XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY　OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS　First Session　(4-29 October 2023)
Synthesis Report　A SYNODAL CHURCH IN MISSION

INTRODUCTION

　Dear Sisters, dear Brothers

　”For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13). This is the experience, full of joy and gratitude, that we have had in this First Session of the Synodal
Assembly held from 4 to 29 October 2023 on the theme “For a Synodal Church. Communion, Participation, Mission”. Despite our diversity of backgrounds, languages and cultures, through the common grace of Baptism we have been able to live these days together with one heart and spirit.

 We have sought to sing like a choir, many voices as though expressing one soul. The Holy Spirit has gifted us with an experience of the harmony that He alone can generate; it is a
gift and a witness in a world that is torn and divided.

   Our Assembly has taken place while wars both old and new have raged in the world, with dramatic consequences that are impacting upon countless victims. The cry of those who
are poor resounded among us, of those forced to migrate and of those suffering violence and the devastating consequences of climate change. We heard their cry not only through the media, but also through the voices of many present, who are personally involved in these tragic events whether through their families or their people. We have all, at all times, taken this cry into our hearts and prayers, wondering how our Churches can foster paths of reconciliation, hope,justice and peace.

  Our meeting took place in Rome, gathered around the successor of Peter, who confirmed us in our faith and encouraged us to be audacious in our mission. It was a grace to
begin these days with an ecumenical vigil, which saw the leaders and representatives of the other Churches and Christian communities praying together with the Pope at the tomb of Peter.

   Unity ferments silently within the Holy Church of God; we see it with our own eyes, and we bear witness to it full of joy. “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity” (Ps 133:1).

  At the behest of the Holy Father, the Assembly saw other members of the People of God gathered together and around the bishops. The bishops, united among themselves and with the Bishop of Rome, made manifest the Church as a communion of Churches. Lay people, those in consecrated life, deacons and priests were, together with the bishops, witnesses of a process that intends to involve the whole Church and everyone in the Church. Their presence reminded us that the Assembly is not an isolated event, but an integral part and a necessary step in the synodal process. The multiplicity of interventions and the plurality of positions voiced in the Assembly revealed a Church that is learning to embrace a synodal style and is seeking the most suitable ways to make this happen.

  It is more than two years since we began the journey that has led us to this Session. After the opening of the synodal process on 9 October 2021, all the Churches, albeit at different paces, have engaged in a listening process at diocesan, national and continental stages, the results of which were recorded in their respective documents.

  This Session opened the phase in which the entire Church received the fruits of this consultation in order to discern, in prayer and dialogue, the paths that the Spirit is asking us to follow. This phase will last until October 2024, when the Second Session of the Assembly will complete its work, offering it to the Holy Father.

  The entire journey, rooted in the Tradition of the Church, is taking place in the light of conciliar teaching. The Second Vatican Council was, in fact, like a seed sown in the field of
the world and the Church. The soil in which it germinated and grew was the daily lives of believers, the experience of the Churches of every people and culture, the many testimonies of holiness, and the reflections of theologians. The Synod 2021-2024 continues to draw on the energy of that seed and to develop its potential. The synodal path is, in fact, implementing what the Council taught about the Church as Mystery and People of God, called to holiness.

  It values the contribution all the baptised make, according to their respective vocations, in helping us to understand better and practice the Gospel. In this sense, it constitutes a true act of further reception of the Council, prolonging its inspiration and reinvigorating its prophetic force for today’s world.

  After a month of work, the Lord is now calling us to return to our Churches to hand over to all of you the fruits of our work and to continue the journey together. Here in Rome,
we were not many, but the purpose of the Synod path called by the Holy Father is to involve all the baptised. We ardently desire this to happen and want to commit ourselves to making it possible. In this Synthesis Report we have collected the main elements that emerged in the dialogue, prayer and discussion that characterised these days. Our personal stories will enrich this synthesis with the tenor of lived experience, which no document can adequately capture.

   We will thus be able to testify to the richness of our experience of listening, of silence and sharing, and of prayer. We will also share that it is not easy to listen to different ideas, without immediately giving in to the temptation to counter the views expressed; or to offer one’s contribution as a gift for others and not as something absolute or certain.

   However, the Lord’s grace has led us to achieve this, despite our limitations, and this has been for us a true experience of synodality. By having practised it, we understand it better and have grasped its value.

   We understood, in fact, that walking together as baptised persons, in the diversity of charisms, vocations, and ministries, is important not only for our communities, but also for the world. Evangelical solidarity is like a lamp, which must not be placed under a bushel, but on a lampstand so that it may shed light on the whole house (cf. Mt 5:15). The world needs this testimony today more than ever. As disciples of Jesus, we cannot shirk the responsibility of demonstrating and transmitting the love and tenderness of God to a wounded humanity.

   The work of this Session was carried out in accordance with the ‘roadmap’ laid down in the Instrumentum laboris, by means of which the Assembly was able to reflect on the
characteristic signs of a synodal Church and the dynamics of communion, mission and participation that it contains. We were able to discuss the merits of issues, identify themes in need of in-depth study, and take forward a preliminary set of proposals. In the light of the progress made, the Synthesis Report does not repeat or reiterate all the contents of the Instrumentum laboris; rather, it gives new impetus to the questions and themes we considered to be priorities. It is not a final document, but an instrument at the service of ongoing discernment.

   The Synthesis Report is structured in three parts.

   The first outlines “the face of the synodal Church”, presenting the practice and understanding of synodality and its theological
underpinning. Here it is presented first and foremost as a spiritual experience that stems from contemplation of the Trinity and unfolds by articulating unity and variety in the Church.

