SYNOD BRIEFING: A NEW WAY TO BE THE CHURCH

 At the Synod press briefing on Friday, Dr. Paolo Ruffini reveals how the final Synthesis Report will be voted at the Assembly, and Fr. Timothy Radcliffe asserts that fear of synodality grows out of misunderstanding of its true purpose.

 

-By Osservatore Romano

 

"Let us not grow weary of praying incessantly for peace."

 With these words, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, opened the proceedings in the Paul VI Hall on Friday morning, recalling that “today is a day of fasting and prayer for peace." The entire Assembly is scheduled to gather at 6 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica for the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration with Pope Francis.

 This was announced by Dr. Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication and President of the Information Commission of the Synod, during Friday’s press briefing, which began at 2:20 p.m. in the Holy See Press Office and was introduced by Deputy Director Cristiane Murray.

 Dr. Ruffini: Towards the vote on the "Synthesis Report"

"At this morning's General Congregation, there were 320 members present due to concurrent commitments in the Roman Curia and other meetings," Dr. Ruffini stated in reporting on the progress of the synodal works. "After prayer and before the discussion in the Circles and the free interventions—aimed at gathering questions, suggestions, and proposals regarding the next phase of the synodal process that will accompany us until October of the coming year—some information was given regarding the final drafting of the Synthesis Report."

 "Yesterday, at the end of the discussion on the first draft of the Report," the Prefect explained, "we collected 1,125 collective 'modi' from the Circles and 126 individual 'modi.' All 'modi' have been and will be taken into consideration out of respect for those who submitted them. The reception work is still ongoing. The writers and experts, to whom the Assembly offered a round of applause in gratitude, are working, even at night, to prepare the updated version of the text."

 Dr. Ruffini clarified that "the intent is to first consider those 'modi' that have garnered broad consensus, so they can find their place in the updated text. After incorporating the 'modi' submitted by the Working Groups, the text will be examined this evening during the meeting of the Commission for the Synthesis Report."

 "In accordance with Article 33 § 2 of the Instruction on the Celebration of Synodal Assemblies," the Prefect added, "the Commission will be called to approve the text by an absolute majority. Subsequently, between tonight and tomorrow morning," he continued, "the final version of the text will be prepared, and tomorrow morning, the General Congregation scheduled in the calendar will not take place. Members will receive the text tomorrow mid-morning, and the official versions will be in English and Italian."

 "In this way," Dr. Ruffini stressed, "an effort has been made to provide everyone with sufficient time to read the Synthesis Report in its final version in advance, so they can better prepare for the afternoon vote. The text given to the members is strictly confidential and may not be disseminated in any way."

 "Tomorrow afternoon, the General Congregation will begin thirty minutes early, at 3:30 p.m.," the Prefect continued, explaining, "In the first part of tomorrow afternoon's General Congregation, the entire Synthesis Report will be read. After individual members have read it, the text will be collectively reread by the Assembly. Following this, the electronic vote will take place, allowing for the expression of individual votes on each paragraph of the text. To clarify the voting process this morning, a simulated vote was conducted at the end of the General Congregation. The secrecy of the vote was reaffirmed this morning. The system encrypts the data collected, preventing the identification of those who cast their votes."

 Going into the details of tomorrow's vote, Dr. Ruffini said, "On the screen of each tablet provided to the Synod members, the number of each chapter of the Report and all paragraphs marked with alphabetical letters will appear. Each member must cast their vote—yes or no—for each paragraph. According to Article 35 § 3 of the Instruction on the Celebration of Synodal Assemblies, abstention is not allowed. In accordance with § 4 of the same Article 35 of the Instruction, individual paragraphs are considered approved with a two-thirds majority of the members present at the vote."

 Dr. Ruffini also disclosed that "today, the Synod members were provided with meditations offered by Father Timothy Radcliffe, who was present at the briefing, during the spiritual retreat in Sacrofano. These meditations are compiled in a book available in Italian and English. And, by the express desire of the Holy Father as a gift to the Synod participants, a book (available in four languages: Italian, English, French, and Spanish) was published, containing the four letters that Father Radcliffe addressed to the Dominican Order during the years he served as the Master General."

 "On Sunday, the Eucharistic celebration for the conclusion of the Synod will be held at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica," the Prefect recalled. In conclusion, Dr. Ruffini revealed, "This morning's works were introduced by the current delegated President, Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts."

 Pires: Toward greater synodal engagement

Sheila Pires, Secretary of the Information Commission, then presented the framework and contents of the interventions in the Working Groups, all focused on the subsequent phase in October 2024. The theme of the day was sharing ideas and proposals on methods and steps for the next phase of the synodal process before the second session.

 Many participants, she said, suggested that the duration of the next Assembly should be three weeks, not four. They also proposed allowing more time for personal reflection and meditation, fostering better participation through interventions in the Assembly. More group meetings were requested, based not so much on language but on each individual's background.

 Among the proposals was a brief summary of the Synthesis Document in more understandable language for everyone, especially for young people. It was also emphasized in the Hall "the importance of bringing 'conversations in the Spirit' to the communities to avoid the risk of discussions being disconnected from the concrete life of the people of God." Furthermore, "it was suggested to involve local communities at all levels, following a synodal path." Finally, Ms. Pires concluded, "proposals were made to apply synodality and co-responsibility, making good use of the possibilities already provided by canon law to involve young people, women, and deacons."

