The Second Session Final Report: Further Analysis, Responses, and Summing Up

A huge thank you to parishioner Charlie Koop, who has provided this Synod coverage for us for the last two years!

A good place to start in summing up the Synod on Synodality is with the definition of Synodality given in the Final Report – “Synodality is a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the church to be more participatory and missionary, so that it can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ.” (Final Synod Report No. 28)

From this core focus, part 1 of the Final Report points to the baptismal call as foundational to the work of the Synod. “In baptism each one of us is called not just to membership in the church but to responsibility in the life of the church and responsibility, in part, for the mission of the church,” says Synod delegate Cardinal McElroy of San Diego in an interview with America on the day after the Synod ended. He also spoke about charisms, saying “Everyone receives charisms. . . specific calls and grace from God to contribute to the building up of Christ’s vision of what we are to be on this earth. And in the light of those charisms there are certain ministries we undertake to advance the life of the church. Some of them are formally recognized, some of them more loosely recognized, but they’re all meant to serve the people of God as a whole, and we are all called to enter into them at various moments in our lives.”

​From this foundation, the Final report moves in a discussion of Discernment in the Spirit and accountability – at all levels – parish, diocese, etc. “The emphasis in this is on discernment by a group of people who represent the community. . . And when they come to a decision, the pastor or the bishop makes [the decision] in light of their discernment, but then the pastor or bishop is also tasked with carrying it out, and that carrying out is part of the accountability, too. . . clericalism clouds that and gets in the way of that kind of accountability. . .the people of the parish, the people of the diocese, have a right to ask: ‘ What is happening to advance what we have decided on? What is going on in the life of our parish?’” – (Cardinal McElroy interview). Paragraph 91 in the Final Synod Report further says “that if those in authority, such as a bishop or parish priest, engage in consultation, they cannot simply dismiss the conclusions of that consultation at will, without providing a compelling reason for doing so.”

Beyond these overall areas, the Final Report addresses the important specific issue of the role of women in the church. Despite the sometimes contentious meetings during the Synod with Study Group 5, which was charged with studying this area, the Final Synod Report gave a much needed status update on this issue in Paragraph 60. This paragraph begins by recognizing that “women continue to encounter obstacles” in exercising roles of ministry or leadership in the church. Then, after presenting Scriptural and historical evidence of women’s roles in the church, it goes on to call for “full implementation” of all the possibilities for women’s ministry and leadership which are currently available, saying that “no reason or impediment” should prevent this, saying: “what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.” It concludes by stating: “Additionally, the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue.” Although this paragraph received the most “no” votes, it did get the required 2/3 vote to be incorporated in the Final Report. (A few observers have noted that some of the 97 “No” votes may have come from delegates who thought it did not go far enough.) It is also worth noting that Pope Francis, in signing and issuing the Final Synod Report, gave his approval of this statement as part of the official teaching magisterium of the church, despite any of his previous comments on these issues.

Another complex reality which the Final Report addresses is the distinction between Unity and Uniformity. In this connection, Synod delegate Fr. James Martin, S.J. reflected on his experience at the synod by noting that the members of his table group came as strangers from all over the world, but they came together for this Second Session as familiar faces and friends. He stated, “We had very different approaches to many pastoral issues, [It was] our roundtable conversations and our... ‘down time’ talk at the tables that most signaled the presence of the Holy Spirit to me. . . And Cardinal-elect Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. started our retreat by quoting St. John Paul II, ‘Affective collegiality precedes effective collegiality’ in other words, it is easier to speak about difficult topics with friends than with strangers.” And Sam Sawyer, S.J. states: “the synod is searching for unity while recognizing that the experience and judgement on these matters (marital situation, identity or sexuality) is not uniform across the church.” (America 10-28-24)

Summing up – Sawyer says “Some people will find that frustrating . . . after years of effort and consultation. But I found it a source of hope and a cause for gratitude. The complicated reality is where the church is, and where the Holy Spirit is at work. [The result] may look like a camel when we wanted a horse. Please God, it may also be able to walk across deserts where the horse would die of thirst.”

