Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

The 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is scheduled to take place 3–28 October 2018 and have as its theme "Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment".[1] Its stated aim is to "accompany young people on their way of life towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life project and realize it with joy, opening the encounter with God and with men, and actively participating in the building up of the Church and society".[1]

Preparation

The theme was chosen by Pope Francis after consulting the members of the Synod Council chosen by the previous Ordinary Assembly, regional and national bishops' conferences, the Union of Superiors Generals, the leaders of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and others.[2][3] The theme, according to Francis, would allow for consideration of the decline in priestly vocations along with the broader question of discerning one's vocation.[4]

In January 2017, Pope Francis released a letter that invited "Young People" to contribute to the planning of the Synod. He wrote:

A better world can be built also as a result of your efforts, your desire to change and your generosity. Do not be afraid to listen to the Spirit who proposes bold choices; do not delay when your conscience asks you to take risks in following the Master. The Church also wishes to listen to your voice, your sensitivities and your faith; even your doubts and your criticism. Make your voice heard, let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls.[5]

In June 2017, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, announced the launch of a website to present the Synod's planning document accompanied by a questionnaire in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian to gather suggestions and feedback on it. He said he hoped to organize a gathering of youth in advance of the Synod.[6] Its 53 questions, mostly multiple choice, were organized into seven sections and targeted at learning about local experiences specific to the younger generation.[7]

The planning document said that its working definition of young people meant ages 16 to 29 and that it was prioritizing communication with them: "In pastoral activity, young people are not objects but agents. Oftentimes, society sees them as nonessential or inconvenient. The Church cannot reflect such an attitude, because all young people, without exception, have the right to be guided in life's journey."[8] The Synod planning document posed another set of questions to bishops to assess how they minister to young people and included some questions targeted to specific geographic regions and asked, for example, about responding to "extreme violence" or working in a society that is "greatly secularized."[9]

In early July, he reported that the questionnaire had received more than 60,000 responses and the website had generated 173,000 "contacts." He said he hoped to reach "all young people, not only active Catholic young people."[10] In September, he hosted a seminar with about 20 teenagers and young adults to hear their ideas on the planned Synod.[11] The participants were uninhibited in providing advice about topics and struggling to understand what the Synod proposed to accomplish.[12]

Participants

Baldisseri announced in January 2017 that the Synod auditors, attendees without voting rights, would be young men and women selected to represent the entire world.[8] At total of 29 Bishops, including Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Germany, Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, Canada, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, USA and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, USA,[13] are scheduled to attend as the Pope's personal delegates.[13] Tobin later announced on September 21 that he would not attend the Synod, feeling it was more important to address matters concerning sex abuse in the Newark Archdiocese.[14] Cardinal Mar George Alancherry from syro malabar catholic church , India and Cardinal Mar Baselios Clemmis from Syro Malankara Catholic church , India and Bishop Mar Joseph Pamplani from Arch Diocese of Thalassery , from syro malabar Catholic church , Kerala ,India.

Working document

The working document (instrumentum laboris) that will guide the bishops' discussions was released in June 2018.[16] It is intended to provide an overview of situations young people between 16 and 29 are facing around the world. It was developed after hearing from young people and bishops conferences.[17] It states that "Young people feel a lack of harmony with the Church" and "It seems that we don’t understand the vocabulary, and therefore also the needs, of the young."[16]

Throwaway culture, a special concern of Pope Francis, will be discussed, as will death, corruption, war, and drug-trafficking. The document also lists friendship, fake news, and video games as topics along with migration and disabilities. Ecumenism and interreligious dialogue will also be discussed. The document discusses the challenges and opportunities the internet presents.[16] The Church can reach young people through social media, it states, but it is also critical of video games and they way they "mold in young people a debatable vision of the human being and the world, nourishing a relational style based on violence." It also highlights many of their positive features, including a desire to be involved in civic life, protection of the environment, and a desire to root out corruption and discrimination.[16]

The Synod will take up young people's sexuality, including precocious sexuality, sexual promiscuity, digital pornography, the exhibition of one's body online, and sexual tourism, as "risk disfiguring the beauty and depth of emotional and sexual life".[17][16] The concerns of gay youth "who, above all, want to remain close to the Church," will be a special concern.[16] In the responses to the surveys, many LBGT youth said they wish to "‘benefit from a greater closeness’ and experience greater care from the Church."[16][17] The document also insisted that the Church must be open and welcoming to all, including LGBT Catholics, those of other faiths, and those of no faith at all.[17] Secretary General Lorenzo Baldisseri said at the release of the instrumentum that the Church is making an effort to engage the LGBT community because "we are open. We don't want to be closed in on ourselves."[17] The working document also acknowledges that “controversial issues,” such as contraception, abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation, and marriage, are a “source of debate among youth, both inside the Church and in society.”[16][17] While some find the Church's teaching to be a "source of joy,"[17] those who differ from Church teaching's on these issues "still want to continue to be part of the Church and demand more clarity on it."[16] As a result, the synod fathers are asked to “confront, in a concrete way, controversial arguments such as homosexuality and the issues of gender, over which the young already argue with freedom and with no taboo.”[16] The Synod will also discuss the challenges the Church sometimes has in explaining the Church's teaching on sexuality to contemporary society.[16][17] Saying that "No bishops' conference offers solutions or recipes", the document says that "the question of sexuality must be discussed more openly and without prejudice."[17]