   The second part, entitled “All disciples, all missionaries”, deals with all those involved in the life and mission of the Church and their relationships with one another. In this part, synodality is mainly presented as a joint journey of the People of God and as a fruitful dialogue between the charisms and ministries at the service of the coming of the Kingdom.

   The third part bears the title “Weaving bonds, building community”. Here, synodality is presented mainly as a set of processes and as a network of bodies enabling exchange between the Churches and dialogue with the world.

   In each of the three parts, individual chapters bring together convergences, matters for consideration and proposals that emerged from the dialogue.

   The convergences identify specific points that orientate reflection, akin to a map that helps us find our way.

   The matters for consideration summarise points about which it is necessary to continue deepening our understanding pastorally, theologically, and canonically. This is like being at a crossroads where we need to pause so we can understand better the direction we need to take.

   The proposals indicate possible paths that can be taken. Some are suggested, others recommended, others still requested with some strength and determination.

   In the coming months, Episcopal Conferences as well as the hierarchical structures of the Eastern Catholic Churches, serving as a link between the local Churches and the General Secretariat of the Synod, will play an important role in developing our reflections. Taking their starting point from the convergences already reached, they are called to focus on the questions and proposals that are considered most urgent. They are asked to encourage a deepening of the issues both pastorally and theologically, and to indicate their canonical implications.

   We carry in our hearts the desire, sustained by hope, that the climate of mutual listening and sincere dialogue that we experienced during the days of common work in Rome will radiate in our communities and throughout the world, at the service of the growth of the good seed of the Kingdom of God.

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PART I – THE FACE OF THE SYNODAL CHURCH

1. Synodality: Experience and Understanding

Convergences

a) We welcomed the invitation to recognise the synodal dimension of the Church with a new awareness. Synodal practice is attested to in the New Testament and the Early Church,
taking particular historical forms in different Churches and traditions. The Second Vatican Council “updated” this practice, and Pope Francis has once again encouraged the Church to renew it.

   The Synod 2021-2024 is part of this renewal. Through it, the Holy People of God have discovered that a synodal way of being silent, praying, listening, and speaking, rooted in the Word of God and in joyful, if also sometimes painful encounters, leads to a deeper awareness that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. An invaluable fruit of this process is the heightened awareness of our identity as the faithful People of God, within which each is the bearer of a dignity derived from Baptism, and each is called to differentiated co-responsibility for the common mission of evangelisation.

b) This process has renewed our experience of and desire for the Church as God’s home and family, a Church that is closer to the lives of Her people, less bureaucratic and more
relational. The terms “synodal” and “synodality” have been associated with this experience and desire, offering an understanding that now requires further clarification. This is the Church that young people first declared they desired in 2018 on the occasion of the Synod of Youth.

c) The manner in which the Assembly proceeded in the Paul VI Hall, including the seating of people in small groups at round tables, was likened for some cultures to the biblical
image of the wedding banquet (Rev 19:9). This was understood as emblematic of a synodal way of being Church and an image of the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of
synodality, with the Word of God at the centre. In a Church that is living synodally, different cultures, languages, rites, ways of thinking, and realities can engage together and
fruitfully in a sincere search for the Spirit’s guidance.

d) In our midst there have been sisters and brothers coming from peoples afflicted by war, martyrdom, persecution, and famine. The plight of their people, unable often to participate in the synodal process, has nevertheless entered into the cycle of our discussions and prayers, deepening our sense of communion with them and our determination to be peacemakers.

e) The Assembly frequently spoke of hope, healing, reconciliation, and restoration of trust among the many gifts the Spirit has poured out on the Church during this synodal process.
Openness to listening and accompanying all, including those who have suffered abuse and hurt in the Church, has made visible many who have long felt invisible. The long journey towards reconciliation and justice, including addressing the structural conditions that abetted such abuse, remains before us, and requires concrete gestures of penitence.
f) We know that “synodality” is a term unfamiliar to many members of the People of God, causing some people confusion and concern. Among the fears expressed is that the
teaching of the Church will be changed, causing us to depart from the Apostolic faith of our forebears and, in so doing, will fail to respond to needs of those who hunger and thirst
for God today. However, we are confident that synodality is an expression of the dynamic and living Tradition.

g) Without being dismissive of the importance of representative democracy, Pope Francis responds to the concern expressed by some that the Synod may become a body of majority deliberation denuded of its ecclesial and spiritual character, so jeopardising the hierarchical nature of the Church. It is clear that some people are afraid that they will be
forced to change; others fear that nothing at all will change or that there will be too little courage to move at the pace of the living Tradition. Also, perplexity and opposition can
sometimes conceal a fear of losing power and the privileges that derive from it.

   In all cultural contexts, however, the terms “synodal” and “synodality” speak of a mode of being Church that integrates communion, mission, and participation. An example is the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), a fruit of the synodal missionary process in the region.

h) In its broadest sense, synodality can be understood as Christians walking in communion with Christ toward the Kingdom along with the whole of humanity. Its orientation is
towards mission, and its practice involves gathering in assembly at each level of ecclesial life. It involves reciprocal listening, dialogue, community discernment, and creation of
consensus as an expression that renders Christ present in the Holy Spirit, each taking decisions in accordance with their responsibilities.

i) Through experience and encounters, we have grown together in this awareness. In summary, from the very first days, the Assembly found itself shaped by two convictions:
the first is that the experience we have shared over these years is authentically Christian and should be embraced in all its richness and depth; the second is that the terms “synodal” and “synodality” require a more accurate clarification of their levels of meaning in different cultures. The substantial agreement emerged that, with the necessary
clarifications, synodality represents the future of the Church.