 Mother Angelini: Bringing Benedictine experience to the Halll

Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini, a Benedictine from the Viboldone Monastery, acted as a spiritual assistant at the Synod. She first confided that "this role deeply suits me, as I participate in listening and prayer and interact with the Synod members during the various breaks between the Working Groups. I come from a monastic experience within the Church, an experience that has been marginal since its origins but with a prophetic charge, and I think of Saint Benedict."

 Significantly, she continued, "being able to represent my absolute insignificance in this continuous thread of meaning in the history of the Church, stationed at the root of the issues that have been addressed, the root expressed in the monastic perspective on the life of the Church through the study of the Scriptures, prayer, and fraternal relationships, which becomes welcoming."

 From this perspective, the Benedictine nun further underscored the "revolutionary" nature of the Synod, "a change in the life of the Church, in the sense of inclusivity in presence," with "an opening in the ability to listen to differences, in the ability to look at reality, at a complex and indecipherable moment in history that calls for faith to provide a vision from the highest perspective, where the presence of God becomes flesh."

 "The Scriptures give us profound and luminous criteria for interpreting such terrible moments in history," Mother Angelini continued, praising the "profoundly innovative" way in which cardinals, bishops, theologians, and laity have come together, despite their differences, to pray together and listen to each other. It will be important, she concluded, "to see how we will move forward from this experience."

 Father Radcliffe: Learning synodal style together

Father Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, a Dominican from the British Monastery of Oxford, also spoke as a spiritual assistant at the Synod. He mentioned that synodality is a part of the Dominican way of life, founded eight hundred years ago, in which decisions are made together. Being at his fourth Synod, he observed that this one is truly different from the others. "This is an extraordinary change in the way we are the Church together," he said, noting that simply seeing cardinals and young women from Latin America and Asia sitting together to talk is transformative from the perspective of people's experiences and being the Church.

 However, he assured, "it is certainly still a Synod of Bishops because it reveals very clearly what it means to be representatives of the episcopal college not as solitary individuals, but as bishops immersed in the conversation of their people," through "listening, speaking, learning together."

 Father Radcliffe also alluded to the changes for the Church's future that many expect: "This means that perhaps they are not looking for the right thing because we are gathered to understand how to be the Church in a new way, rather than making specific decisions; how we can be a Church that listens, and whose members listen to each other across different cultures, and listen to tradition over time. We are learning how to make decisions together, how to listen to each other: we are at the beginning of a learning process, so there will be obstacles and mistakes, and this is okay because we are on a journey."

 Moreover, he emphasized, "this learning process is of extraordinary importance today. We live in a world full of violence, with the breakdown of communication among people, as in the Middle East, Ukraine, and many parts of Africa, but also in our own countries, in Great Britain and the United States, where we see polarization. In some way, we must learn how to talk to each other and listen to each other. So, this Synod may not only be useful for healing the wounds of the Church but also for humanity."

 Frère Alois: A new way of being Church

Frère Alois, Prior of the Taizé Community since 2005, following the death of Frère Roger (he will leave office on 3 December, handing it over to Frère Matthew) and participating in the Synod as a "special invitee," began by quoting an expression confided to him by a Reformed pastor present in the Hall as a fraternal delegate: "This Synod is a profound experience of communion." These are significant words that testify to how the synodal assembly has genuinely been "open to all Christians and to the world." In this regard, Frère Alois recalled the ecumenical vigil held in St. Peter's Square on September 30, attended by representatives of various Christian churches and communities: "It is an image," he said, "of what we are currently experiencing in ecumenism; it is a kairos, an opening, a moment that allows us to advance in spiritual ecumenism" based on the awareness that "we are all baptized in Christ" and "part of one body." This, he added, "has been palpable throughout the Synod," especially in listening, simplicity, willingness to dialogue, and the joy of being together. "I truly hope that this style," he wished, "can spread to many places in the world" because the synodal process "is leading us into a new way of being the Church."

 No reason to fear of synodal method

In response to the first question from journalists, who asked if he considered himself one of the "builders" of this Synod in some way, given his books on communication that Pope Francis appreciated, Father Radcliffe said he did not have a particular role in this regard but participated in the common dialogue.

 

To the next question about the possibility of the Synod leading the Church to a new phase despite the skepticism of some, Frère Alois reiterated that he appreciated a certain evolution in the dialogue during the weeks of work. Participants from different cultural backgrounds tried to understand each other better, he said, stating that he was certain the Synod brought a transformation in their hearts according to "the path we all need to take together."

 Father Radcliffe echoed this by asserting that some people fear the synodal method because they do not understand it. They are afraid that synodal debates are political in nature and cause schisms, but the opposite is happening. "The Synod is an event of prayer and faith," he emphasized.

 In response to the question about what practical suggestions he would give to a parish priest to implement the concepts of this Synod, Father Radcliffe replied that the recurring theme of the Synod had been the criticism of clericalism. However, this should not alarm diocesan priests; instead, it is necessary to highlight every positive aspect of diocesan priesthood, its beauty, and to support the work of those who evangelize.

 When asked about any political readings of the Synod, Father Radcliffe emphasized that he did not believe that ideological conflict had emerged from the discussions. What had emerged were cultural differences. The beauty of Catholicism, he said, lies in welcoming people from all over the world because cultures have a beautiful diversity that enriches. What may be a concern for a particular cultural environment is not the same for those living elsewhere. Learning to be respectful of others' concerns, he said, is a much more important theme than ideological issues, which were not found in the Synod.

 In this regard, Brother Alois observed that we live in a world with increasing fears and anxieties. The temptation to embrace ideologies exists, but in the Church, one can truly go against the current and cross boundaries. He noted that this is evident with young people at Taizé, who want to be more understanding and respectful of different ways of expressing faith. In the Church, he concluded, a clearer way of living the beauty of diversity must be found.

