. I was aware of this concern when reading the reports that came in from different parts of the world as we gathered to write the Document for the Continental Stage. Later, it was clear as the IL states that “the Continental Assemblies were unanimous in calling for attention to the experience, status and role of women, notwithstanding the different perspectives present within each continent.” Across the world there clearly emerged a desire for a greater presence of women in positions of responsibility and governance and this was seen as crucial to the movement of the synodal process. In addition, it is important to note that at the Continental Assemblies there was also an important recognition of the plurality of women’s experiences, points of view and perspectives. It was seen as vital that this diversity needed to be recognized in the work of the Synod Assembly and that women not be treated as a homogeneous group or in some way as an ideological subject of debate.
In conclusion, I would just reiterate as Pope Francis has stated, that the protagonist of the synodal process is the Holy Spirit. I can testify from my own experience that a sense of hope and joy have characterised the fruitful method of spiritual conversation across the process. There has been an expressed desire for conversion and an adequate formation to sustain this way of proceeding. It is important to acknowledge that there is still mistrust and resistance to the process in some areas. Yet the Spirit continues to blow across our Church calling for a deeper encounter with the Lord and with one another. We are challenged to be open and to respond!
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