Matters for Consideration

j) Building on the reflective work already undertaken, there is a need to clarify the meaning of synodality at different levels, in pastoral, theological, and canonical terms. This helps to avert the risk that the concept sounds too vague or generic or appears as a fad or fashion.

   It enables us to offer a broad understanding of walking together with further theological deepening and clarification. Likewise, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between
synodality and communion and between synodality and collegiality.

k) A desire emerged to enhance understanding and appreciation of the differences in the practice and understanding of synodality between the tradition of the Christian East and
the Latin Tradition, including in this ongoing synodal process, by fostering encounters between them.

l) In particular, the many expressions of synodal life in cultural contexts where people are used to walking together as a community and where individualism has not taken root,
should be considered for deeper reflection. In this way, synodal practice plays an important part in the Church’s prophetic response to an individualism that causes people to turn in on themselves, a populism that divides, and a globalisation that homogenises and flattens.

   Although not solving these problems, it nonetheless provides an alternative way of being and acting for our times, integrating a diversity of perspectives. This is a hopeful
alternative that needs further exploration and illumination.

 

Proposals

m) The richness and depth of the synodal process indicates the value of expanding participation, and overcoming the obstacles to participation that have emerged so far.

n) There is a need to find ways to involve the clergy (deacons, priests, bishops) more actively in the synodal process during the course of the next year. A synodal Church cannot do
without their voices, experiences or contributions. We need to understanding better the reasons why some have felt resistant to the synodal process.

o) The synodal culture needs to become more intergenerational, with spaces for young people to speak freely for themselves, within their families, and with their peers and pastors, including through digital channels.

p) The Assembly proposes to promote theological deepening of the terminological and conceptual understanding of the notion and practice of synodality before the Second
Session of the Assembly, drawing on the rich heritage of theological research since the Second Vatican Council and in particular the documents of the International Theological
Commission on Synodality in the life and mission of the Church (2018) and Sensus fidei in the life of the Church (2014).

q) The canonical implications of synodality require similar clarification. For these, too, we propose an intercontinental special commission of theological and canonical experts,
ahead of the Second Session of the Assembly.

r) Finally, a wider revision of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches is called for at this time. A preliminary study is therefore advised.

 

2. Gathered and Sent by the Trinity

Convergences

a) According to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Church is “a people brought together by virtue of the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (LG 4). The
Father, through the mission of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, involves us in a dynamism of communion and mission that moves us from the “I” to the “we” and places us at the
service of the world.

   Synodality translates the Trinitarian dynamism with which God comes to meet humanity into spiritual attitudes and ecclesial processes. For this to happen, it is necessary for all the baptized to commit themselves to the reciprocal exercise of their vocation, charism, and ministry. Only in this way can the Church truly become a “conversation” (cf. Ecclesiam suam 67) within itself and with the world, walking side by side with every human being in the style of Jesus.

b) Since the origins, the Church’s synodal journey is oriented toward the Kingdom, which will be fully accomplished when God is all in all. The witness of ecclesial fraternity and
missionary dedication to the service of the least will never measure up to the Mystery of which they are also a sign and instrument. The Church does not reflect on its synodal
configuration in order to place itself at the centre of the proclamation, but to best fulfil, even in its constitutive incompleteness, its service to the coming of the Kingdom.

c) The renewal of the Christian community is possible only by recognizing the primacy of grace. If spiritual depth is lacking, synodality remains cosmetic. What we are called to,
however, is not only to translate into community processes a spiritual experience gained elsewhere, but more deeply to experience how reciprocal relationships are the place and
form of an authentic encounter with God. In this sense, while drawing on the rich spiritual heritage of the Tradition, the synodal perspective contributes to renewing its forms: of a prayer open to participation, a discernment lived together, and a missionary energy that arises from sharing and that radiates as service.

d) Conversation in the Spirit is a tool that, even with its limitations, enables authentic listening in order to discern what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. Its practice has elicited joy, awe and gratitude and has been experienced as a path of renewal that transforms individuals, groups, and the Church. The word “conversation” expresses more than mere
dialogue: it interweaves thought and feeling, creating a shared vital space.  hat is why we can say that conversion is at play in conversation. This is an anthropological reality found
in different peoples and cultures, who gather together in solidarity to deal with and decide matters vital to the community.

   Grace brings this human experience to fruition. Conversing “in the Spirit” means living the experience of sharing in the light of faith and seeking God’s will in an authentically evangelical atmosphere within which the Holy Spirit’s unmistakable voice can be heard.

e) Since synodality is ordered to mission, Christian communities are to enter into solidarity with those of other religions, convictions and cultures, thus avoiding, on the one hand, the risk of self-referentiality and self-preservation, and on the other hand the risk of loss of identity. The logic of dialogue, expressed in mutual learning and journeying together must come to characterize evangelical proclamation, service to those experiencing poverty, care for our common home, and theological research.

