synod of bishops

On this weeks podcast we are joined by Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick to discuss the Synod on Synodality which was held in Rome during the month of October 2023 - the first phase of the meetings on the issue, the second phase is to be held in October 2024.

Bishop Brendan attended the Synod as one of the representatives of the Irish bishops and he takes us through his reflections and observations of the various events including the pre-synod retreat for the participants and then onto the sessions of the Synod themselves.  We discuss how the synod participants worked through the "conversations in the Spirit" methodology and ultimately the various topics and issues which came up in the final synthesis document. 

The final synthesis document is divided into three sections:

• The Face of the Synodal Church
• All Disciples, All Missionaries
• Weaving bonds, Building Communities 

Each subsection is divided into the areas of convergence, areas or matters for future considerations, and agreed proposals.  Every one is encourage  to take up the document and work through it. 

Resources available:

• Synod.ie website
• Final Universal Synod’s Synthesis Report
• Vatican News summary article by Salvatore Cernuzio - Synod Report: A Church that involves everyone and is close to world’s wounds
• Vatican News general reportage under hash tag #Synod2023 including the inputs at the retreat before hand and the daily briefings.
• Ecumenical Prayer Vigil at beginning of Synod
• iCatholic have a lot of video coverage during and since the Synod including interviews with the Irish Bishop delegates
• Learnings from the Synod on Synodality in Rome - Bishops Alan McGuckian and Bishop Brendan Leahy share their reflections after attending the first session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome (4th - 29th Oct 2023)

On this weeks podcast we are joined by Julianne Moran, General Secretary for the Synodal Pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland to discuss the Synod on Synodality which was held in Rome during the month of October 2023 - the first phase of the meetings on the issue, the second phase is to be held in October 2024.

Julianne takes us through the various events including the Ecumenical Vigil on 30 September, the pre-synod retreat for the participants and then onto the sessions of the Synod themselves. We look through who was attending and despite the media expectation of "secrecy",  the actual level of transparency and sharing of resources from the Vatican is actually overwhelming. We discuss how the synod work - the "conversations in the Spirit" methodology and ultimately the various topics and issues which came up in the final document. The final document is divided into three sections:

• The Face of the Synodal Church
• All Disciples, All Missionaries
• Weaving bonds, Building Communities 

Each subsection is divided into the areas of convergence, areas or matters for future considerations, and agreed proposals.  While the final document is only 40 pages, it is quite a dense mouthful so to be read slowly.

We are waiting to see what the next steps will be ahead of the 2024 session next year.

Resources available:

• Synod.ie website
• Final Universal Synod’s Synthesis Report
• Vatican News summary article by Salvatore Cernuzio - Synod Report: A Church that involves everyone and is close to world’s wounds
• Vatican News general reportage under hash tag #Synod2023 including the inputs at the retreat before hand and the daily briefings.
• Ecumenical Prayer Vigil at beginning of Synod
• iCatholic have a lot of video coverage during and since the Synod including interviews with the Irish Bishop delegates
• The Pillar - The synodal expectations game

In this episode:

• Rupnik: Pope lifts statute of limitations
• Pope’s Synod: what was the point?
• Chief Rabbi cautions Pope
• Church more welcoming than people think

In this episode:

• Synodality: will it die with Pope Francis?
• Pope calls Biden: Stop WW3
• ‘Trial of the Century’: Vatican seeking scapegoats?
• Argentina’s anti-Pope candidate: Javier Milei

On this weeks podcast we cover a lot of ground for our listeners!

Engaging with the Franciscans in the Holy Land praying for peace

• An invitation to pray for peace
• Follow news from the Holy Land via Terra Sancta News

Mission Sunday 2023
World Mission Sunday is the Holy Father’s annual appeal for spiritual and financial support so that the work of overseas mission and missionaries can continue. It always falls on the second last Sunday in October, and is one of three yearly universal Church collections. 

• Links to Missio Ireland
• Pope Francis message for Mission Sunday 2023

Regular liturgical odds and ends and reflection on the Sunday gospel
We have our usual run through the up coming liturgical odds and ends for the coming week and of course in part 3 of the podcast we reflect on this weeks gospel (Matthew 22:15-21) where Jesus reminds us to "give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God".

Synod of Bishops 2023
As regular listeners will know we have had quite a bit of coverage around the synodal process so this week we bring you an update about the Synod of Bishops which is taking place in Rome during the month of October 2023. The C&SI team have taken excerpts from the daily Synod Briefings from Vatican News to share with you some of the actual thoughts and reflections from participants in  the Synod process.

