Micheal Seán Winters in NCRonline: Synodal process cultivates a sense of spirituality and wonder
As we read the reports about the synodal process, such as my colleague Brian Fraga’s fascinating look at the synodal reports from non-diocesan organizations in the United States, it is clear that the practicality of the American character is shining through. The reports tend to get right to the issues: a more inclusive church, increased lay involvement in decision-making, increased opportunities for women in leadership roles, etc.
That said, it is also clear that the process itself is appealing to people, and it is almost impossible to stress this too much. If participants are overly focused on achieving a particular outcome, the synodal process will fail. I was heartened to read in Fraga’s report that the synodal participants from the students and staff at my alma mater, the Catholic University of America, “had come to understand synodality as a way of being church in the world today.”
Today, I would like to consider two aspects of this synodal process “as a way of being church in the world today” that warrant our focus as we study these reports: the centrality of spirituality to the process, and its relationship to Vatican II.