 

Matters for Consideration

f) To bring about true listening to the Father’s will, it seems necessary to deepen the criteria of ecclesial discernment from a theological perspective so that the reference to the freedom and newness of the Spirit is appropriately coordinated with the fact that Jesus Christ comes “once for all” (Heb 10:10). This implies, first of all, to specify the relationship between listening to the Word of God attested to in Scripture, the reception of Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church, and the prophetic reading of the signs of the times.

g) To this end, it is crucial to promote anthropological and spiritual visions capable of integrating and not merely juxtaposing the intellectual and emotional dimensions of faith
experience, overcoming any and all reductionism and dualism between reason and feeling.

h) It is important to clarify how conversation in the Spirit can integrate the contributions of theological thought and the humanities and social sciences, alongside other models of
ecclesial discernment that are used such as the “see, judge, act” approach or the steps of “recognize, interpret, choose.”

i) The contribution that Lectio Divina and different spiritual traditions, ancient and recent, can offer to the practice of discernment should be developed. Indeed, it is appropriate to value the plurality of forms and styles, methods and criteria that the Holy Spirit has suggested over the centuries and that are part of the Church’s spiritual heritage.

Proposals

j) It is proposed that the Churches should experiment with and adapt conversation in the Spirit, and other forms of discernment in ways they may consider appropriate drawing from diverse spiritual traditions relevant to the needs and cultures of their contexts. Appropriate forms of accompaniment can facilitate this practice, helping to grasp its logic and overcome possible resistance.

k) Each local Church is encouraged to equip itself with suitable people trained to facilitate and accompany processes of ecclesial discernment.

l) In order to illuminate ecclesial life, the practice of discernment can usefully be implemented in the pastoral sphere, in a way that is contextually appropriate. This will make it possible to recognise more readily the charisms present in the community, to entrust tasks and ministries wisely. Going beyond the mere planning of activities we will be able
to plan pastoral paths in the light of the Spirit.

3. Entering the Community of Faith: Christian Initiation

Convergences

a) Christian initiation is the journey by which the Lord, through the ministry of the Church,
introduces us to Easter faith and draws us into Trinitarian and ecclesial communion. This
journey takes a variety of forms depending on the age at which it is undertaken and
differing emphases characteristic of Eastern and Western traditions. However, listening to
the Word and conversion of life, liturgical celebration and insertion into the community
and its mission are always intertwined. Precisely for this reason, the catechumenal journey,
with the gradualness of its stages and steps, is the paradigm for every ecclesial experience
of walking together.

b) Initiation brings us into contact with a great variety of vocations and ecclesial ministries.
All of these express the maternal face of a Church, a way of being that teaches its children
to walk by walking with them. It listens to them and, as it responds to their doubts and
questions, is enriched by the newness that each person brings through his or her history,
language and culture. Through this pastoral action, the Christian community encounters
synodality for the first time, often without being fully aware of it.

c) Before any distinction of charisms and ministries, “we were all baptised by one Spirit into
one body” (1Cor. 12:13). Therefore, among all the baptised, there is a genuine equality of
dignity and a common responsibility for mission, according to the vocation of each. By
the anointing of the Spirit, who “teaches all things” (1Jn 2:27), all believers possess an
instinct for the truth of the Gospel, the sensus fidei. This consists in a certain connaturality
with divine realities and the aptitude to grasp what conforms to the truth of faith intuitively.
Synodal processes enhance this gift, allowing the existence of that consensus of the faithful
(consensus fidelium) to be confirmed. This process provides a sure criterion for
determining whether a particular doctrine or practice belongs to the Apostolic faith.

d) The grace of Pentecost abides in the Church through the Sacrament of Confirmation. It
enriches the faithful with the abundance of the gifts of the Spirit. It calls them to develop
their specific vocation, rooted in their common baptismal dignity, in the service of mission.
Its importance requires greater emphasis and it needs to be located in relation to the variety
of charisms and ministries that form the synodal face of the Church.

e) The celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sunday, is the first and fundamental form
by which the Holy People of God gather and meet. When this is not possible, the
community although desiring the Eucharist gathers to celebrate a Liturgy of the Word. In
the Eucharist, we celebrate a mystery of grace which is given to us. By calling us to
participate in his Body and Blood, the Lord forms us into one body, with one another and
with Himself. Beginning with Paul’s use of the term koinonia (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16-17), the
Christian tradition has treasured the word “communion” to indicate at the same time full
participation in the Eucharist, and, the nature of relationships among the faithful and
among the Churches. While it opens us to the contemplation of the divine life, to the
unfathomable depths of the Trinitarian mystery, this term also refers to the ‘everydayness’
of our relationships: in the simplest gestures by which we open ourselves to one another
the breath of the Spirit genuinely breathes. This is why communion, which springs from
the Eucharist and is celebrated in it, configures and directs the paths of synodality.

f) From the Eucharist we learn to articulate unity and diversity: unity of the Church and
multiplicity of Christian communities; unity of the sacramental mystery and variety of
liturgical traditions; unity of celebration and diversity of vocations, charisms and
ministries. Nothing shows more than the Eucharist that the harmony created by the Spirit
is not uniformity and that every ecclesial gift is intended for common edification.

Matters for Consideration

g) The Sacrament of Baptism cannot be understood in isolation or outside the logic of
Christian initiation, nor can it be understood in an individualistic way. Therefore, we need
to explore further the contribution that a more unified vision of Christian initiation can
make to the understanding of synodality.
h) A mature exercise of the sensus fidei requires not only reception of Baptism but a life lived
in authentic discipleship that develops the grace of Baptism. This enables us to distinguish
the action of the Spirit from merely dominant forms of thinking or cultural conditioning,
or from matters inconsistent with the Gospel. Understanding the exercise of the sensus
fidei is to be deepened with appropriate theological reflection.
i) Reflection on synodality can offer renewed insights into the understanding of
Confirmation, by which the grace of the Spirit articulates the variety of gifts and charisms
in the harmony of Pentecost. In light of different ecclesial experiences, ways to make the
preparation and celebration of this Sacrament more fruitful should be considered, to
awaken in all the faithful the call to community building, mission in the world and witness
to the faith.
j) From a pastoral theological perspective, it is important to continue research into how the
catechumenal way can offer inspiration for other pastoral paths, such as that of marriage
preparation, or accompaniment in choosing professional and social commitments, or
formation for the ordained ministry, in which the whole ecclesial community should be
involved.