Thanks to all the faithful readers who have stuck with me through the two years of the Synod’s twists and turns. The story is far from over, but one thing is certain: love, prayer, forgiveness and listening to each other and to the Spirit will continue to be necessary going forward. The final question is “Is the all-too-human church up to the task?” We, or our children and grandchildren, will see.

By Charlie Koop, Parishioner

Click here to start from the beginning of our Synod Session 2 coverage, or click here to start from the very first Synod article from last October!

​The Second Session Final Report: Process, Context, and Content

The final week of the Synod session was structured differently from the earlier weeks. The delegates no longer met in the 10-person table groups, but gathered in general sessions to discuss and vote on the final report of the second session.

During the prior weeks’ table group meetings, written reports from the tables were submitted to a coordinating group of Synod members who summarized and presented them back in general sessions for comment and suggestions for revisions. This eventually led to 155 paragraphs which were brought before the Synod in general sessions during the final week for discussion, possible amendments, and voting. All the paragraphs of the final report were approved by a two-thirds vote of the 368 synod members.

It is worth noting that in most prior Synods, the results have been submitted to the Pope, who then decided what was to be published, often in a papal document expressing the Pope’s interpretation of the results. Pope Francis has expressly changed that process, stating that the Synod’s concluding report should be authoritatively and immediately published as a whole, describing it as a “gift from the Synod to the People of God” and saying that it “corresponds to the synodal style with which even the Petrine ministry is to be exercised: listening, convening, discerning, deciding, and evaluating. And in these steps, pauses, silences, prayer are necessary. It is a style that we are learning together, little by little.”

As of this writing, total text of the report is available only in Italian and the document is being closely examined by experts and commentators, but some initial high points are worth summarizing.

The document presents synodality as a style of Christian life and ministry based on the “equal dignity of all the baptized” with the recognition that all the baptized have something to give to the mission of the Church as a whole. Some of the practical suggestions coming from this include:

• Making pastoral councils mandatory for every parish and ensuring that they are truly representative of the parish members

• Expanding women’s ministries in recognition of the contributions of women to the life and ministry of the church
• Overhauling training for future priests, including hiring more women and laymen to teach in seminaries
• Greater lay involvement in selecting bishops
• Greater transparency and accountability throughout the Church

Immediate responses to the Synod report have been many and varied. Some are positive reflections, like that of our own Cardinal Cupich, who said that the final document makes it clear that the “whole hierarchy is called to embrace this important effort of building a synodal, missionary church” (NCR Interview, 27 October 2024). Others are cautious: “Without concrete changes in the short term, the vision of a synodal church will not be credible, and this will alienate those members of the people of God who have drawn strength and hope from the synodal Journey" (from the second Synod session final report). Some advocates of certain positions have voice their disappointments: “It [the Final Report] stops short of proposing certain dramatic changes – such as the restoration of the female diaconate or greater recognition of LGBTQ Catholics – that many reform groups have sought during the multiyear project” (National Catholic Reporter, 26 October 2024).

There will undoubtedly be much further commentary over the coming days, which will be the subject of the next Synod article.

Next Time:  The Second Session Final Report - Further Analysis and Responses
Click here to start from part 1 of our coverage of the second Synod session.

Want to learn more? Check out our series on the Synod on Synodality, from the first session, to our parish listening sessions, to today!

The Second Session of the Synod on Synodality Begins with a Retreat and Penitential Liturgy and the Reports from the Study Groups

Just like the first session of the Synod last year, this year’s meeting began with a two-day retreat. The retreat concluded with a special penitential liturgy on October 1, during which seven cardinals read petitions for forgiveness that Pope Francis had written himself. He stated, “How can we be a synodal Church without reconciliation?” and that the church must “restore trust in the Church, a trust shattered by our mistakes and sins, and begin to heal the wounds.” The petitions included areas such as sexual abuse and its concealment, support for peace, respect for life, unequal treatment of women, concern for the poor, using Church teaching as weapons to hurl at others, and recognizing the dignity and role of every baptized person in the Church.