 Father Radcliffe, in response to a question about the admission of homosexuals to the seminary, clarified that the issue is not exclusion but rather the fact that there are people who have made their sexuality "the center of their identity," which raises doubts about their suitability for the priesthood. When asked about the fruits the Synod can yield, the Dominican theologian reiterated that it was not just a dialogue exercise but primarily a sharing of experiences, appreciating everyone's openness to "the lives and experiences of people from different places." In the same vein, the Prior of Taizé emphasized how the method of listening had been fruitful, although it would take time to see the results of what was sown. He also appreciated the fact that "in this assembly, a space for listening has been provided following a profoundly evangelical method."

 Responding to a question about young people, Mother Angelini said that as she had not participated in the Working Groups, defined as a fruitful moment for experiencing the "transition from 'I' to 'we,'" her perspective is partial. However, it allowed her to grasp the seriousness of the problem. She explained the need for the Church to find an appropriate language, especially in the digital world and in the communication of new media, as well as a liturgical language that is outdated for the new generations. In this regard, the Synod highlighted the need for conversion.

 Mother Angelini continued by emphasizing that the presence of the Taizé brothers at the ecumenical prayer on 30 September was a significant moment. She stated that it now falls on the members of the Synod to bring these concerns to local Churches by identifying places for mutual listening to address the major issue of young people's absence from ecclesiastical life. Since this need was expressed at the Synod, Mother Angelini continued, it is now necessary to mediate and pray for places where young people feel called, attracted, and involved in a process of ecclesiastical conversion, not just personal dialogue. They need to share their stories and be included in paths of discernment, reading of history, and practical decision-making in their local churches.

 In response to a question, Dr. Ruffini reaffirmed that abstaining from the vote would not be possible and referred to the proposals discussed by each Group. In practice, the path from this point to the next assembly is still in progress and requires further discernment in dioceses. One significant aspect is how to involve the people of God, who live in very different places, which can be in a state of war or suffering, in a journey in which they are involved. The observations must be submitted to the Commission by tonight for them to be considered or for proposals to be made. Father Radcliffe added, "This is the first time that non-bishops have the right to vote."

 In response to a question about the importance of healing the wounds of humanity, Father Radcliffe said it is necessary to "try to reach out to wounded people and take care of them." He mentioned the experience of Luca Casarini, a Synod participant who is involved in saving migrants at sea. "Taking care of one another allows us to heal the wounds of others, and listening to the voices of wounded people is very important because it enables us to help them in their healing," he concluded.

 Regarding a possible direct connection between the Synod's reflection and the morning's statement concerning Father Rupnik - with the Pope's decision to waive the statute of limitations to allow a canonical procedure to take place – Dr. Ruffini said, "I don't think there is a connection with what the Synod has repeatedly emphasized and what the Church has been doing for years to address the issue of abuse and to undertake a journey of penance, which did not begin today, and work on the new rules that have been approved."

 The Synod, however, does not deal with individual cases, Dr. Ruffini added, emphasizing the important role of Pope Francis in the fight against abuse.

 

Vatican News

SYNOD: SILENCE AND PAUSE

 Silence throughout the synod is probably wise, 

but decisions will need to be explained adequately

 

-by Joseph Kelly*

 

For months now it’s been hailed as the most important meeting of minds in the recent history of the Catholic Church, and an event could well produce seismic changes in Catholic doctrine. On the other hand critics have complained that it’s a gathering of extreme exclusivity, internecine agendas and intellectual pomposity when it’s premise is to remove exactly those negative traits from the Catholic establishment.

 The Synod on Synodality has been such a long time in the making, and comes at a time when the Catholic Church has an urgent need to clarify and develop its theology not only for the benefit of the laity, but to reflect unprecedented social changes and global upheavals. For those of us old enough to remember it, this synod has much in common with the Second Vatican Council, which was convened under not entirely dissimilar circumstances.

 “I want to open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in,” said Pope John XXIII at the time.

 The trouble that gave rise to Vatican II, and the trouble that Vatican II caused, was primarily due to the sexual revolution of the late 50s and early 1960s. After generations of social invisibility the younger population in particular had grown tired of the moral strictures of their parents’ generations, and so much that society had assumed to be inviolable was suddenly being challenged, or rejected completely. In the face of this moral stampede the Catholic Church had become like a besieged fortress defending itself against the imagined barbarians howling at its gates.

 One might easily be forgiven for thinking we’ve arrived at a somewhat similar juncture today – what with the furore over gender politics, free speech, abortion, euthanasia, global conflict, the climate emergency and the polarisation of the immigration debate. And that’s before we factor in our deepening internal and theological divisions.

 Little surprise then that many have marked up the Synod on Synodality as Vatican Three Lite.

 It’s a nice thought – but just as Vatican II promised far more than it delivered, this synod may well go the same way, despite Pope Francis’ determination that he wants radical new ground to be broken.

 As far back as 2016 Francis was revealing to his closest circle that it’s “not excluded that I will go down in history as the one who has split the Catholic Church” (at least according to the German magazine Der Spiegal – which didn’t give a citation!).

  For some, this unique and often unpredictable pontificate has the seeds of fantastic expectation and radical reordering within it, for others that same narrative is deeply troubling, heretical even. Where you stand depends largely on whether you think the Catholic Church should lead the world, or provide an antidote to it.

 Change in any organisation is never easy, and it’s especially difficult in an organisation where its central doctrinal premise is the eternal immutability of certain supposedly self-evident truths.