Proposals

k) If the Eucharist shapes synodality, then the first step we should take is to celebrate the
Mass in a way that befits the gift, with an authentic sense of friendship in Christ. Liturgy
celebrated with authenticity is the first and fundamental school of discipleship. Its beauty
and simplicity should form us prior to any other organised formation programme.

l) A second step refers to the widely reported need to make liturgical language more
accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures. Without calling
continuity with tradition and the need for better liturgical formation into question, deeper
reflection is needed. Episcopal Conferences should be entrusted with a wider responsibility
in this regard, according to the Motu Proprio Magnum principium.

m) A third step consists in the pastoral commitment to widen community prayer beyond the
celebration of Mass. Alternative forms of liturgical prayer, as well as practices of popular
piety, in which the distinctiveness of local cultures is reflected, are elements of great
importance in fostering the involvement of all the faithful. They introduce the faithful to
the Christian mystery and bring those less familiar with the Church closer to an encounter
with the Lord. Among the forms of popular piety, Marian devotion stands out because of
its ability to sustain and nourish the faith of many.

4. People in Poverty, Protagonists of the Church’s Journey

Convergences

a) Those in poverty ask the Church for love. By love, they mean respect, acceptance and
recognition, without which providing food, money or social services represents forms of
support that are certainly important but which do not fully take account of the dignity of
the person. Each person needs to be enabled to determine their own means of growth rather
than be the object of the welfare action of others. Being afforded recognition and respect
are powerful ways of enabling this.

b) The preferential option for the poor is implicit in Christological faith: Jesus, poor and
humble, befriended people in poverty, shared a table with them, and denounced the causes
of poverty. For the Church, the preferential option for the poor and those at the margins is
a theological category before being a cultural, sociological, political or philosophical one.
For St. John Paul II, God offers His mercy first to them. This divine preference has
consequences for the lives of all Christians, who are called to nourish “the same mind …
as Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:5).

c) Poverty is not just of one kind. Among the many faces of those in poverty are those who
do not have the things they need to lead a dignified life. There are also migrants and
refugees; indigenous peoples, original and Afro-descendent peoples; those who suffer
violence and abuse, in particular women; people struggling with addiction; minorities who
are systematically denied a voice; abandoned elderly people; victims of racism,
exploitation, and trafficking, especially minors; exploited workers; the economically
excluded, and others living on the peripheries. The most vulnerable of the vulnerable, on
whose behalf constant advocacy is needed, include the unborn and their mothers. The
Assembly hears the cry of the “new poor,” produced by wars and terrorism that plague
many countries on several continents, and the Assembly condemns the corrupt political
and economic systems that cause such strife.

d) Alongside forms of material poverty, many also experience spiritual poverty, understood
as lacking a sense of life’s meaning. An excessive preoccupation with oneself can lead to
seeing others as a threat, which in turn causes us to further turn in on ourselves, expressing
a certain kind of individualism. When the spiritually and materially poor encounter one
another, they begin a journey towards finding answers to each other’s needs. This is a way
of walking together that makes the perspective of the synodal Church concrete, which will
reveal to us the fullest sense of the Gospel beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Mt
5:3).

e) Standing with those who are poor requires engaging with them in caring for our common
home: the cry of the earth and the cry of those living in poverty are the same cry. The lack
of responses to this cry makes the ecological crisis, and climate change in particular, a
threat to the survival of humanity. The Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, published by
Pope Francis to coincide with the opening of the work of the Synod Assembly, emphasises
this. The Church in countries most exposed to the consequences of climate change are
keenly aware of the urgent need to change course, and this represents their contribution to
the journey of other local churches in various parts of the planet.
f) The Church’s commitment must address the causes of poverty and exclusion. This
includes actions to protect the rights of those who are excluded, and this may require public
denunciation of injustices, whether perpetrated by societal structures or by individuals,
corporations or governments. Essential to hearing the voice of those in poverty is listening
to their demands and points of view, and utilising their own words.

g) Christians have a duty to commit themselves to active participation in building up the
common good and defending the dignity of life, drawing inspiration from the Church’s
social doctrine and working together in various ways, through engagement in civil society
organizations, trade unions, popular movements, grassroots associations, in the field of
politics, and so forth. The Church is deeply grateful for them. The community has a duty
to support those who work in these fields in a genuine spirit of charity and service. Their
action is part of the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel and bring about the coming
of the Kingdom of God.

h) The Christian community encounters the face and flesh of Christ, who, though he was rich,
became poor for our sake, that we might become rich through his poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8:9).
It is called not only to be close to them, but to learn from them. If becoming synodal means
walking together with the One who is the Way, a synodal Church needs to put those
experiencing poverty at the centre of all aspects of its life: through their sufferings, they
have direct knowledge of the suffering Christ (cf. Evangelii gaudium, no. 198). The
likeness of their lives to that of the Lord makes those who are poor heralds of a salvation
received as a gift and witnesses to the joy of the Gospel.