Research cited in the document shows that young people face discrimination because of their gender, social class, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, geographical position, disability, or ethnicity. Young people also "report the persistence of religious discrimination, especially against Christians."[16]

The instrumentum reports that the surveys called for a Church that is "committed to justice," willing to discuss the role of women, that has homilies that are more relevant to their lives and their discernment, and a liturgy that is “alive and close” to them.[16][17] The church must accompany young people in their lives, the document states, as education and evangelization are an “ecclesial duty and a right of each young person.”[16]

Young people reported that the Church can often seem distant, and desire a Church that is close, transparent, and up to date.[17] The Church is also being called to listen to youth, according to the document, and to discuss difficult issues.[17]

The working document states that scandals in the Church and society, as well as a perception that "many times the Church seems to be too severe and often associated to an excessive moralism," are causing young people to leave the Church.[16] The document acknowledges these "serious and respectable reasons," and that too often the young have been assigned a "passive role within the Christian community."[16] Young people report wanting a more active role in the leadership of the church.[17]

Information Committee

On October 10, Pope Francis scored a victory in the Synod's first round of voting when it was agreed that Synod members loyal to the Pope would serve in the Vatican's newly established "Information Committee."[18] This committee is responsible for deciding what Vatican-related information is released to the public and how it’s presented.[18] The committee is led by Paolo Ruffini, the Italian layman who heads the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communications, and also features Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, one of the pope’s closest advisors and allies.[18] Other members of the committee include Canadian Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, South African Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier (who took the place of Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, who was elected but declined for “personal reasons”), Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, andAustralian Cardinal Anthony Fisher.[18] The five following selections took part in this voting: Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of Mexico City, a papal delegate to the synod; Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, Prefect of the Vatican dicastery for Integral Human Development; Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai and a member of the pope’s “C9” advisory council; Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti, Italy, also a member of the synod’s organizing council; and Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne, also a papal delegate.[18] To the five who were selected, five others were added: Italian Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha of Brasilia, general relator; Brazilian Father Alexandre Awi Mello, secretary for the Vatican’s dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; and Father Eduardo Gonzalo Redondo, head of vocations ministry in Cuba.[18] Two of these five additions sit on it ex ufficio and three others are direct papal appointments.[18] Also in the first round of voting, Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea failed to qualify as an additional African delegate and papal preferences such as Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Oscare Rodriguez Maradiaga, and Cardinal Reinhard Marx did not receive approval to participate as well.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 San Martín, Inés (October 6, 2016). "Next Synod of Bishops to focus on youth and vocations". Crux. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Theme for next Synod of Bishops in October 2018 will focus on young people". Vatican Radio. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  3. ↑ O'Connell, Gerard (6 October 2016). "Next synod of bishops will focus on young people, the faith and the discernment of vocations". America. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "Next synod will discuss lack of vocations, says Pope Francis". Catholic Herald. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Pope writes to young people ahead of Synod on Vocational Discernment". Vatican Radio. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Cardinal Baldisseri: Launching a website for the youth for the upcoming synod". Rome Reports. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  7. ↑ Glatz, Carol (14 June 2017). "Vatican releases online questionnaire for youth ahead of synod". Catholic Register. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  8. 1 2 San Martín, Inés (13 January 2017). "Young people to be more than study subjects in upcoming synod". Crux. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  9. ↑ McElwee, Joshua J. (13 January 2017). "In 2018 synod questionnaire, Vatican asks world's bishops to listen to young people". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  10. ↑ Droujinina, Marina (4 July 2017). "2018 Synod: Already 60,000 Answers From Young People Worldwide". Zenit. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  11. ↑ Senèze, Nicolas (18 September 2017). "Young people make waves at Synod meeting". La Croix International. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  12. ↑ Wooden, Cindy (13 September 2017). "Don't be embarrassed to talk about sex, youths tell Vatican officials". Crux. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  13. 1 2 https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cupich-tobin-appointed-by-pope-francis-to-october-synod-on-young-people-60112
  14. ↑ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-tobin-will-not-attend-oct-vatican-synod-67649
  15. ↑ "Pope appoints presidents-delegate for Synod on young people". Vatican News. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 San Martín, Inés (June 19, 2018). "Bishops' youth summit to deal with sex, war, porn, LGBT issues and more". Crux. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Harris, Elise (June 19, 2018). "Questions on Sexuality Loom Large Ahead of Youth Synod". National Catholic Register. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2018/10/11/after-early-votes-its-clear-pope-francis-has-his-synod-of-bishops/
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