 Pope Francis is in no doubt where he stands; he has a vigorous antagonism towards the structure and outlook of the contemporary Church, which he feels is suffering from a particularly negative and paralysing fortress mentality. More than a decade ago – in an interview after World Youth Day in Argentina – Francis made his position clear: “I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!”

 By November of that same year Francis had expanded these thoughts in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium – On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World.

 “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security,” he wrote. “I do not want a church concerned with being at the center and then ends up by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.” (EG,49)

 We can only hope that a decade later the Synod will deliver the Catholic laity something that is both meaningful, and relevant to the kind of lives that ordinary Catholics in the street are having to live through at present. Few are present at this great gathering, and the Catholic concerns of the masses have been conveyed to the debating tables by a lengthy process of consultation and upward distillation that in any organisation is rarely a healthy formula for democratic consent or unanimity.

 Such a mechanism also tends to create an equally unhealthy return of pronouncements, and even in the first few hours of this synod we’ve had several prime examples of this.

 To take just one instance: earlier this summer a group of five cardinals wrote a letter to Pope Francis asking him to answer five ‘dubia’, or doubts, that they had relating to the synod.

 Cardinals Walter Brandmüller (Germany), Robert Sarah (Guinea), Joseph Zen (Hong Kong), Juan Sandoval Íñiguez (Mexico) and Raymond Burke (USA) delivered their letter of concern to Francis on 10th July – but its contents, and the pope’s reply, was only made public this week.

 Clearly the five cardinals felt that Francis hadn’t answered their questions sufficiently, or rather had sidestepped them theologically. Such was their consternation at the pope’s replies that they redrafted the five questions in a manner that all but required a yes or no answer. So far there’s no indication that Pope Francis has replied and frankly it’s unlikely that he ever will, as Francis is not a man to reduce the complexities of the Christian life to a simple – or rather entrapping – ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

 The dubia that inevitably grabbed the media attention was the cardinals’ question about the validity of marriage and “other types of unions of a sexual nature”, and that the blessing of same-sex couples could give rise to a fundamental confusion amongst the laity about their validity, given that the Church otherwise regards such unions as  irrevocably sinful.

 Francis’ answer was well-crafted; and clearly too well-crafted for the five cardinals. His response also led many media outlets around the world to announce that Pope Francis was open to blessing gay couples. “Pope Francis suggests gay couples could be blessed in Vatican reversal,” shouted The Guardian on Tuesday in a conclusion that rang out similarly from media channels across the globe.

 Like so many such Catholic pronouncements across my 40+ years in Catholic journalism, everyone is of course right, and everyone is in the same instant equally wrong. Things said between theologians can have many contrary meanings – it’s in the very nature of the narrative, just as it’s in the nature of journalists to make a headline, and the nature of protagonists to mould words to support their case. Sadly, it’s invariably left to the rest of us to make sense of all the clamour, and in particular for grass roots clergy and the laity to peer through the glass darkly and try to discern how such arcane arguments might possibly relate to their lived experiences.

 Thus it comes as no surprise that yesterday, as the Synod was finally getting under way, Pope Francis asked its participants to avoid speaking to the press – and not just during the Synod but afterwards as well.

 Dr. Paolo Ruffini, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Communications, confirmed that the information flow from the meetings will be “very limited,” suggesting yesterday that journalists can report instead on “the absence of news.”

 It was an announcement that if nothing else revealed that the Vatican knows precious little about the motivations of the media – as trying to shut down controversy is the one sure fire way of putting every journalist on the case.

 Perhaps some has pointed that out to the Prefect, who backtracked somewhat at today’s session, stating rather that “Every member of the synod makes their own discernment” in terms of whether to speak with the media.

 “We are not speaking of punishment or not, but a personal discernment the Pope asked of the members, and the discernment is left to each individual person,” Ruffini said.

 Sadly, the assumption that nothing ever needs to be explained properly, and then trying to hammer down on the discussion after the horse has bolted, is an all too familiar scenario when it comes to the expounding of Catholic teaching. To make matters worse, journalists have not been allowed access to this synod and, whilst there have been no non-disclosure agreements, “canonical penalties” apparently await those who do not maintain their silence, even after the synod is finished.

 (Much the same applied to the Second Vatican Council, though inevitably some individuals did eventually let slip the odd story here or there!)

 Not surprisingly, I’m pretty much on the side of the journalists, who are only ever trying to do their job in difficult circumstances. When I look back over some of the most inflammatory or damaging reports that the media has run about Catholic affairs across the past four decades, much of the damage could have been avoided if the Church had engaged and explained when matters first materialised. Few things are so terrible that they can’t be confronted, and they’re best confronted as early as possible; prevarication and procrastination invariably lead to rumour and exaggeration.

 For the record on the Pope Francis gay blessings story, His Holiness reiterated that matrimony is a union between a man and a woman, but that “pastoral charity” might give a priest the justification to bestow a blessing on a same-sex couple, so long as this was seen as the Church expressing its love and concern for the couple, but absolutely not endorsing their sinful behaviour.

 “For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” Francis wrote.

 “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.”

 He said there were situations objectively “not morally acceptable” but the same “pastoral charity” required that people be treated as sinners who might not be fully at fault for their situations.

 But Francis also added that these circumstances were exceptions rather than the norm, “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms”.

 All of which makes perfect sense theologically, but also makes an entirely other kind of perfect sense to a non-Catholic journalist and headline writer.

 Like I said, it’s one of the great joys and frustrations of being a member of the Catholic faith that on matters of import we are often all right, and we are often all wrong.