Matters for Consideration

i) In some parts of the world, the Church is poor, with those who are poor, and for those who
are poor. There is a constant risk, one to be carefully avoided, of viewing those living in
poverty in terms of “them” and “us,” as “objects” of the Church’s charity. Putting those
who experience poverty at the centre and learning from them is something the Church
must do more and more.
j) Prophetic denunciation of situations of injustice, on the one hand, and efforts to persuade
policy makers to act for the common good, which require recourse to diplomacy, on the
other, must be maintained in a dynamic tension so as not to lose a clear focus or
fruitfulness. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that the use of public or private
funds by Church bodies does not limit freedom to speak up for the demands of the Gospel.
k) The provision of services in the fields of education, health care and social welfare, without
discrimination or the exclusion of anyone, is a clear sign of a Church that promotes the
integration and participation of the most vulnerable in Church and society. Organizations
active in this field are encouraged to consider themselves as expressions of the Christian
community and to avoid charity becoming impersonal. They are also urged to network and
coordinate with others.
l) The Church must be honest in examining how it meets the demands of justice among those
who work in its affiliated institutions so as to ensure it acts with consistency and integrity.
m) In a synodal Church, solidarity also manifests itself in the form of an exchange of gifts and
in sharing resources between local churches from different regions. These relationships
foster the unity of the Church by creating bonds between the Christian communities
involved. There is a need to focus on the conditions necessary to ensured that priests who
come to the aid of churches needing clergy are not providing merely a functional solution
but represent a resource for the growth both of the Church that sends them and the Church
that receives them. Similarly, it is necessary to ensure that economic aid does not
degenerate into the mere provision of welfare, but also promotes authentic evangelical
solidarity and is managed transparently and reliably.

Proposals
n) The Church’s social doctrine is a too little-known resource. This needs to be addressed.
Local churches are invited not only to make its contents better known but to foster its
reception through practices that put its inspiration into action.
o) The experience of encounter, sharing a common life and serving those living in poverty
and on the margins should be an integral part of all formation paths offered by Christian
communities: it is a requirement of faith, not an optional extra. This is especially true for
candidates for ordained ministry and consecrated life.
p) As part of the rethinking of diaconal ministry, the Church should promote a stronger
orientation towards service to those who are poor.
q) Church teaching, liturgy, and practice must more explicitly and carefully integrate the
biblical and theological foundations of integral ecology.

5. A Church “out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation”

Convergences
a) Christians live in specific cultures, bringing Christ to them in Word and Sacrament,
engaging in the service of charity with humility and joy, receiving the mystery of Christ
that already awaits us in every place and time. In this way we become a Church that
welcomes people from “every tribe, tongue, people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
b) The cultural, historical, and continental contexts in which the Church is present reveal
different spiritual and material needs. This shapes the culture of the local churches, their
missionary priorities, the concerns and gifts that each of them brings to the synodal
dialogue, and the languages with which they express themselves. During the days of the
Assembly, we were able to experience directly, and mostly joyfully, the diverse
expressions of being Church.
c) Churches live in increasingly multicultural and multireligious contexts. This necessitates
finding ways to create dialogue between religions and cultures, with which Christians
should engage alongside the many groups that compose a society. Living the Church’s
mission in these contexts requires a style of presence, service and proclamation that seeks
to build bridges, cultivate mutual understanding and engage in evangelisation that
accompanies, listens and learns. In the Assembly the image of “taking off one’s shoes” to
cross the threshold towards encounter with the other resonated as a sign of humility and
respect for a sacred space, on an equal footing.
d) Migration reshapes local churches as cross-cultural communities. Migrants and refugees,
many of whom bear the wounds of uprooting, war and violence, often become a source of
renewal and enrichment for the communities that welcome them and an opportunity to
establish direct links with geographically distant churches. In the face of increasingly
hostile attitudes toward migrants, we are called to practice an open welcome, to
accompany them in the construction of a new life and to build a true intercultural
communion among peoples. Respect for the liturgical traditions and religious practices of
migrants is an integral part of an authentic welcome.
e) Missionaries have given their lives to carry the Good News to the whole world. Their
commitment is a great testimony to the power of the Gospel. However, particular attention
and sensitivity are needed in contexts where “mission” is a word laden with painful
historical memories that hinders communion today. In some places, the proclamation of
the Gospel was associated with colonization, even genocide. Evangelising in these
contexts requires acknowledging mistakes made, learning a new sensitivity to these issues,
and accompanying a generation seeking to forge Christian identities beyond colonialism.
Respect and humility are fundamental attitudes needed to recognise that we complement
each other and that encounters with different cultures can enrich the living and thinking of
the faith of Christian communities.
f) The Church teaches the need for and encourages the practice of interreligious dialogue as
part of building communion among all peoples. In a world of violence and fragmentation,
a witness is ever more urgent to the unity of humanity, its common origin and common
destiny, in a coordinated and reciprocal solidarity toward social justice, peace,
reconciliation and care for our common home. The Church is aware that the Spirit can
speak through women and men of every religion, belief and culture.

Matters for Consideration
g) We need to cultivate a greater sensitivity towards the riches of our diverse expressions of
being Church. This requires a search for a dynamic balance between the dimension of the
Church as a whole and its local rootedness, between respect for the bond of Church unity
and the risk of homogenization that stifles variety. Meanings and priorities vary among
different contexts, and this requires identifying and fostering forms of decentralization.
h) The Church too is affected by polarization and distrust in vital matters such as liturgical
life and moral, social and theological reflection. We need to recognize the causes of each
through dialogue and undertake courageous processes of revitalizing communion and
processes of reconciliation to overcome them.
i) In our local churches, we sometimes experience tensions between different ways of
understanding evangelisation: emphasis on a witness of life, commitment to human
advancement, dialogue with faiths and cultures, and explicit proclamation of the Gospel.
Equally, a tension emerges between the explicit proclamation of Jesus Christ and valuing
the characteristics of each culture in search of the Gospel traits (semina Verbi) it already
contains.
j) Possible confusion between the Gospel’s message and the culture of those engaged in
evangelisation was mentioned as one of the issues to be explored.
k) Increasing conflicts, with the trade and use of increasingly powerful weapons, opens up
the question, raised in several groups, of more reflection and formation in order that we
can manage conflicts in a non-violent way. This is a valuable contribution that Christians
can offer to today’s world in dialogue and collaboration with other religions.

