‘Conversations in the spirit’ as Church prepares for next Synod meeting in Rome
Innovative “conversations in the spirit” are being adopted as a new method of conducting meetings by parishes in England and Wales.
Pioneered in Rome during the October 2023 meetings of the Synod on Synodality, the “conversations” encourage every participant to speak in turn, briefly but without interruption.
While they speak, other participants listen, discerning what “resonates” with them. After a period of silent prayer, they respond to the speaker.
This is “an increasingly helpful way to hear all the voices”, according to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
In their summary of diocesan responses to the Synod, the bishops say: “Listening, in prayer, to the Holy Spirit and to each other, especially when using the method of ‘conversation in the spirit’ leads to a real understanding of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.”
Published on 14 May, Towards a Synodal Church on Mission is among submissions sent from all over the world to the Vatican’s Office for the Synod, in preparation for the plenary Synod assembly in October this year.
While the summary’s contents were discussed at the bishops’ plenary meeting in April, no resolution was taken at the gathering to give the dossier formal status.
However, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols said it “certainly reflects the views” of members and “clearly expresses the contribution we wish to make to the work of the Synod in October 2024”.
The eight-page statement reflects on how the English and Welsh Church is developing the Synod’s themes of “mission, communion and participation”.
Particular emphasis is given to the “role of the lay faithful”, which the bishops describe as “the heart of our synodal journey thus far, a call to the co-responsibility of the priesthood of all the faithful with the ministerial priesthood”.
The bishops observe that the “lay faithful are hungry to be formed for mission.” They add: “The new commissioned lay ministries (lector, acolyte and catechist) will be helpful in promoting a re-emphasis on the importance of formation at all levels of the Church.”
The bishops describe the Sunday Eucharist as “the key” unlocking the mission of every single parish and that of each diocese, and a “good time” for rediscovering or initiating traditional Catholic devotions. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is recommended to help parishes prepare for the 2025 Jubilee of prayer.
Offered as a “framework” towards synodality in England and Wales, the document notes that diocesan clergy have had “limited participation” in the synodal process, “although many have indeed been creatively engaged”.
Two priests representing England and Wales attended the recent synodal gathering for parish clergy in Rome.
Meanwhile, a special briefing for parliamentarians in Westminster on the Synod was held on 21 May. The event was hosted by the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Holy See, Alexander Stafford MP, in partnership with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The briefing featured presentations from three guest speakers: Professor Anna Rowlands, Fr Timothy Radcliffe and Revd Dr Jan Nowotnik, who reflected on their experiences of being at the Synod of Bishops in Rome last year, and what the Synod means for the life of the Church. A cross party group of MPs and peers attended.
The meeting was an opportunity to brief parliamentarians ahead of the second gathering of bishops at Rome in October.
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