On the first regular day of the Synod, the preliminary reports of the study groups were presented to the synod assembly through both videos and written documents. How these reports and the more controversial subjects that some of them cover will enter into the discussions of the small groups and any decisions of the whole synod is an area to be watched as the Synod progresses. But how much these issues will override the focus of the synod on Synodality itself is yet to be seen.

The most anticipated report from the study groups was the one from the group charged with recommendations regarding the status of women in the ministerial work of the Church, including the possibility of women deacons.

A couple of things seem apparent:

• The report of the study group charged with the issue of women deacons showed agreement with Pope Francis that the idea is not yet mature enough for a decision, but described various pathways that they are studying. These include developing a better understanding of what “ordained ministry” covers, seeking to define “ecclesial functions and ministries that do not require the Sacrament of Holy Orders.” They then go on to reference the historic role of women in the Church who “have exercised genuine authority and power in support of the church’s mission." The report specifically cites Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dorothy Day, and others.
• In the days leading up to this Synod session, various groups supporting these issues gathered in Rome to make their opinions known to anyone who will listen.

Two themes are clear from Preparatory Document and the recent statements of Pope Francis:

• Any decisions recommended by the Synod must arise from a synodal process.
• There is often a need to accommodate the cultural and geographical differences existing in the worldwide church.

How the Synod will be able to continue to develop the synodal decision-making process and whether they will attempt to apply it to some of the complex issues of the study groups will be something to watch over the coming month. Whether they will even attempt to accomplish any of that in just a month is an open question.

Next Time: The general sessions and the synodal process for the 10-member table groups
Click here to start from part 1 of our coverage of the second Synod session.

Want to learn more? Check out our series on the Synod on Synodality, from the first session, to our parish listening sessions, to today!

The Preparatory Document for the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality: What We Can Learn From It About the Upcoming Session

When the Preparatory Document for the second session of the Synod on Synodality was published last July, some people were excited about it, while others were disappointed. Why was that so? Perhaps one way of explaining this is by understanding what the document is and what it is not.

First of all, it is not an agenda for the second session. There is no schedule for each day, nor is there a list or calendar of the topics to be covered. These items will come later, perhaps just as the session is convening. And many of the specific topics will come from the study group reports which we discussed last time.

The preparatory document might be better described as a statement of the theme or overall approach for the second session. Its central focus is that this is a Synod on Synodality. This means it will be primarily about how decisions are to be made rather than what the outcome of each decision would be. Therefore, the document is both a justification and a rallying cry for synodal decision-making itself, and the session is focused on learning what that synodal style looks like in practice. This practice includes listening and prayerfully reflecting on where the Spirit manifests in the worldwide Church of today.

In that light, the preparatory document has been described as an “exciting” document, even though it does not focus on the controversial issues of the day. That focus is left to the study groups, while this document focuses on how the decisions are to be made. And the answer to that is “in a Synodal way guided by the Spirit.” This is a process that the whole Church is still learning, but it is fundamental to the Synod’s objectives.

To this point, the Preparatory Document says:

• “This is the ongoing conversion of the way of being the Church that the synodal process invites us to undertake.”
• Synodal practice “calls us to mutual care, interdependence and co-responsibility for the common good”
• “Weakness in reciprocity, participation and communion remains an obstacle to a full renewal of the Church"
• “The concentration of power shuts out the voices of the poorest, the marginalized and minorities.”

With words such as these, the preparatory document emphasizes the participatory approach set during the first Synod session by using the small group format and the detailed process of “Discernment in the Spirit” which was introduced at last year’s synod session. It also calls for such a process to be the norm and “an opportunity for the entire people of God to discern how to move forward.”

Next Time: The opening retreat and the first days of the second session
Click here to start from part 1 of our Synod Session 2 coverage.

Want to learn more? Check out our series on the Synod on Synodality, from the first session to our parish listening sessions!

