What is synodality?Pilar RíoThe laity, men and women "of the world at the heart of the Church" : The laity, men and women "of the world at the heart of the Church"."A great success," is how Linda Ghisoni, undersecretary for the lay faithful of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, summarizes the meeting The annual meeting with the moderators of the associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities was held at the Vatican on June 13.
This year's meeting, attended by 200 people from all over the world, had as its theme the challenge of synodality and mission, in full harmony with the synod that the universal Church is living in a climate of fraternal dialogue and mutual listening. Linda Ghisoni talks to Omnes about the issues discussed during the day.
High participation
"We are satisfied with the success of this event not only because of the high participation, but also because we have been able to respond to numerous requests from many quarters to hold more such meetings," says Ghisoni, who believes that this need stems from the fact that each reality has a different mission, but "also has many points in common with the others. And therefore, sharing the common challenges faced by these realities can be useful for them to walk together and support each other".
Synodal experiences
The work of the meeting served to highlight some synodal experiences, already in use by associations, movements and new communities, which can be shared with the entire universal Church. And not only. Emphasis was also placed on sharing the life of faith in small realities, on the co-responsibility of the laity and ordained ministers in assuming governmental functions, on the involvement of married couples and young people in evangelization, charitable and social action.
"The introductory report of our Prefect, Cardinal Kevin Farrel, also dwelt on the dynamics we must follow to truly be a synodal Church," the undersecretary of the Dicastery added.
Sharing best practices
In the afternoon of the working day of this international meeting, the free interventions of the moderators took place: a very dynamic phase in which, Ghisoni reveals, "they shared the synodal practices that these aggregations of the faithful, composed mostly of lay people, live within themselves and in their activities. That is to say, all those aspects of their life ranging from moments of spiritual life to the various ways of living the mission, including the management of the governance of their reality. In short, practices of synodality that should be more and more shared".
Relationship between synodality and mission
The relationship that unites synodality, mission and associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities is inherent to the DNA of the Church itself. "In fact," explains the undersecretary of the Dicastery, "the Church is in itself the journey together of the people of God, therefore it is in itself synodal and missionary. The Pope also underlines this when he says that one must be a missionary disciple and not a disciple and then a missionary. The challenge is precisely to understand that the movements are called to be Church and must be called to be realities where the missionary nature is lived ad intra and ad extra with a synodal perspective".