It is an opportunity for listeners to hear from people actually participating in the Synod itself rather than what is being filtered through main stream media with its eurocentric focus on so called hot button issues.

We are sharing the briefings from Oct 16th, 17th and 18th.

Full reports are available at the links below and you can also watch the briefings on the Vatican Youtube channel.

October 16th - The true meaning of synodality, the richness of diversity, the role that the baptized within the Church, missionary activity, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, the role of women in the perspective of the female diaconate, and the digital evolution; without forgetting the young people of the world’s poor countries who are completely cut off from the use of the most modern technologies: these are some of the topics that were addressed at this briefing.

October 17th - For October 17th, the ministry of bishops, the role of women, potential revisions to Canon Law, and contributions of the laity, with a woman participant saying the issue of female priesthood is a "niche issue that does not reflect the needs of women today", were the issues raised during the daily briefing.

October 18th - At the Synod briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Paolo Ruffini updates reporters, and journalists hear Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Archbishop of Manaus (located in Brazil’s Amazon); Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs of Riga, Latvia, and Secretary General of the Bishops Conference of Latvia; Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Bishop of Kalookan; and Wyatt Olivas from the United States, the youngest participant in the Synod Assembly.

As regular listeners will know we have had quite a bit of coverage around the synodal process so this week we bring you an update about the Synod of Bishops which is taking place in Rome during the month of October 2023. The C&SI team have taken excerpts from the daily Synod Briefings from Vatican News to share with you some of the actual thoughts and reflections from participants in  the Synod process.

It is an opportunity for listeners to hear from people actually participating in the Synod itself rather than what is being filtered through main stream media with its eurocentric focus on so called hot button issues.

We are sharing the briefings from Oct 16th, 17th and 18th.

Full reports are available at the links below and you can also watch the briefings on the Vatican Youtube channel.

October 16th - The true meaning of synodality, the richness of diversity, the role that the baptized within the Church, missionary activity, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, the role of women in the perspective of the female diaconate, and the digital evolution; without forgetting the young people of the world’s poor countries who are completely cut off from the use of the most modern technologies: these are some of the topics that were addressed at this briefing.

October 17th - For October 17th, the ministry of bishops, the role of women, potential revisions to Canon Law, and contributions of the laity, with a woman participant saying the issue of female priesthood is a "niche issue that does not reflect the needs of women today", were the issues raised during the daily briefing.

October 18th - At the Synod briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Paolo Ruffini updates reporters, and journalists hear Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Archbishop of Manaus (located in Brazil’s Amazon); Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs of Riga, Latvia, and Secretary General of the Bishops Conference of Latvia; Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Bishop of Kalookan; and Wyatt Olivas from the United States, the youngest participant in the Synod Assembly.

In this episode:

• Cardinals pose dubia to Pope Francis
• Pope Francis’s Synod of Secrecy
• Abuse commission blasts Pope’s Vatican
• Vatican demands $700mil. from corrupt bureaucrats
• Will Pope’s new exhortation make waves at COP28?

In this episode:

• Mongolia: why is the Pope going?
• Pope’s Synod: are we headed toward schism?
• BRICS: why is the Pope interested?
• Syro-Malabar: papal envoy like a ‘Medieval inquisitor’
• Italians abandoning the Catholic Church?

At the moment in church circles the great buzzwords are "Synodality" and "Synod". But for the vast majority of Catholics it is not something they are overly familiar with but which could have massive impact on us as a faith community.

On this weeks podcast, the C&SI team have part four of a four part series looking at what it all means, what has been happening and what is next. We speak to Julianne Moran and Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon about the global synthesis documents “Enlarge the Space of your Tent”  and the European continental meeting held at Prague about that document and the next steps in the global process.

We have our regular run through notices and saints of the week and of course our reflection on the Sunday gospel which this week is John's account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:3-45).

Synod on Synodality
In October 2021 Pope Francis formally launched the two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 synod (and now the 2024 synod) on synodality which focuses on the theme, “For a Synodal Church, Communion, Participation and Mission". Pope Francis has called for the widest and deepest consultation globally, inviting each person to “look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say.”

Each diocese in Ireland engaged in this process of listening and consultation and submissions from each diocese were returned to the Episcopal conference which in turn was forwarded as the response of the Irish Church to the Holy See. After the submission of synthesis documents from 112 episcopal conferences around the world to the Holy See, a summary document “Enlarge the Space of your Tent” was produced to distil the responses. In February 2023, a European continental review and reflection of that document was held at Prague and we speak to Julianne Moran and Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon to discuss and share the Irish contribution to the review and discernment.  