 Given the events of the past few days, a silence throughout the synod is probably a wise decision, but sooner or later someone is going to have to tell the Catholic world exactly what we’re required to be thinking in the years ahead, and in a way that please God we’ll be able to understand and live with.

 *Joseph Kelly is a Catholic publisher and theologian.

  The Catholic Network

CAREME, ECOLE DE LA SINADOLITE' - LENT A SCHOOL OF SYNADOLITY

         Le Carême, 

école de la synodalité

En route ensemble vers Pâques

Français – English - Italiano

 Le contexte du Carême 2022 : année de la famille et préparation au synode romain

 -          Par Vincent Dollmann, Archevêque de Cambrai, Assistent Ecclésiastique UMEC-WUCT

 Comme chaque année, le Carême nous offre un temps de ressourcement de notre foi en communion avec les chrétiens du monde entier. Nous y sommes encouragés par les catéchumènes qui se présenteront à l’appel décisif le 1^er dimanche de Carême et s’engageront à se préparer d’une manière plus intense aux sacrements de l’initiation chrétienne à Pâques.

Le Carême 2022 est situé dans l’année de la famille qui se clôturera le 26 juin prochain par la 10^ème Rencontre mondiale des familles à Rome en lien avec tous les diocèses du monde.

Le Carême a également comme cadre la préparation diocésaine du prochain synode des évêques en 2023 à Rome, qui a pour thème : Pour une Église synodale: communion, participation et mission. 

Ces initiatives au niveau de l’Eglise universelle viennent éveiller notre conscience de la dignité et de la responsabilité reçues à notre baptême. L’évangéliste saint Luc qui nous accompagne en cette année liturgique, définit le disciple de Jésus comme son serviteur. A l’image de la Vierge Marie, il se tient à l’écoute de sa Parole (cf. Lc 1,38) et porte le souci de la justice en plaçant les pauvres au centre de ses préoccupations (cf. Lc 1,46-55). Le Carême comme chemin vers Pâques nous rappelle la finalité du service : la communion de joie en Dieu, et nous en indique l’itinéraire le plus sûr : la vie fraternelle en Eglise.

 1.La vie en Jésus mort et ressuscité, finalité de notre vie de service

En début de Carême lors de l’appel décisif, l’évêque s’adresse aux catéchumènes en disant : « L’Eglise va célébrer la Résurrection du Christ dans la joie de Pâques. Voulez-vous y participer pleinement par le baptême, la confirmation et l’eucharistie ? ». Ce qui doit ainsi motiver les efforts de jeûne, de prière et de partage, c’est le désir de mieux vivre du Christ, de sa victoire sur toute forme de mal. Le Carême n’est pas une période triste, mais celle de l’entraînement pour mieux vivre de la joie de Pâques. Il nous y introduit par le travail nécessaire de purification et de renoncement et nous fait ainsi découvrir que notre existence de baptisés est pénétrée de l’amour de Dieu et ainsi définitivement orientée vers le Ciel.

Le Carême nous est offert pour retrouver un contact plus régulier avec la Parole de Dieu ; c’est également l’occasion de renouer avec la tradition du chemin de croix.

Le cheminement catéchuménal prévoit durant le Carême un certain nombre de prières. L’appel décisif et le rite des scrutins les 3^ème, 4^ème et 5^ème dimanche sont intégrées aux célébrations communautaires, mais il y a encore les rites des traditions, de la reddition du Symbole de la foi et de l’Effétah qui peuvent être célébrés dans les groupes de préparation au baptême. Et tous ceux qui le désirent peuvent prier avec les textes de ces rites (cf. Rituel de l’initiation chrétienne des adultes). Ils leur permettront de préparer la rénovation des promesses du baptême de la Vigile en partageant plus profondément la joie des nouveaux baptisés.

 2. La vie en Eglise, soutien de nos missions

Le prochain synode qui a pour thème l’Eglise synodale invite à approfondir la communion qui caractérise l’identité de l’Eglise, la participation qui souligne la responsabilité de chaque baptisé, et la mission qui en indique la finalité c’est-à-dire servir l’évangile du Christ.

Le Carême est une bonne occasion d’approfondir notre attachement à l’Eglise, nous pouvons le faire en renforçant notre assiduité aux célébrations de l’eucharistie et du pardon. Les sacrements qui donnent accès au Christ et à son œuvre de salut, nous gardent dans la joie d’être membres de l’Eglise, son Corps vivant. Je vous invite particulièrement à aller à la rencontre des prêtres pour recevoir le sacrement du pardon. Institué par le Christ le jour de sa résurrection (cf Jn 20,23), il nous offre le pardon de Dieu qui désigne le don par-delà nos limites et nos péchés. Et ce don c’est le renouvellement de la grâce baptismale, de la vie de ressuscité.

Pour affermir notre lien à l’Eglise, nous sommes encore invités à participer aux rencontres de préparation au synode dans nos diocèses.

Le Carême nous permet de dégager du temps pour mieux connaître la vie et la mission de l’Eglise. Des textes officiels comme le Document préparatoire au synode de 2023 ou l’article « je crois à la sainte Eglise catholique » du Catéchisme de l’Eglise Catholique peuvent nourrir notre réflexion (cf site du Vatican : https://www.vatican.va).

 3. Le témoignage de la joie de l’Evangile, cœur de notre vie chrétienne

Par le baptême, nous sommes devenus des disciples missionnaires du Christ. Le Carême est l’occasion de laisser retentir en nous l’appel à la conversion de l’apôtre Paul, « Malheur à moi si je n’annonçais pas l’Evangile » (1Co 9, 16).