What can we expect from the upcoming Second Session of the Synod?
Inputs from the Study Groups established after the First Synod Session and the Preparatory Document for the Second Synod Session

The second session of the Synod will be convening in early October. What can we expect from this session? There are two sources flowing from last year’s first session which give us some indication regarding this second session:

• A series of study groups, which were established by Pope Francis to delve more deeply into the key areas identified during the first session and report back at this fall’s session
• The preparatory document for the second session, which was issued in July

In this part, we will look at the Study Groups, including the key study areas and the membership of the Groups. Next time, we will look at the preparatory document that flowed from the first session and report on what it outlines for this year’s second session.

The subject areas for the study groups covered key areas that were gathered from the worldwide listening sessions and discussed at the first Synod session. All the study groups have been charged with presenting their “Preliminary Reports” during the upcoming second session, and will then continue their work until June 2025, when their final reports will be due.

The job of the study groups has been characterized as providing more theological “meat” and Scriptural reflection on the areas under discussion, as well as considering the various local circumstances of the Church and how likely decisions are to require changes in Canon Law.

​Key study group areas include:

• Listening to the cry of the poor
• The role of women in the Church and their participation in decision making and community leadership, including the possibility of women deacons
• Possible revisions to the way bishops are chosen, including the involvement of laypeople in the choice
• Greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ and other “marginalized” Catholics
• Revision of the guidelines for priestly formation
• Other areas, such as ecumenism, the evaluation of bishops, the bishops’ relationship with religious orders, and the Eastern Catholic Churches relationship with Rome

Study group membership includes members of the Vatican’s Synod Office and various Vatican offices, theological experts, Canon lawyers, and members reflecting the diversity of the worldwide Church, including lay men and women. The Vatican letter which announced the formation of the study groups states that they must consider “the most relevant current experiences in the People of God gathered in the local churches.”

The content of the preliminary reports from the study groups that will be presented at the upcoming Second Session has not yet been made public, but their reports have been described by one of the lay delegates to the Synod as a way to both preserve the issues from the first Synod session as wide-open questions and to focus the second session assembly on “working toward a Church where these questions can only be dealt with in a synodal manner.”

Next time, we will explore further how the Preparatory Document for the Synod Session sets the stage for what that “synodal manner” of treating these issues will look like in action.

Want to learn more? Check out our series on the Synod on Synodality, from the first session to our parish listening sessions!

We did it! With just a few short weeks of notice and just a few weeks more to complete the task, we managed to hold three listening sessions as a part of the interim phase of the international Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis. A HUGE thank you to parishioner Katie Dorner, who, with assistance from Tom Lenz and Deacon Chris Murphy, pulled all this together! To put things in context: The USCCB issued a request in mid-February asking parishes across the country to hold listening sessions to gather feedback between the first and second meetings of the Synod Assembly in Rome. The catch? The listening sessions had to be held during Lent, and a summary report needed to be submitted to the relevant diocese before April 1. An extremely narrow timeframe. So another big thank you to Katie and to all the parishioners who attended the listening sessions! (Learn more about the Synod listening sessions here.)

The following is the summary report (verbatim) of our parish listening sessions which was submitted by Katie Dorner to the Archdiocese of Chicago on behalf of our parish. The Archdiocese will send it to the USCCB, where it will be synthesized with other reports from around the country. It will then be used by the voting members of the Synod Assembly when they meet for their closing session in Rome this October.

March 2024 Synod Listening Sessions Summary
Saint John XXIII – Evanston, IL
Archdiocese of Chicago

Dear USCCB,

Saint John XXIII is a vibrant, diverse parish in Evanston, IL, just north of Chicago. Saint John XXIII is a recently merged parish of Saint Nicholas and Saint Mary’s. We gathered in person this Lent to participate in this stage of the Synod on Synodality and are happy to share our synthesis here.
There were 36 total participants across three listening sessions: two in English and one in Spanish. We wish to acknowledge that this is a small sample size of our large and active parish, given the time constraints of receiving direction in February to host these during Lent. However, we hope this summary still makes a helpful contribution to this stage of the Synod.
After an opening prayer and a brief presentation about the Synod, parishioners met in small groups for Conversations in the Spirit. There was a notetaker and a timekeeper in each small group. There were three rounds of sharing for the listening circles, with these questions from the Archdiocese and Synod Office to guide the rounds:

• Round One: How can we be a synodal Church in mission and enhance co-responsibility of all the members of the People of God? What ways of relating, structures, processes of discernment and decision-making with regard to mission make it possible to recognize, shape, and promote co-responsibility? What ministries and participatory bodies can be renewed or introduced to better express this co-responsibility?
• Round Two: What moved in me as I was listening? How was I affected by what I heard? Was I especially touched by a particular sharing?
• Round Three: What did I notice as any convergences or challenges in our sharing? What moved us as a whole? How might the Holy Spirit be encouraging us to proceed?

We followed the Conversations in the Spirit model with silence in between each round, and we concluded our time in prayer.

The common themes arose in the listening sessions from our discussion on co-responsibility and mission were: the need and desire for deeper listening within our local and global Church – in particular between clergy and the laity but also among laity, a call for more holistic formation of both clergy and the laity, the inclusion of women in decision making and recognition of women in ministerial leadership, and a great love and concern for both our local parish and the global Church.

The need and desire for deeper listening within our local and global Church. This theme arose in almost every small group. Parishioners valued this synodal model of listening and commented on the desire to put into practice this model of listening to/with the Spirit more often. Some noted a frustration that not more members of the clergy or parish council were present for these sessions. There is a hope to have more synodal listening in our parish life in general, not solely in listening sessions. There was a call for greater transparency within our parish so that more trust can be built between parish leadership and parishioners. In addition to greater listening between clergy and laity, there was also a desire for more listening among parishioners at our newly merged parish. One parishioner said, “Artificial divisions can be broken down by listening” and another, “We must create the space to recognition beauty in diversity.”

​A call for more holistic formation of both clergy and the laity. Formation was another theme that came up in all three listening sessions. In terms of the laity, one parishioner commented, “Ministries need formation: we like people to participate but we don’t take the time for formation." Another parishioner shared that when the laity experience good formation, we feel co-responsible and want to live co-responsibly in the Church. In terms of clergy formation, there was a call for the “rejection of clericalism on all levels.” There was a desire for the Church leadership to know their flock in order to serve them well – to have both good theological formation and also to be attuned to the community in which they serve.

The inclusion of women in decision making and recognition of women in ministerial leadership. When discussion of women in the Church came up in small groups, there was both a sense of hurt and hope. One woman parishioner shared, “If you want me to be co-responsible, make my role equal.” There was a note to not avoid the tension of power difference in our Church structure when talking about co-responsibility. There was hope shared about the Synod discussion of including women in decision making processes and the diaconate. Someone said, “What will happen when we are dust?” and the importance of empowering and encouraging young women.

A great love and concern for both our local parish and the global Church. There was a palpable love and concern for our local parish and the global Church in these listening sessions. In every session, conversations sincerely brought up the guidance of the Holy Spirit in where we go from here. A concluding note from one of the groups was “We have deep concern about our Church, faith, and community” and another, “We trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us forward.” Many of the small groups brought up a specific concern for young people in the Church, and a conviction to listen to them more fervently for the vitality of our Church. There is a shared hope to “follow and apply this method of synodal listening.”

We are grateful for this experience to contribute to this phase of the Synod on Synodality and entrust these hopes and yearnings of all who attended the listening sessions to be synthesized on the national level. We also uplift our parishioners who were unable to attend these sessions due to logistical conflicts. We trust You, Holy Spirit, to gather all of our spoken and unspoken prayers through this process, and in light of the Adsumus Prayer, we pray: “Teach us the way we must go, and how we are to pursue it.”


Want to learn more about the Synod as a whole? Check out our Synod on Synodality series!

