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As
delegates work toward finalizing the Synod’s synthesis report,
“spiritual assistants” Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, of Oxford Monastery in
Great Britain, and Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini, OSB, of the Abbey of
Viboldone in Italy, shared their insights into the synodal process at a
press briefing this morning. They were joined by Br. Alois (Löser),
prior of the Taizé Community in France.
Fr.
Radcliffe, Mother Angelini, and Br. Alois are not voting members of the
Synod, but their participation as assistants and special guests has
given them a unique perspective on the proceedings. Fr. Radcliffe and
Mother Angelini have offered reflections to the Synodal Assembly
throughout the month.
Mother
Angelini emphasized the connections between synodality and the monastic
disciplines of studying Scripture, praying, and developing fraternal
relationships. She characterized her presence at the Synod as “marginal”
yet “very good for me.”
“I could participate by listening, by praying,” she said.
She
described the Synod as “significant” and “revolutionary” for the way it
has introduced a “change of pace” and fostered a new ability to listen
in participants. She said that our present historical moment feels “more
obscured, more tormented,” and that we need “a vision that starts form
the perspective of God.”
Fr.
Radcliffe said that as a Dominican, “synodality is part of my being,”
He explained that since the founding of the order over 800 years ago,
Dominicans have used “a synodal form of governance.”
Though
he has participated in other Synods, “there was not so much real
dialogue” in his previous experience. The current Synod is “profoundly
transformative in people’s experience of the church,” he said.
Fr.
Radcliffe observed that the current Synod, with its free and open
communication between laypeople and clergy, “reveals what it means to be
a bishop” in a more profound way. This is because the bishop is
perceived “not as a solitary individual” but “immersed in the
conversation of his people.”
Br.
Alois pointed to the Synod as “a moment when we can reach out and grow
in spiritual ecumenism.” He said that “we have taken a huge step forward
in the Synod” by virtue of “listening in simplicity.”
Referencing
Pope John Paul II’s ecumenical legacy, particularly his concepts of the
“ministry of unity” and the “exchange of gifts” between churches, Br.
Alois said that “we can express this unity [between the churches] more
than we do.”
“We can discover in other Christians what the Holy Spirit has given them for us,” he said.
Asked
about the skepticism of the Synod shown by some observers, Fr.
Radcliffe responded that it comes from a misunderstanding of the nature
of synodality.
“When
people look at the Synod and see it in terms of a political debate,
they misunderstand it and they fear it,” he said. Rather, the Synod
should be understood as “an event of prayer and faith.”
Instead
of offering a “mechanical view of the world” that sees politics as a
process of “fixing problems,” the Synod is “concerned with a communion
which is not mechanical,” he said.
“The
church is an organism, a body, the Body of Christ,” he continued. “And
that means change is organic and ecological rather than demanding a
quick fix.”
Dr.
Paolo Ruffini, prefect for the Dicastery for Communication, confirmed
that the drafting committee is collecting amendments from small groups
and individuals for the synthesis report. The report will be prepared
between tonight and tomorrow morning. Delegates will vote on the final
document tomorrow afternoon. Delegates will have to vote yes or no on
each paragraph of the document, with a two-thirds majority required for
approval.
As
a final reminder, Dr. Ruffini related that Pope Francis has proclaimed
today a day of fasting, prayer, and penance to implore peace in the
world. Francis has invited “sisters and brothers of the various
Christian denominations, those belonging to other religions, and all
those who have at heart the cause of peace in the world, to join in as
they see fit.”
A recording of this morning's press conference is available at the Vatican News YouTube page here.
Michael Centore
Editor, Today's American Catholic
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