This past week, Donna M. Ottaviano-Britt, director of the secretariat for Pastoral Outreach and director of the Office of Discipleship and Leadership for the Diocese of Camden, sent to pastors and parishes a rather comprehensive report on all the work done in the past year on the synod. The report, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” is 17 pages and covers all the good work accomplished thus far to make the desire of the Holy Father a reality here in our Diocese, as we attempted to fulfill his call to gather the faithful, all the faithful, and enter this unprecedented synod in as an inclusive manner as possible.
Pope Francis went so far as to call for the “sensus fidei or fidelium,” which according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, means, “the supernatural appreciation of faith on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals … The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life.” Certainly, this synodal process was taken very seriously here in the Diocese of Camden, fulfilling the call of Pope Francis rooted in the above quote from the Catechism, which was derived from the Second Vatican Council document, “Lumen Gentium.”
Ecumenists and interreligious officers from throughout the country were sent an interesting set of questions last week to ponder and pose to our ecumenical and interreligious partners, as well as agnostics and atheists, as part of the universal call to synod. I would like to share with you some of these proposed questions for your own pondering or for outreach to your non-Catholic neighbors in your local ministerium or interreligious community.
Synod questions for Orthodox Christians, non-Catholic Christians, non- Christians, agnostics and atheists, are as follows: What experiences of “journeying together” in fraternity and collaboration with Catholics bring you joy and hope? How well do we dialogue together – listen attentively and speak up candidly – within our wider community? In your experience, does the Catholic Church witness effectively to the truth, goodness and beauty of the Christian faith? How effective are we in listening to all members of the community, regardless of their beliefs, including those who are on the peripheries? Do you find that the Catholic Church works to better the lives of all people, including ethnic communities, youth, families and persons with disabilities and their families? One different question to our Jewish friends includes: In your experience, does the Catholic Church witness effectively to the truth, goodness and beauty of the Jewish origins of Christianity?
On page 11 of our own diocesan report, Catholics in our area responded to questions surrounding their personal or parish relationships with non-Catholic Christians. I was heartened to learn that many of them shared that they do encounter fellow religionists in mutual charitable endeavors, prayer gatherings and social justice pursuits. They also desired to experience greater ties of friendship and solidarity with other Christians. Some reported that “they are routinely engaged with other Christian communities tending to multiple needs ranging from food insecurity, addiction, senior gatherings, interfaith young adults, racial justice, as well as intentional invitations into the small Christian communities the parish supports and encourages. Several mentioned the limited opportunities during COVID with hopes these will return.”
In the final question posed to participants from our Diocese, as regards ecumenical and interreligious outreach, they were asked to “identify the difficulties” in this pursuit. They shared that they would like to see greater structures in each parish that would facilitate greater outreach, such as parish ecumenical and interreligious representatives. Others “felt it would be of great benefit if there were clarity of beliefs/understanding to break down the doctrinal barriers.”
I do hope you have an opportunity to receive and read, once it’s publicly available, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” the report of the Diocese of Camden. It gives a comprehensive overview of the synodal journey that our Diocese has been undertaking, not to mention it’s a very interesting read!
Father Joseph D. Wallace is diocesan director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs and pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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