Archdiocese hosts Sr. Nathalie, the under-secretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod (Video)

As the Archdiocese of Newark embarks on its second round of Synod listening sessions, Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, under-secretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod, spoke at the Archdiocese of Newark’s Archdiocesan Center on Feb. 24 encouraging all Catholics to be part of this “spiritual event.”

Sister Nathalie, a French Catholic religious sister and member of the Congregation of Xavières, was appointed in 2021 by Pope Francis to serve as under-secretary to the Synod of Bishops and is the first woman to do so. She was appointed by Pope Francis as the first woman to vote at the Synod of Bishops, a summit of 250 bishops from around the world. Since then, at the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis has increased the number of voting members including clergy, religious, and laity.

Last October, Sister Nathalie was part of the group of clergy, religious, and laypeople tasked with creating the Synthesis report— “A Synodal Church in Mission” — from Synod Session One held in October 2023 in Rome. The Archdiocese of Newark, along with other dioceses from around the world, is currently holding additional listening sessions looking at how structures and pastoral practice in the Church help Catholics to be co-responsible for the mission of Christ. The Archdiocesan Synod Team will take the results of the listening sessions and compile a report to be sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by April, which will contribute to Synod Session Two in Rome in October.

The Synod began in 2021, Pope Francis invited all Catholics — from bishops to the laity — to gather and share their experiences, pray, and listen to each other, and discern a way forward for the Church asking: “How is the Holy Spirit calling us as a Church in the 21st Century?” For the first time, all Catholics were invited into the Synod process, historically reserved for just Bishops.

What is synodality?

Synodality is a way of walking together as a Church by listening and discernment, Sister Nathalie told the assembly of about 100 Catholics gathered to hear her speak on Saturday. Although synodality is the style of the early Church, we are still learning how to do synodality, Sister Nathalie said.

“You don’t learn synodality by a book you learn it by doing it. By living a life with the spirit,” she said.

Quoting Australian theologian Ormond Rush Sister Nathalie said, “synodality is the Second Vatican Council in a nutshell.”

Sister said there is always fear in change but that “Pope Francis said, the Synod seeks not another Church but a different Church.” This means a People of God who walk together and share co-responsibility for spreading the Gospel and caring for all as Jesus did.

Sister Nathalie used an analogy to explain the Synod process. She compared it to a family where the parents listen to the thoughts and opinions of all family members before deciding where to go on vacation or a move. The father and mother still make the final decision but consider all members’ input. Similarly, in the Synod, decisions are made through discernment after listening to the members of the Church.

“If people feel heard and part of the decision-making, they are more apt to accept the made by the mother and father or priest and bishop,” Sister Nathalie said.

The Synod — and its round tables — has been a school for synodality by expanding participation, offering a safe space for process, and fostering the practice of conversation, she said.

She noted that during the Synod in October, the bishops from Russia and Ukraine sat at the same table sharing, listening, and discerning.

“If they can do it, it can be done everywhere,” Sister Nathalie said. “Synod is not just for church. It is for the entire world to learn how to listen.”  

She encouraged local Catholics to take part in dialogue on a local level. As was the case in the first round of the Synod, the discussion will form a report that will be included in a report sent to the Vatican as input to the session next October.

The Archdiocese of Newark will hold Synod listening sessions for religious, deacons, priests, and laity on Friday, March 8, and Thursday, March 14. Sessions in Spanish will be held on Saturday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 20. Click here to register. For more information visit rcan.org.

The listening sessions will delve into the synthesis report released last year after the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October that concluded that the Church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded while keeping true to traditional church teachings and practices.

Although the process results in documents, Sister Nathalie said the Synod is not so much about the documents but more about a “spiritual event.”

Featured photo: Archdiocese of Newark Chancellor Sister Donna Ciangio, O.P., Sister Nathalie Becquart, and Milissa Else, Assistant Coordinator for Parish Strategies. Sister Donna and Else are coordinating the synod of synodality for the Archdiodioce.