En novembre dernier, j’avais publié le Message de fin de visite pastorale aux acteurs de la solidarité et de la charité du diocèse de Cambrai. J’y propose un fil conducteur pour nos engagements et nos projets pastoraux : « Rien sans les jeunes, rien sans les personnes en précarité ». Ces deux groupes de personnes sont peu présents à nos activités paroissiales et diocésaines, les étudiants et jeunes professionnels souvent en raison d’un manque de temps et de disponibilité, les personnes précaires en raison de la distance sociale et culturelle. Pourtant, l’Eglise s’appauvrirait si elle ne cherchait pas à maintenir le lien avec le zèle et la créativité des jeunes et avec l’humilité et la spontanéité des pauvres.

Les temps du Carême et de Pâques sont marqués par une vie pastorale intense. Là où il n’est pas possible d’intégrer des personnes jeunes ou pauvres, puissions-nous au-moins avoir le réflexe de recourir à leurs avis dans l’élaboration et l’évaluation des activités.

Le geste de partage en faveur d’organismes de charité est lié au temps du Carême qui appelle à la cohérence entre la parole et les actes, la foi et la charité.

Le Carême est une occasion pour aiguiser notre souci de la justice sociale dans nos lieux d’étude, de travail et de loisirs. Nous pourrions également nous interroger sur un engagement au niveau personnel ou collectif dans le domaine de la solidarité et de la charité comme nous y convie le Pape François dans son Message de Carême, Ne nous lassons pas de faire le bien (Ga 6,9).

Ce temps correspond encore en France à la campagne électorale pour la présidence de la République. La Conférence des évêques de France vient de publier un document L’espérance ne déçoit pas, indiquant des repères et des pistes de réflexion. Il rappelle notre devoir d’électeur « qui demeure même dans des institutions toujours imparfaites et toujours perfectibles » (n.5) et nous invite à entrer dans le débat. Ne craignons pas de débattre entre nous et avec nos élus pour aider notre pays à maintenir les repères du respect de la vie et de la justice sociale, à soutenir les familles et à assurer un travail digne à tous.

 Convertissons-nous et croyons à l’Evangile ! 

Le temps du Carême s’ouvre par la prière communautaire avec le rite de l’imposition des cendres. Deux versets bibliques sont proposés pour accompagner le geste : « Souviens-toi que tu es poussière et que tu retourneras en poussière » ou « Convertissez-vous et croyez à l’Evangile ».

Si le premier verset tiré du Livre de la Genèse, rappelle notre condition mortelle et notre dépendance par rapport à Dieu, le deuxième reprend l’appel même du Christ à la conversion. Demandons à Dieu la grâce de reconnaitre notre condition de créature pécheresse et la grâce d’accueillir le salut en Jésus son Fils qui nous introduit dans une relation filiale avec Lui et fraternelle avec tout homme.

 

Lent, a school of synodality

On the way to Easter together

 The context of Lent 2022: Year of the Family and preparation for the Roman Synod

By Vincent Dollmann, Archbishop of Cambrai, Ecclesial Assistant UMEC-WUCT

 

The way it happens every year, Lent offers us a time to renew our faith in communion with Christians from all over the world. We are encouraged by the catechumens who will make the decisive call on the first Sunday of Lent and commit themselves to a more intense preparation for the sacraments of Christian initiation at Easter.

Lent 2022 unfolds in the Year of the Family, which ends on 26th June with the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome, in conjunction with all the dioceses of the world.

Lent also has as its framework the diocesan preparation of the next Synod of Bishops in 2023 in Rome; its theme being For a synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission.

These initiatives at the level of the universal Church raise awareness of our dignity and responsibility received during baptism. The evangelist Luke, who accompanies us in this liturgical year, defines the disciple of Jesus as his servant. Like the Virgin Mary, he listens to his Word (Lk 1:38) and is concerned with justice, placing the poor at the centre of his concerns (Lk 1:46-55). Lent, as a journey towards Easter, reminds us of the purpose of service: the communion of joy in God and shows us the surest way to it: fraternal life in the Church.

 

1 Life in the dead and risen Jesus, the goal of our life of service

At the beginning of Lent, during the decisive call, the bishop addresses the catechumens, saying: "The Church is going to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in the joy of Easter. Do you want to participate fully in it through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist? What should motivate the efforts of fasting, prayer and sharing is the desire to live better for Christ, for his victory over all forms of evil. Lent is not a sad time, but a time of training to live better in the joy of Easter. It introduces us to the joy of Easter through the necessary work of purification and renunciation, and thus helps us to discover that our existence, as baptised, is imbued with the love of God and thus definitively oriented towards Heaven.

Lent is offered to us as an opportunity to rediscover a more regular contact with the Word of God; it is also an opportunity to renew the tradition of the Way of the Cross.

The catechumenal journey includes a number of prayers during Lent. The decisive call and the rite of scrutiny on the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays are integrated into the community celebrations, but there are also the rites of the traditions, the recitation of the Creed and the Effata, which can be celebrated in the baptism preparation groups. And all those who wish to do so can pray with the texts of these rites (cf. Ritual of Christian Initiation of Adults). They will enable them to prepare for the renewal of the baptismal promises of the Vigil by sharing more deeply in the joy of the newly baptised.

2. Life in the Church, supporting our missions

The forthcoming Synod, whose theme is the Synodal Church, invites us to deepen the communion that characterises the identity of the Church, the participation that underlines the responsibility of each baptised person, and the mission that indicates its purpose, that is, to serve the Gospel of Christ.