Pope Francis wants to hear from you, me, and all of us as a part of the Synod on Synodality! And we're ready to do our part here at St. John XXIII. Join one of the conversations in Oldershaw Hall:

• Thursday, March 14, 5:30-7 p.m. (English)
• Tuesday, March 19, 5:30-7 p.m. (English)
• Monday, March 18, 6-7:30 p.m. (Spanish)

That's lovely... But what is the conversation?
​
We, the everyday People of God, are at the crux of Pope Francis's international Synod on Synodality, an initiative that is looking forward to the future of the Church. Not sure what the Synod is? That's perfectly okay! The conversation will start with a brief overview before we move into the discussion phase, where the voices of all parishioners will be welcomed, heard, and valued (yes, even yours, person who isn't very familiar with Church structure/hierarchy/papal initiatives/etc.).

The USCCB has asked dioceses across the country to participate in this interim stage of the Synod by discussing what it means to uphold our shared responsibility for the Church as the People of God. A summary of our discussions will be sent to the Arch, put together with other reports from around the country, and used by the Synod's closing assembly when they meet in Rome this October. It's an amazing opportunity to have your voice heard as voting assembly members (including both women and men, lay people, religious, and priests) pray and make decisions about the future of the Church.

​Want to learn more about the Synod on Synodality?
"American dioceses will hold local synod 'listening sessions' throughout Lent 2024" | Catholic News Agency
You can also read our series of articles about the Synod on Synodality assembly that met last October!

We did it! Read the summary of our parish's Synod listening sessions here.

The Synod Assembly in Rome this October was historic in several ways. It included lay men and women as full voting members and it carried out its discussions in small groups as well as full sessions. It unveiled a new method of discussion which it called “Conversation in the Spirit” as a way of prayerfully discerning controversial issues posed in the Synod’s agenda.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the 40-page report from this Session of the Synod is that rather than defining conclusions, it designates the important issues that need further prayerful discernment in a Synodal style over the coming 11 months until the second Synod session next October. That some of these issues have been firmly placed on the list of items to be discussed by the universal church is a significant development. The final document approved by this Session of the Synod summarizes those issues under three headings:

1. Synodality
   The shape of our “Synodal Discernment” over the coming year should follow the model of the initial world wide Synod Listening Sessions as well as the prayerful “Conversation In The Spirit” model of this first Synod Session.
   ​- These ongoing discussions must be inclusive of all persons, including both clergy and laity. Existing leadership must overcome any fear of losing power.
   -Discussions must include both currently active members and those persons who see themselves as too often excluded.
   - Discussions should reflect creative ways of meeting the different needs of various locations.
   - The inclusive “Conversation In The Spirit” discernment model of the Synod must be the spirit of this process. Training and practice in this model should be available to all participants.
2. We are ALL Disciples and Missionaries
   - Roles of the laity, and particularly of women, need to be faced in light of current changes in both society and the church. This requires both theological reform and structural changes. This includes new ministries, such as women in the diaconate, especially in light of new studies of women’s roles in the early church. Women’s presence in decision making roles is an urgent need as is women’s access to the education and formation for such service. Different creative solutions may be needed in various geographical areas.
   -Liturgical language and the lectionary need to be reformed to make them more accessible and inclusive. Liturgical roles should be studied and the expansion of the office of Lector to include preaching should be considered.
   - Accountability of Bishops needs to be strengthened. The establishment of diocesan Councils should be mandatory. The structure of selection and reviews of Bishops should be studied.
3. Building Community
   - Formation programs should be available for all members of the church community, including lay men and women, religious and clergy.
   - The process of candidate selection for clergy should be broadened and all clergy should be trained in and practice a Synodal approach.
   - We all must model Jesus’ acceptance of all people, and should consider what that means in light of today’s anthropology.
   - Our discernment must broaden the composition of persons participating in it. All persons affected should be included, particularly those who feel they have been excluded. We must apply the idea of a ministry of listening and accompaniment.
   - Pastoral Councils should be obligatory on all levels.

The report also calls for the establishment of an Intercontinental Commission on Theology and Canon Law dedicated to the study of the underlying changes that would be required to implement decisions that result from the coming year’s continuing Synodal work and the decisions of next year’s Synod session.

Read more about the Synod on Synodality:
Part 1: A Synod on Synodality
Part 2: Gathering Input
Part 3: North American Issues
Part 4: October Agenda
Part 5: Questions and Expectations
SJ23 Parishioner's Reflection from Rome