By Vatican News
“It is not a matter of talking about synodality, but of seeking how to live it in the ordinary life of our Churches.” With these words, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, outlined the fundamental perspective for the post-synodal phase on synodality which is the central role of the local Churches. He was addressing participants at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia, until Sunday Jul 26.
“The subject of the implementation phase and of the path of the Assemblies is, first of all, the local Church,” the Cardinal said on Friday, Jul 24, emphasizing that this statement is not merely organizational in nature. Far from being simply an administrative subdivision of the universal Church, the local Church is, Cardinal Grech said, “a true manifestation of the Church in a particular place, where the Gospel is pro-claimed, the sacraments are celebrated, and the faithful are gathered into communion with Christ.”
Sharing gifts, experiences and witness
In his address to the Assembly, focusing on the theme, “The Call to Synodal Conversion and the Mission to Be Bridges and Bridge-Builders in Asia”, the Secretary General of the Synod recalled that the universal Church cannot be understood as an abstract reality separated from the concrete communities in which it lives. “If a local church fails to contribute, it deprives the universal Church of something vital,” he explained, because every particular Church brings with it “unique gifts, experiences, resources, and a distinct witness that God intends to enrich the whole body of Christ.”
Reflecting on the synodal journey launched in 2021, Cardinal Grech recalled the guiding question behind the process: How can we reach the People of God? From this starting point came a deliberate choice: “The participation of all could not merely be the content; it had first of all to be the method. Likewise, the People of God could not simply be the object; above all, they had to be the subject of the journey.” Therefore, “to listen to the Church—and this has fundamentally been our intention, since ‘a synodal Church is a Church which listens’—means, concretely, to listen to the Churches.”
Strengthening communion and supporting mission
Cardinal Grech then highlighted the importance of reciprocity among the Churches, which are called to share their experiences and gifts. The synodal process, he explained, is not primarily aimed at producing new texts, but at fostering “a circulation of gifts that strengthens communion and supports the mission.”
One of the innovations that emerged from the synodal journey was what he called the restitutio – continuous feedback: every stage of the process was returned to the local communities so that it could be received and reflected upon anew. “The movement was therefore no longer unidirectional, but bidirectional—indeed, circular,” Cardinal Grech said. This approach was necessary to ensure that the synodal process remained closely connected to the real life of the communities: “Only by listening and listening anew to the local Churches—that is, to the People of God ‘in flesh and blood’, made up of baptized men and women—could there be sufficient assurance that the work of a restricted number of ‘experts’, even if they were members of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, would not simply “steamroll” the ecclesial grassroots.”
Unique experience of Church in Asia
Addressing the Church in Asia in particular, the Cardinal emphasized the significance of its experience. Dialogue with other religions, cultural diversity, the often minority status of Christians, and closeness to the poor are all places where the Holy Spirit continues to be at work. “The fundamental question is not primarily what the Churches of Asia will receive from the Synod,” he said, but rather “what gift the Holy Spirit wishes to offer to the whole Church through them.”
The current phase—the phase of reception—will be decisive because, in many respects, it is “the more important one,” Cardinal Grech stated. He stressed that the Synod cannot be limited to documents or formal decisions but must become a lived experience within the Churches.
The role of bishops
The role of bishops is also illuminated by the synodal perspective: “Synodality is not only a matter of participation but also an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the service of authority entrusted to the diocesan bishop.” The bishop, he continued, is called to listen to the People of God and to accompany the Church’s process of discernment while safeguarding communion.
“The implementation of the Synod will bear its fullest fruit when every local Church recognizes itself simultaneously as both the recipient and the bearer of a gift,” the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops concluded, emphasizing that through this fruitful exchange among the Churches, “the Church continues to grow as communion and as mission.” – Vatican News