Lent is a good opportunity to deepen our attachment to the Church, and we can do this by increasing our attendance at the celebrations of the Eucharist and of Forgiveness. These sacraments, which give access to Christ and his work of salvation, keep us in the joy of being members of the Church, his living Body. I invite you to go and meet the priests to receive the Sacrament of Forgiveness. Instituted by Christ on the day of his resurrection (Jn 20:23), it offers us God's forgiveness, which means the gift beyond our limits and our sins. And this gift is the renewal of baptismal grace, of the life of the resurrected.

To strengthen our connection to the Church, we are still invited to participate in the preparatory meetings for the synod in our dioceses.

Lent gives us time to learn more about the life and mission of the Church. Official texts such as the Preparatory Document for the Synod of 2023 or the article "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church" of the Catechism of the Catholic Church can nourish our reflection (see Vatican website: https://www.vatican.va).

3. Witnessing to the joy of the Gospel, the heart of our Christian life

Through baptism we have become missionary disciples of Christ. Lent is an opportunity to let the apostle Paul's call to conversion resound within us, "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16).

Last November, I published the Message at the end of my pastoral visit to the actors of solidarity and charity in the diocese of Cambrai. In it, I proposed a guideline for our commitments and pastoral projects: "Nothing without young people, nothing without people in precarious situations". These two groups of people are not very present in our parish and diocesan activities, the students and young professionals, often because of a lack of time and availability, the precarious people because of the social and cultural distance. Yet the Church would be impoverished if it did not seek to maintain a link with the zeal and creativity of young people and the humility and spontaneity of the poor.

The times of Lent and Easter are marked by an intense pastoral life. Where it is not possible to integrate young or poor people, may we at least have the reflex to have recourse to their opinions in the development and evaluation of activities.

 The gesture of sharing in favour of charitable organisations is linked to the Lenten season, which calls for coherence between word and deed, faith and charity.

Lent is an opportunity to sharpen our concern for social justice in our places of study, work and leisure. We could also reflect on a personal or collective commitment to solidarity and charity as Pope Francis invites us to do in his Lenten Message, Let us not grow weary of doing good (Gal 6:9).

In France, this is still the time of the election campaign for the presidency of the Republic. The French Bishops' Conference has just published a document entitled L'espérance ne déçoit pas (Hope Does Not Disappoint), which provides guidelines and food for thought. It reminds us of our duty as voters "which remains even in institutions that are always imperfect and always perfectible" (n.5) and invites us to enter the debate. Let us not be afraid to debate among ourselves and with our elected representatives to help our country maintain the benchmarks of respect for life and social justice, to support families and to ensure dignified work for all.

Let us convert and believe in the Gospel! 

The season of Lent opens with community prayer and the rite of the imposition of ashes. Two biblical verses are proposed to accompany the gesture: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" or "Convert and believe in the Gospel".

If the first verse, taken from the Book of Genesis, recalls our mortal condition and our dependence on God, the second takes up Christ's own call to conversion. Let us ask God for the grace to recognise our condition as sinful creatures and the grace to accept salvation in Jesus his Son, who introduces us into a filial relationship with Him and brotherhood with all men.

 

Quaresima, una scuola di sinodalità

In cammino verso la Pasqua, insieme

 Il contesto della Quaresima 2022: 

Anno della Famiglia e preparazione al Sinodo Romano

 - di Vincent Dollmann, arcivescovo di Cambrai, assistente ecclesiastico UMEC-WUCT

 Come ogni anno, la Quaresima ci offre un tempo di rinnovamento della nostra fede, in comunione con i cristiani di tutto il mondo. Siamo incoraggiati dai catecumeni che la prima domenica di Quaresima si impegneranno in una preparazione più intensa ai sacramenti dell'iniziazione cristiana  che riceveranno a Pasqua.

La Quaresima 2022 si colloca nell'Anno della Famiglia, che si concluderà il 26 giugno con il 10° Incontro Mondiale delle Famiglie a Roma, in unione con tutte le diocesi del mondo.

La Quaresima ha anche come cornice la preparazione diocesana del prossimo Sinodo dei Vescovi del 2023 a Roma, che ha come tema: Per una Chiesa sinodale: comunione, partecipazione e missione.

Queste iniziative, a livello della Chiesa universale, risvegliano la nostra consapevolezza della dignità e della responsabilità ricevuta con il nostro battesimo. L'evangelista Luca, che ci accompagna in questo anno liturgico, definisce il discepolo di Gesù come il suo servo. Come la Vergine Maria, ascolta la sua Parola (cfr. Lc 1,38) e si preoccupa della giustizia, mettendo i poveri al centro delle sue preoccupazioni (cfr. Lc 1,46-55). La Quaresima come cammino verso la Pasqua ci ricorda lo scopo del servizio: la comunione della gioia in Dio, e ci indica la via più sicura per raggiungerla: la vita fraterna nella Chiesa.

 1- La vita in Gesù morto e risorto, la meta della nostra vita di servizio

All'inizio della Quaresima, il vescovo si rivolge ai catecumeni dicendo: "La Chiesa sta per celebrare la Resurrezione di Cristo nella gioia della Pasqua. Vuoi parteciparvi pienamente attraverso il battesimo, la cresima e l'eucaristia? Ciò che dovrebbe motivare gli sforzi di digiuno, preghiera e condivisione è il desiderio di vivere meglio per Cristo, per la sua vittoria su ogni forma di male. La Quaresima non è un tempo triste, ma un tempo di allenamento per vivere meglio nella gioia della Pasqua. Essa ci introduce alla gioia della Pasqua attraverso la necessaria opera di purificazione e di rinuncia, e ci aiuta così a scoprire che la nostra esistenza di battezzati è intrisa dell'amore di Dio e quindi definitivamente orientata verso il cielo.

