For a Synodal Church

Two years after Pope Francis gave all Catholics the opportunity to make their views known on the mission of the Church in the 21st Century, the first of two international Synod meetings will take place in Rome from next Wednesday, 4 October, on the theme ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.’ The Synod of Bishops will, for the first time, include non-Bishop voting members, comprising of a number of laymen and laywomen.

The Catholic Church in England and Wales will be well represented at the Synod. Birmingham Archdiocese’s own Father Jan Nowotnik will attend as a voting member. Jan’s doctoral thesis focused, in part, on the preparation for the Synodal Church process. Archbishop of Southwark John Wilson and Bishop of Leeds Marcus Stock will represent the Catholic bishops of England and Wales. Also present will be Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Westminster, who was chosen by Pope Francis; and Professor Anna Rowlands and Austen Ivereigh, who were chosen as expert facilitators. Dominican preacher Father Timothy Radcliffe will lead a retreat for all Synod members prior to the official opening on Wednesday 4 October.

In a 20-minute conversation (Accessible HERE), Fr Jan Nowotnik and theologian Professor Anna Rowlands preview the Synod. Professor Rowlands stresses that the Synod will be concerned with the ‘who’ of the Church rather than the ‘what’ of the Church, not trying to sort out doctrinal issues, but focusing on the way in which the church’s life is focused on mission to the world. The Church is the only institution that does not essentially exist for the benefit of its own members, but for the sake of the conversion and the salvation of all. Fr Jan Nowotnik agrees, saying that the Synod is, in Pope Francis’ mind, about drawing all the members of the Church – as well as those beyond the Church – into a deeper relationship with God and a deeper relationship with each other.

On Saturday (30 September) from 4.00pm, Christians around the world are invited to join Pope Francis and other Christian leaders, seeking the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the Synod. The service will be streamed live on YouTube via THIS LINK.