Coinciding with the march of the Universal Synod -The second and final session of which will open on October 2 and conclude on Sunday, October 27, the Italian dioceses are also experiencing their own national "synodal journey," which obviously has not had the same echo as what is happening in Germany, but which responds to the current need to involve the People of God more and more in the life of the Church.
Three phases
Articulated in three phases - Narrative, Wisdom and Prophetic - the experience promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference had opened in October 2021 relaunching the proposals of "listening to and gathering the life of people, communities and territories", already put forward at the universal level by the Synod of Bishops. The following year, in 2022, a series of "priorities" were identified and validated by the General Assembly of the Bishops' Conference.
This was followed by what was called the "sapiential phase", which called on all the Italian dioceses to reflect on five macro-questions, which emerged from the listening phase of the previous biennium: the mission according to the style of proximity; language and communication; formation to faith and life; permanent synodality and co-responsibility; and, finally, the change of structures.
Emerging needs
The orientations of this phase emphasized the need to "open ways for everyone to have a place in the Church, regardless of their socio-economic status, origin, legal status, sexual orientation". In addition, that document stressed the need to "rethink the initial formation of priests, overcoming the model of separation from the community and favoring modes of common formation between laity, religious and priests."
Equal attention must be paid - the text reads - to the "real recognition of the significance and role of women within the Church, already preponderant in fact, but often immersed in that officialdom which does not allow for a true appreciation of their ministerial dignity".
Towards the Italian Synodal Assembly
In these months, therefore, the last phase of the Italian Synodal Journey begins, which will be anticipated with the presentation of the so-called "Lineamenti" that the National Committee will present to the Permanent Episcopal Council and that will serve as a guideline for the first Italian Synodal Assembly, scheduled to be held in Rome from November 15 to 17.
The draft text underlines the need to "find the instruments to make the dream of a missionary Church a reality and, therefore, more welcoming, open, agile, capable of walking with the people, humble", as communicated in recent days by the National Committee itself.
Beware of author narcissism
For his part, the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppicommenting on the work done - "beautiful and important" - encouraged to look "with courage to the future of the Church and the world to announce the presence of the Lord that makes the life of people full", understanding that we must be careful with "author narcissism, which is the enemy of synodality because it pits some against others, wants to put some above others and humiliates communion, the premise and fruit of synodality".
The themes that characterize this time the text of the "Lineamenti" are formation, co-responsibility, language, communication and culture, and serve to "focus attention on some mechanisms that are weighed down or rusty in the Church in order to unblock it," explained Archbishop Erio Castellucci, who chairs the National Committee of the Synodal Way. After all, "the question is not what should change in the world, but what should change in us so that communities can be more transparent to the Gospel".