La Quaresima ci viene offerta come un'opportunità per riscoprire un contatto più regolare con la Parola di Dio; è anche un'occasione per rinnovare la tradizione della Via Crucis.

Il cammino catecumenale comprende una serie di preghiere durante la Quaresima. Tutti coloro che lo desiderano possono pregare con i testi di questi riti (cfr. Rituale dell'iniziazione cristiana degli adulti). Questi permetteranno loro di prepararsi al rinnovo delle promesse battesimali della Veglia condividendo più profondamente la gioia dei nuovi battezzati.

 2 -  La vita nella Chiesa, sostenendo le nostre missioni

Il prossimo Sinodo, il cui tema è la Chiesa sinodale, ci invita ad approfondire la comunione che caratterizza l'identità della Chiesa, la partecipazione che sottolinea la responsabilità di ogni battezzato, e la missione che indica il suo scopo, cioè servire il Vangelo di Cristo.

Perciò, la Quaresima è una buona occasione per approfondire il nostro attaccamento alla Chiesa, e possiamo farlo rafforzando la nostra partecipazione alle celebrazioni dell'Eucaristia e del perdono. I sacramenti, che danno accesso a Cristo e alla sua opera di salvezza, ci mantengono nella gioia di essere membri della Chiesa, il suo corpo vivo. Vi invito in particolare ad andare ad incontrare i sacerdoti per ricevere il sacramento del perdono. Esso, istituito da Cristo il giorno della sua risurrezione (cfr. Gv 20,23), ci offre il perdono di Dio, cioè il dono oltre i nostri limiti e i nostri peccati. Questo dono è il rinnovo della grazia battesimale, della vita dei risorti.

Per rafforzare il nostro legame con la Chiesa, siamo ancora invitati a partecipare alle riunioni preparatorie del sinodo nelle nostre diocesi.

La Quaresima ci dà il tempo di imparare di più sulla vita e sulla missione della Chiesa. Testi ufficiali come il Documento Preparatorio per il Sinodo del 2023 o l'articolo "Credo nella Santa Chiesa Cattolica" del Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica possono alimentare la nostra riflessione (vedi sito web del Vaticano: https://www.vatican.va).

 3. Testimoniare la gioia del Vangelo, il cuore della nostra vita cristiana

Attraverso il battesimo siamo diventati discepoli missionari di Cristo. La Quaresima è un'occasione per far risuonare in noi l'appello dell'apostolo Paolo alla conversione: "Guai a me se non predicassi il Vangelo" (1 Cor 9,16).

Lo scorso novembre, ho pubblicato il Messaggio al termine della mia visita pastorale agli attori della solidarietà e della carità nella diocesi di Cambrai. In esso, ho proposto una linea guida per i nostri impegni e progetti pastorali: "Niente senza i giovani, niente senza le persone in situazioni precarie". Questi due gruppi di persone non sono molto presenti nelle nostre attività parrocchiali e diocesane, gli studenti e i giovani professionisti spesso per mancanza di tempo e disponibilità, i precari per la distanza sociale e culturale. Eppure, la Chiesa sarebbe impoverita se non cercasse di mantenere un legame con lo zelo e la creatività dei giovani e l'umiltà e la spontaneità dei poveri.

I tempi di Quaresima e Pasqua sono segnati da un'intensa vita pastorale. Dove non è possibile integrare i giovani o i poveri, si abbia almeno l’impegno a ricorrere alle loro opinioni nello sviluppo e nella valutazione delle attività.

Il gesto di condivisione a favore delle organizzazioni caritatevoli è legato al periodo quaresimale, che invita alla coerenza tra parola e azione, fede e carità.

La Quaresima è un'opportunità per affinare la nostra preoccupazione per la giustizia sociale nei nostri luoghi di studio, di lavoro e di svago. Potremmo anche riflettere su un impegno personale o collettivo alla solidarietà e alla carità, come ci invita a fare Papa Francesco nel suo messaggio quaresimale, Non stanchiamoci di fare il bene (Gal 6,9).

In Francia, questo è ancora il tempo della campagna elettorale per la presidenza della Repubblica. La Conferenza Episcopale Francese ha appena pubblicato un documento intitolato L'espérance ne déçoit pas (La speranza non delude), che fornisce linee guida e spunti di riflessione. Ci ricorda il nostro dovere di elettori "che rimane anche in istituzioni sempre imperfette e sempre perfettibili" (n.5) e ci invita ad entrare nel dibattito. Non abbiamo paura di discutere tra di noi e con i nostri rappresentanti eletti per aiutare il nostro paese a mantenere i punti di riferimento del rispetto della vita e della giustizia sociale, a sostenere le famiglie e a garantire un lavoro dignitoso per tutti.

4 - Convertiamoci e crediamo nel Vangelo! 

La stagione della Quaresima si apre con la preghiera comunitaria e il rito dell'imposizione delle ceneri. Due versetti biblici sono proposti per accompagnare il gesto: "Ricordati che sei polvere e in polvere ritornerai" o "Convertiti e credi nel Vangelo".

Se il primo versetto, tratto dal libro della Genesi, ricorda la nostra condizione mortale e la nostra dipendenza da Dio, il secondo riprende la chiamata di Cristo stesso alla conversione. Chiediamo a Dio la grazia di riconoscere la nostra condizione di creature peccatrici e la grazia di accettare la salvezza in Gesù suo Figlio, che ci introduce in una relazione filiale con Lui e di fratellanza con tutti gli uomini.