Proposals
l) Renewed attention is needed to the question of the languages we use to speak to people’s
minds and hearts in a wide diversity of contexts in a way that is both beautiful and
accessible.
m) We need a shared framework for managing and evaluating experimentations with forms of
decentralisation, identifying all the actors involved and their roles. For the sake of
coherence, discernment processes regarding decentralisation must take place in a synodal
style, envisaging the concurrence and contribution of all actors involved at different levels.
n) New paradigms are needed for pastoral engagement with indigenous peoples, taking the
form of a common journey and not an action done to them or for them. Their participation
in decision-making processes at all levels can contribute to a more vibrant and missionary
Church.
o) From the work of the Assembly, there is a call for better knowledge of the teachings of
Vatican II, post-conciliar teaching and the Church’s social doctrine. We need to know our
different traditions better in order to be more clearly a Church of Churches in communion,
effective in service and dialogue.
p) In a world where the number of migrants and refugees is increasing while the willingness
to welcome them is decreasing and where the foreigner is viewed with increasing
suspicion, it is appropriate for the Church to engage decisively in education, in the culture
of dialogue and encounter, combating racism and xenophobia, especially through pastoral
formation. Equally, it is necessary to engage in concrete projects for the integration of
migrants.
q) We recommend continued engagement in dialogue and discernment regarding racial
justice. Systems within the Church that create or maintain racial injustice need to be
identified and addressed. Processes for healing and reconciliation should be created, with
the help of those harmed, to eradicate the sin of racism.

6. The Eastern Churches and Latin Church Traditions

Convergences
a) Among the Eastern Churches those in full communion with the Successor of Peter enjoy
a liturgical, theological, ecclesiological and canonical distinctiveness that greatly enriches
the whole Church. In particular, their experience of unity in diversity can make a valuable
contribution to the understanding and practice of synodality.
b) Throughout history, the level of autonomy granted to these Churches has gone through
different phases. Some customs and procedures are now considered outdated, such as
Latinization. In recent decades, the path of recognizing the specificity, distinction and
autonomy of these Churches has developed considerably.
c) The substantial migration of faithful from the Catholic East into Latin-majority territories
raises important pastoral questions. If the current pattern continues or increases, there may
be more members of the Eastern Catholic Churches in diaspora than in canonical
territories. For several reasons, the establishment of Eastern hierarchies in the countries of
immigration is not sufficient to address the problem, but there is a need for the local Latinrite Churches, in the name of synodality, to help the Eastern faithful who have emigrated
to preserve their identity and cultivate their specific heritage, without undergoing
processes of assimilation.

Matters for Consideration

d) We suggest further study of the contribution that the experience of the Eastern Catholic
Churches can make to the understanding and practice of synodality.
e) Some difficulties remain regarding the Pope’s role in giving his assent to bishops elected
by the Synods of the Churches sui iuris for their territory and the papal appointment of
bishops outside canonical territory. The request to extend the jurisdiction of the Patriarchs
outside the Patriarchal territories is also a matter for discernment and dialogue with the
Holy See.
f) In regions where the faithful of different Catholic Churches are present, we need to find
models that render visible effective forms of unity in diversity.
g) We need to reflect on the contribution that the Eastern Catholic Churches can make to
Christian unity and their role in interreligious and intercultural dialogues.

Proposals
h) First and foremost, the request emerged to establish a permanent Council of the Patriarchs
and Major Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches to the Holy Father.
i) Some requested to convoke a Special Synod dedicated to the Eastern Catholic Churches,
their identity and mission, as well addressing pastoral and canonical challenges in the
context of war and massive migration.
j) We need to establish a joint commission of Eastern and Latin theologians, historians and
canonists to address issues requiring further study and formulate proposals pointing a way
forward.
k) There needs to be adequate representation of members of the Eastern Catholic Churches
in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia to enrich the whole Church with their perspectives,
to help address problems as they arise and to enable their participation in dialogue at the
various different levels.
l) To foster forms of reception that respect the heritage of the faithful of the Eastern
Churches, we need to intensify relations between Eastern clergy in diaspora and Latin
clergy to deepen mutual knowledge and recognition of the respective Traditions

