A prominent member of the Catholic hierarchy has said it was “staggering” to observe that there was little or no mention of the poor, the sick, the homeless, the unborn, or the Word of God, in the Synodal Synthesis which was published and sent to Rome in mid-August.
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, wrote that “the gaps in what emerged from parishes” as recorded in the document which was prepared to reflect a summary of the Synod process as it engaged with Catholics across Irish dioceses, were both ‘revealing’ and ‘disturbing’. Feedback from the parishes were summarised in the Synodal Synthesis which was sent by the Church in Ireland ahead of the Synod on Synodality in Rome in the Autumn of 2023. While the Catholic Church traditionally describes a synod as ” gathering, traditionally of bishops, that helps the Church to walk forward together in the same direction,” this Synod seeks to include the views of the faithful in parishes throughout the world.
While Bishop Cullinan commended the “hard work” of those who were “involved in the ground-work done at parish level, in the steering committee and in the writing group,” he said that, “like many others”, he considered the “synod process itself was somewhat rushed”.
“The synthesis is helpful in that it shows the serious fault-lines of the Irish Church at the moment. It catalogues the issues in the minds of many living in our parishes and those in the various interest groups,” he wrote.
“We can ask – Who is forming them? From where are they getting their ideas and what preoccupies them?”
“In the feedback from parishes and in the Synthesis itself we see a lot of emphasis on participation and communion or more accurately community. But as the Synthesis itself states – the Holy Spirit also speaks in the silence, in the gaps.”
“The gaps in what emerged from parishes as recorded in the Synthesis are quite staggering. There is little or no mention of the poor, the sick, the homeless, drug abuse, the environment (and this after a lot of work on Laudato Si ), the unborn, the housing crisis, the Word of God, the social and ecumenical outreach of the Church.“This is very revealing and very disturbing,” the Bishop said.
He said that ” the time limitation given by those tasked to oversee the Synod in Rome was insufficient”, given Covid restrictions and the block to “proper parish interactions” they caused.
“Even with the best preparation, to hold one meeting in a hotel or parish hall on these topics which are profound and need serious reflection is unlikely to be really worthwhile. Much more time for reflection, prayer and conversation was needed,” he wrote.
“The Synthesis then is a snap-shot of where those who attended the parish conversation/listening sessions were at. As Dr. Nicola Brady, chair of the Synod Steering Group, states in her excellent talk at the launch of the document in Knock: “it is not the last word”,” the Bishop said.
Bishop Cullinan said that the summary “reveals an attitude to what could be termed ‘traditional’ faith which is mildly dismissive.”
“From my own interaction with some ‘conservative’ or traditional’ believers it was clear that many did not engage with the synodal process at a parish level. It would be interesting to research why this was so. Is it because they themselves feel marginalized? Or because they felt that Church teaching cannot be changed and that there was no need for this synodal process and that little fruit would ensue? Or perhaps they felt they simply had better things to do with their time?” he said.
“These are all questions to ponder. If the Church in Ireland is worried about groups on the margins of Irish society then we will have to dialogue in a more serious way with what might be termed ‘traditional Catholics’,” he added.
“Generally speaking many the submissions from the 26 dioceses show a difference in emphases to the final synthesis. Certain issues come to the fore more prominently in some if not many of the diocesan summaries. One can see a difference in what was given more emphasis and space in the final synthesis. But this is my subjective take on it and I do accept that there will always be different subjective attitudes at play in the writing up of any summary of people’s views. I feel that the issues of adult faith development, youth, and the future of the Church came out more strongly in many diocesan submissions and perhaps not so strongly in the final document. In no way do I wish to criticize the writers of the synthesis or all those who worked long hours in the preparation of the synthesis.”
“However, most people will not know of it. Most will not read it. In a sense there is nothing new in it. But it is enormously valuable in that it catalogues what most people in responding to the questions posed failed to address.”
“I appreciated much of what went on in Athlone at the very worthwhile meeting of delegates from across the country in June of 2022. It is vital that we keep talking and listening to one another and especially listening in prayerful submission to the Holy Spirit. There was a great deal of work and effort put into the organization of the Athlone event and a genuine sharing of heart-felt opinions. But I came away from the gathering realizing that we had heard very little on mission and the missionary outreach of the Church. There was far too much introspection,” the Bishop said.
He asked: “Where was the prophetic voice of the Church calling society to take a serious look at itself? Where was the challenge to the prevailing culture of individualism and secularism? Are we just giving in to current trends and forgetting about the wisdom of past generations and the long Tradition of the Church? What solutions were suggested to encourage commitment to one’s vocation and to holiness in life? Where was the call to conversion? What is God blessing in the Irish Church at the moment? Where is faith flourishing?”
“Was there too much about ourselves and not enough about others? Where was the desire to encounter Christ in the poor, the unborn, the elderly, the refugee and the homeless? What emerged to put before our young people who are aching for hope and purpose in life? What alternatives were proposed to a life lost in drug addiction and self-gratification? What initiatives were put forward to support family life? Where was the cry for the healing of Jesus Christ upon our world? Why didn’t these issues emerge more strongly in the conversations around the country?”