Radical and heretical suggestions form part of national Synod discussion

Thursday, July 7th, 2022

Radical, unrealistic and even heretical suggestions were part of the conversation background at the New Zealand Catholic Church’s national Synod synthesis group that met at St Catherine’s College, Wellington last weekend.

The national Synod synthesis in New Zealand is the latest part of the local Church’s participation in the Pope’s Synodal path to the Church’s future.

The weekend meeting follows the “Diocesan Phase” of the 2021-23 Synod of Bishops launched in 2021 by Pope Francis. It represents people’s hope for change in the New Zealand Catholic Church.

In opening the meeting, Cardinal John Dew told the gathering of around 80 that Synodality is an invitation to continue to grow together as Church.

Dew observed that while many of the suggestions pointed the finger at the New Zealand Church organisation and structures, he challenged New Zealand Catholics to also engage in some self-reflection as we grow together as Church.

“In participating in the Synod process over the last few months many people have voiced their hopes for change, some radical, some unrealistic, maybe some heretical, some projected out there to the Church – but not to themselves”, said Dew.

He said that when Francis was elected he knew that the Roman Curia needed to change. He also knew that it would not just happen by changing rules and processes about the way the Curia operated.

Dew says that Francis emphasised that our faith journey is one of ‘personal conversion’.

There’s no blueprint, Dew said, but a Church sensitive to the least breath of the Holy Spirit, a church that was open to being led by the unpredictability of grace.

For this, Dew highlighted listening as an essential element of a synodal Church.

“Even people who can be considered dubious on account of their errors have something to offer which must not be overlooked,” said Dew, quoting Pope Francis in Evangelium Gaudium. (EG 2236)

“Today is not an event,” emphasised Dew, rather it is part of a beginning point to discern, to prepare the ground for decisions on how best to express the mission of the Church in New Zealand.

He told the gathering that for Francis, the Synod process is a concrete form of a “decentralised ecclesiology of communion” met by a style where all participate and dialogue.

Synods are not about finding “exhaustive exclusive solutions for all difficulties,” nor do they demonise those with whom we disagree, rather we listen to them too.

The national Catholic communications advisor, Mr David McLoughlin, told CathNews that the national Synod synthesis document from the meeting will be published in due course and in a similar way as the individual diocesan documents were published.