Many Catholics are interested in what will be happening with the Synod on Synodality as we go forward this year and into the next meeting in Rome in October 2024.  We will keep you informed with current articles and gatherings that may be of interest to you.  This is a big process and we’ll need to work together to bring synodality to life in our church.

Articles

(Click on the title of the article):

• To Underestand Rome’s Synod of Bishops, Look to Australia (National Catholic Reporter), December 7, 2023.

• Pope Asks Theologians to Help De-Masculinize the Church (National Catholic Reporter), November 30, 2023.

• The Synod and Young People (Commonweal), November 27, 2023.

• Processing the Synod (Commonweal), November 21, 2023.

• U.S. Bishops Fumble Ball on Global Warming and Synodality (Religion News Service), November 16, 2023.

• Historic synod ignores modern history | Faith Matters (The Jersey Journal), November 12, 2023.

• Cardinal McElroy: Women and men religious can lead synodal shift (Global Sisters Report), November 10, 2023

• The Vatican says priests can baptize transgender people (NPR), November 10, 2023.

• Cardinal Schönborn: Lessons from the Council of Jerusalem, the church’s first synod  (America Magazine), November 10, 2023.

• Religious share how synodality shapes their decisions, common life — and can help the wider church (Global Sisters Report), November 9, 2023

• A Good Start for the Synod… (Commonweal), November 8, 2023.

• Interview: If the synod is done right, it will strengthen bishops’ authority (America Magazine), November 8, 2023.

• 15 hidden gems in the Synod report that could lead to major church reforms (America Magazine), November 8, 2023.

• The Synodal Journey Continues (Commonweal), November 8, 2023.

• Women Played an Unprecedented Role at the Pope’s Synod.  Will it make any difference? (New Yorker), November 7, 2023.

• Theologians seek more prominent role in Synod proceedings (La Croix), November 7, 2023.

• Synodality Works (Commonweal), November 7, 2023.

• Synodality is impossible without women’s voices and vote (Global Sisters Report), November 6, 2023.

• ‘Something historic’ took place at synod, panelists say (National Catholic Reporter), November 3, 2023.

• Father James Martin: The good (and bad) spirits I experienced at the synod (America Magazine), November 3, 2023.

• Synod on synodality report is disappointing but not surprising (National Catholic Reporter), November 3, 2023.

• ‘Process is key’: Sisters respond to document from synod’s first session (National Catholic Reporter), November 2, 2023.

• Cardinal McElroy: There should never again be a synod without lay people as voting members (America Magazine), October 31, 2023.

• A Note from the Synod Fathers (Commonweal), October 31, 2023.

• ‘This is the Church we are called to dream’ – Synod analysis (The Tablet), October 30, 2023.

• Synod synthesis shows agreement, divergences (OSV), October 30, 2023.

• Father James Martin: What happened at the Synod on Synodality (America Magazine), October 30, 2023.

• The pope was just a “simple participant” at the Synod… well, almost (La Croix), October 30, 2023.

• Cardinal Cupich on the synod, women deacons, giving bishops job reviews and why ‘LGBTQ’ was left out of the final doc (America Magazine), October 29, 2023.

• Pope’s major Vatican summit ends without action on women deacons, mention of LGBTQ Catholics (National Catholic Reporter), October 28, 2023.

• LGBTQ+ issues remain a ‘red line’ for Africa’s bishops at Synod (OSV), October 28, 2023.

• Synod Diary: The synod can’t succeed without buy-in from parish priests (America Magazine), October 28, 2023.

• Synod report proposes reformed roles for laity (The Tablet), October 29,2023.

• Discordant voices inside the Synod (La Croix), October 17, 2023.

• NCR’s guide to US participants at the synod on synodality (NCR), September 29, 2023.

• LGBTQ+ Records for Participants (New Ways Ministry), September 19, 2023.

Resources and Action Guide

Here are some resources for education and action in your own parish or community.

LECTIONARY

• Mary Magdalene Petition (https://futurechurch.org/petition/)
• Hidden Sisters – Telling the Stories of the Women Missing From the Lectionary: A Project to Expand the Lectionary (Study guide: https://futurechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Women-in-the-Bible-and-the-Lectionary-by-Ruth-Fox-OSB.pdf)

WOMEN DEACONS

• Deacon Chat http://catholicwomendeacons.org/support/deaconchat
• Discerning Deacons initiative https://discerningdeacons.org/

SYNODALITY

• A Book Study of Rafael Luciani’s book, Synodality. A new way of proceeding in the Church, Paulist Press, New York 2022. 188 pages;  https://futurechurch.org/justice-in-the-church/synod-on-synodality/a-study-of-synodality/
• International Theological Commission on Synodality: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_cti_20180302_sinodalita_en.html

FutureChurch overview of final Synod Synthesis:

• Video presentation:  Synod Synthesis Review Video
• Powerpoint presentation:  Powerpoint
• Tribute to The Women of the Synod: Tribute

FutureChurch resource on The Women of the Synod:  The Whole Story

• Powerpoint presentation: Powerpoint

ADVOCACY

• Reach out to bishops/participants on Women in Ministry, Lectionary and Language Upgrades, LGBTQ+ inclusion UPCOMING RESOURCE! (The USCCB will have synodality on the agenda at their Nov meeting)

FutureChurch Gatherings

• Synodality: Where have we been?  Where are we going?  November 14 & 16, 2023. https://futurechurch.org/fall-event/