The episcopal synod is over … now it begins

The 15th Wounded General Assembly of the Episcopal Synod was completed on Sunday, October 28th. For three weeks, cardinals, bishops, "listeners" and young people were gathered together. From the many reactions, interviews, blogs and vlogs, we can conclude that a lot of things happened in the corridors. Aula and the corridor complete each other. And that's often what happens with such conferences.

By Joost Jansen oPraem

Expectations were high, especially after the last few months in which many revelations about sexual abuse have occurred. It is impossible to completely eliminate this question by referring to the extraordinary meeting of February 2019 in which all the heads of episcopal conferences were summoned to Rome.
One think it goes too far, the other does not go far enough. However, we can be hopeful.
The subject was: young people, faith and discernment of the call. There is something to say about each of these three topics in the light of the past three weeks.

Young people

They are essential. They complement and develop. They develop their identity in which physicality, affectivity and future perspectives play a major role. The starting point should be: God loves every person, regardless of their specificity or nature. And this "God is young" (says Pope Francis) and feels at home with young people. All that will be "proved" will have to be … Here follows the document which concludes that any discrimination and violence based on sex should be prohibited
Is it beautiful words? The acts are also linked to it. In various places in the concluding document, we are talking about national and international working groups that are composed of young people and who are interlocutors with bishops and other church leaders. Here, men and women must be represented on an equal footing.
In the corridors, it seems that the deacon has a chance, that married men can also be ordained priests, that … Wishes? Future music? Real, unreal? In any case, these thoughts are shared between them.
The great diversity of young people from all over the world plays a role here. In recent weeks, we wondered if this synod was not too Eurocentric. The question is to answer him. We are aware of it and we have paid attention to it.

Faith

What do young people believe? That's the question. It is a "faith on the road", as among the Emmaus (Luke 24). There is the meeting with Jesus as a stranger next door, there is the meeting at the table and the revelation of his presence, there is once again on the road to share the discovery with others. It is not a coincidence that this story of the Emmaus people plays a major role in the final phase of this synod. I remember asking Bishop Van Luijn (for whom Lucas 24 was also a guiding story of youth ministry): "How long do you have to walk with young people?" His answer: "Thirty stages is a long way … "
Do young people see that church members are happy people and spread a transparent faith with enthusiasm, spirit and joy? Is faith always an attractive path? The young people asked legitimate questions in the church, to support all those who run this church, to live there.

Discernment of the Call

Who thinks that this synod was created as a result of the vocation crisis in the church? to face, is only partially right. This clearly shows that it is important to distinguish (a popular theme of the Jesuit Pope Francis) from everyone's place in society. Christ will have to be brought there. It is above all the call to "holiness" (which is also the subject of the last official letter of Pope Francis). "There is a language that all men and women of all ages, from all places and from all cultures can understand because this language is direct and radiates: it is the language of holiness", reads -on paragraph 165 of the final document.

Now it starts …

Now the effects of this synod begin. This work has already begun, including on social media. The hashtag # Synod2018 has generated a lot of reactions, not just in Europe and North America. We will have to adopt these new means of communication and evolve in this way of being present to each other. And remember that just for each other – without a smartphone – the encounter between them and with God will grow.

Joost Jansen is Norbertine of the Abbey of Bern, anterior to the Abbey, parish priest of St. Augustine (Berlicum / Middelrode, Dinther, Heeswijk and Loosbroek) and editor-in-chief of Katholiek .nl