Newark begins synodal journey with Catholics around the world
The synodal process “is not simply a series of meetings,” but “an effort to open ourselves to a permanent conversion of heart,” said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., on Sunday when the Archdiocese officially began its synodal journey with Catholics around the world. “The synod will shine a light on the cracks of our church” and is an opportunity for a “change of a culture of our Church at all levels,” he said.
“The synod recognizes that the people of God – those who have been called out of darkness into light by virtue of their baptism — is called to walk the same road. And sometimes it means they realize they’re going the wrong way,” Cardinal Tobin said during his homily in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.
Last weekend in Rome, Pope Francis formally opened the global synod, leading up to the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2023. The synod will explore the theme, “For a synodal church: communion, participation, and mission.”
The process of this synod will make the people of God actors in the process of discernment rather than passive onlookers.
-Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Bishops around the world officially began the synod in their dioceses on Sunday, Oct. 17. Each diocesan phase, which runs until April, will focus on listening to and consulting with the people of God. During this time, every diocese in the world is expected to promote a special time of prayer, listening, dialogue and recommendations.
“It will unleash the biggest consultation in human history,” Cardinal Tobin said. “Imagine that: efforts to hear the voices of more than a billion people on the face of the earth. Who does that?”
After April, the dialogue will continue at national and continental assemblies of Catholics. Finally, in October 2023, bishops and others will gather in Rome with the Holy Father to chart the future of the Church.
Hundreds attended Mass at the Cathedral in Newark, including the auxiliary bishops, priests, religious women and men, parish council leaders, archdiocesan staff, and laypeople. Among those in attendance were Sister Donna Ciangio, O.P., the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, and Father Bismarck Chau, the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The two are the local Archdiocesan coordinators of the synodal process. With their teams, they will engage every parish to participate in the process.
“This is a great opportunity for us as a church to reach out, not only to our parishes and Catholics, who regularly attend church, but to people who have left the church or have never been involved in the church, or who are somewhere on the margins of society,” Sister Donna said.
She added that efforts would be made to include youth and young adults in the conversation and ensure that the varied ethnicities and cultures of the Archdiocese and surrounding area are well represented.
Father Bismarck said he truly believes this is the right time for this synod in the Church.
“The call for the entire church of God to embark on a synodal process of listening to the Holy Spirit and discernment is a great opportunity for renewal and conversion for the whole church,” he said.
The Archdiocese of Newark recently launched a “Synod 2023” web page to share relevant resources related to the synodal process. Visit the website to access Cardinal Tobin’s letter to the Faithful and Sunday’s livestream Mass archive. Many other resources are available on the page, including the Synod Prayer for the Archdiocese of Newark and links to Vatican Synod 2023 resources. A parish toolkit and other resources will soon be made available.
A synod calls on everyone to become experts in “the art of encounter” in a way that is uplifting and transformative, Pope Francis said, in his homily at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 10.
“Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: ‘It’s useless’ or ‘We’ve always done it this way?'” he asked.
Cardinal Tobin said, “the synod is a call for all of us — in this pulpit, in the pews, in the sanctuary — to unity. Synods are an effort to listen, to be attentive to whatever the spirit is trying to say to the church, not to what people have decided ahead of time what the spirit should be saying.”
He offered that Jesus must play the leading role through his presence in the Church and the Holy Spirit, or the Synod “will descend into a political game” or become a “churchy version of Congress.”
Cardinal Tobin added that synodal structures are already in place in the Archdiocese, including parish councils, finance councils, Archdiocesan pastoral councils, The College of Deans, and the Council of Priests and that they all are invoking the Holy Spirit.
“And it’s not simply to get an opinion that sort of divinizes or consecrates the popular will,” he said. “The French revolution tried to do that. It’s rather to discover the divine will: God’s saving plan for us today in our circumstances, in our time, in our places. And the process of this synod will make the people of God actors in the process of discernment rather than passive onlookers.”
Visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s synod webpage for more information.
Catholic News Service contributed reporting.
Photos: The Archdiocese of Newark officially began its synodal journey with Catholics around the world on Oct. 17, 2021, in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2023. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., led Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. The synod will explore the theme, “For a synodal church: communion, participation, and mission. (Archdiocese of Newark/Julio Eduardo Herrera)