• Limerick diocese webpage on Synod 2023
• Limerick diocese synthesis 
• Irish Synodal Pathway website
• Irish national synthesis
• Synod 2021 - 2014 international website
• Enlarge the Space of your Tent

C&SI - Synod on Synodality Series

• Synod Series Part 1 - Synod on Synodality - What is all about and what is happening?
• Synod Series Part 2 - Synod on Synodality - The Diocesan Phase
• Synod Series Part 3 - Synod on Synodality - Writing and sharing the Irish National Synthesis

On the excerpt from this weeks podcast, John and Shane have an interview with Bishop Brendan Leahy from Limerick. 

Bishop Brendan talks to Shane about various issues and things including:

• Ireland's current covid-19 situation and Pope Francis reminder to Christians that taking a vaccine is an Act of Love.
• a brief discussion about the the forth coming Irish National Synodal Pathway and how we have to be open to dialogue while accepting that from a faith perspective there are also some things which aren't going to change but being open to dialogue to explore ways of sharing them. C&SI will have a full programme on the National Synodal Pathway in late September/early October when it is fully launched. 
• The Synod of Bishops to be held on Rome in 2023 on the topic of synodality but which will have a local and national component beginning in Autumn 2021.
• Brief discussion on the motu proprio "Traditionis Custodes - On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970" issued by Pope Francis on 16th July 2021, For Limerick diocese the impact is minimal as the main location for Mass and other liturgies celebrated with the Missal of Pope John XXIIII are celebrated by the Institute of Christ the King at the Sacred Heart Church on Limerick Crescent. Bishop Leahy also had a few thoughts on the encouragement of Pope Francis to bishops (in the accompany letter to the motu proprio) to "be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses".
• Linking into our programme last week Bishop Brendan also reminds people about the Season of Creation which starts on 1 September until 4th October. Resources available HERE.

On this weeks podcast John and Shane are joined by Bishop Brendan Leahy (of Limerick diocese) for a catch up chat. We have our regular notices, saints of the week and of course our reflection on the weekly Sunday Gospel.  

Bishop Brendan talks to Shane about various issues and things including:

• Ireland's current covid-19 situation and Pope Francis reminder to Christians that taking a vaccine is an Act of Love.
• a brief discussion about the the forth coming Irish National Synodal Pathway and how we have to be open to dialogue while accepting that from a faith perspective there are also some things which aren't going to change but being open to dialogue to explore ways of sharing them. C&SI will have a full programme on the National Synodal Pathway in late September/early October when it is fully launched. 
• The Synod of Bishops to be held on Rome in 2023 on the topic of synodality but which will have a local and national component beginning in Autumn 2021.
• Brief discussion on the motu proprio "Traditionis Custodes - On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970" issued by Pope Francis on 16th July 2021, For Limerick diocese the impact is minimal as the main location for Mass and other liturgies celebrated with the Missal of Pope John XXIIII are celebrated by the Institute of Christ the King at the Sacred Heart Church on Limerick Crescent. Bishop Leahy also had a few thoughts on the encouragement of Pope Francis to bishops (in the accompany letter to the motu proprio) to "be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses".
• Linking into our programme last week Bishop Brendan also reminds people about the Season of Creation which starts on 1 September until 4th October. Resources available HERE.

On this weeks programme Bishop Donal McKeown from Derry joins John and Shane to discuss the recent meeting of the Synod of Bishops held in Rome which looked at Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. Bishop Donal reflects on his experience of the Synod and the challenge to hand on the faith to young people in Ireland today. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as notices and liturgical odds and ends.

Rev. Professor Eamonn Conway is a priest of the Tuam Diocese.  He studied philosophy and sociology at the National University of Ireland and theology at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth and the University of Tuebingen.  He was awarded his doctorate in theology in 1991 and taught Systematic Theology for seven years at All Hallows College, Dublin.  He was appointed Head of Theology and Religious Studies at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick in 1999 and in 2000 he also became co-director at the Centre for Culture, Technology & Values.

Fr. Eamonn speaks to us this week about his experience of attending the recent Synod of Bishops in Rome on the theme of New Evangelisation which examined ways of trying to renew and bring back people to a more active participation in their faith.  Fr. Eamonn explained in general terms what a Synod of Bishops is and what it does and shared a fascinating account of what it meant to be an expert advisor at a Synod and some of the topics that arose there.