7. On the Road Towards Christian Unity

Convergences
a) This session of the Synodal Assembly opened with a profound ecumenical gesture. The
“Together” prayer vigil saw the presence of numerous other leaders and representatives of
different Christian communions alongside Pope Francis, a clear and credible sign of the
will to walk together in the spirit of unity of faith and exchange of gifts. This highly
significant event also allowed us to recognize that we are in an ecumenical kairos and to
reaffirm that what unites us is greater than what divides us. For in common we have “one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, among all and in
all” (Eph. 4:5-6).
b) Baptism, which is at the root of the principle of synodality, also constitutes the foundation
of ecumenism. Through it, all Christians participate in the sensus fidei and for this reason
they should be listened to carefully, regardless of their tradition, as the Synod Assembly
did in its discernment process. There can be no synodality without an ecumenical
dimension.
c) Ecumenism is first and foremost a matter of spiritual renewal that also requires processes
for repentance and healing of memory. The Assembly was moved to hear testimonies of
Christians of different ecclesial traditions who share friendship, prayer and above all a
commitment to the service of those experiencing poverty. Dedication to the least of these
cements bonds and helps us focus on what already unites all believers in Christ. Therefore,
it is important that ecumenism is practised first and foremost in daily life. In theological
and institutional dialogue, the patient weaving of mutual understanding continues in an
atmosphere of growing trust and openness.
d) In not a few regions of the world there is an “ecumenism of blood”, stemming from
Christians of different affiliations who give their lives for faith in Jesus Christ. The
testimony of their martyrdom is more eloquent than any words. Unity comes from the
Cross of the Lord.
e) Collaboration among all Christians is crucial in addressing the pastoral challenges of our
time. In secularized societies, this enables the voice of the Gospel to have greater force. In
contexts of poverty, it impels people to join forces in the service of justice, peace and the
dignity of the least. In all instances, it is a resource for healing the culture of hatred,
division and war that pits groups, peoples and nations against each other.
f) Marriages between Christians who belong to different Churches or ecclesial communities
(inter-church marriages) may constitute realities in which the wisdom of communion can
mature, and it is possible to evangelize each other.
Matters for Consideration
g) Our assembly was able to perceive the diverse ways different Christian traditions
understand the synodal configuration of the Church. In Orthodox Churches, synodality is
understood in a strict sense as an expression of the collegial exercise of authority proper
to the bishops alone (the Holy Synod). Broadly, it refers to the active participation of all
the faithful in the life and mission of the Church. There were some references to practices
in other ecclesial communities, enriching our debates. All this requires further
investigation.
h) Another theme to be explored concerns the link between synodality and primacy at the
various levels (local, regional, universal) in their mutual interdependence. We need a
shared re-reading of history in order to overcome stereotypes and prejudices. Ongoing
ecumenical dialogues have provided a better understanding, in light of the practices of the
first millennium, of the fact that synodality and primacy are related, complementary and
inseparable realities. The clarification of this delicate point has consequences for the way
of understanding the Petrine ministry in the service of unity, according to what St. John
Paul II wished for in the encyclical Ut unum sint.
i) We need to examine the issue of Eucharistic hospitality (Communicatio in sacris) from
theological, canonical and pastoral perspectives in light of the link between sacramental
and ecclesial communion. This issue is of particular importance to inter-church couples. It
raises the need for a broader reflection on inter-church marriages.
j) Reflection was also urged on the phenomenon of “non-denominational” communities and
Christian-inspired “revival” movements, which are also joined in large numbers by faithful
who were originally Catholic.
Proposals
k) The year 2025 marks the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325) at which the symbol
of the faith that unites all Christians was elaborated. A common commemoration of this
event will help us to better understand how in the past controversial questions were
discussed and resolved together in Council.
l) In the same year, 2025, providentially, the date of the solemnity of Easter will coincide for
all Churches and Christian communities. The Assembly expressed a keen desire to come
to a common date for the feast of Easter so that we can celebrate the Resurrection of the
Lord, our life and our salvation, on the same day.
m) There is also a desire to continue to involve Christians of other Churches and ecclesial
traditions in Catholic synodal processes at all levels and to invite more fraternal delegates
to the next session of the Assembly in 2024.
n) A proposal has been put forward by some to convene an ecumenical Synod on common
mission in the contemporary world.
o) It was also proposed that we might devise an ecumenical martyrology.

PART II – ALL DISCIPLES, ALL MISSIONARIES

8. Church is Mission
Convergences
a) Rather than saying that the Church has a mission, we affirm that Church ‘is’ mission. “As
the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21): the Church receives from Christ, the
One who is sent by the Father, Her own mission. Supported and guided by the Holy Spirit,
the Church announces and witnesses the Gospel to those who do not know it or welcome
it. They do this with that preferential option for the poor that is rooted in the mission of
Jesus. In this way the Church co-operates in the coming of the Reign of God, of which She
is the seed (cf. LG 5).
b) The sacraments of Christian initiation confer on all the disciples of Jesus the responsibility
for the mission of the Church. Laymen and laywomen, those in consecrated life, and
ordained ministers have equal dignity. They have received different charisms and vocations
and exercise different roles and functions, but all are called and nourished by the Holy
Spirit to form one body in Christ (1 Cor. 4-31). They are all disciples, all missionaries, in
the reciprocal vitality of local communities who experience the delightful and comforting
joy of evangelizing. The exercise of co-responsibility is essential for synodality and is
necessary at all levels of the Church. Each Christian is a mission on this earth.
c) The family is the pillar of every Christian community. Parents and grandparents and all
those who live and share their faith in the family are the first missionaries. The family, as
a community of life and love, is a privileged place of education in faith and Christian
practice, one that needs special accompaniment within communities. Support is especially
needed for parents who must reconcile work, including within the Church community and
in service to its mission, with the demands of family life.
d) If the mission is a grace involving all the Church, the lay faithful contribute in a vital way
to advancing that mission in all areas and in the ordinary situations of every day. Above
all, it is they who make the Church present and who proclaim the Gospel, for example, in
digital culture, which has such a strong impact throughout the world; in youth culture; in
the world of work and business, politics, and the arts and culture; in scientific research,
education, and training; in the care of our common home; and especially through
participation in public life. Wherever they are present, they are called to witness to Jesus
Christ in daily life and to explicitly share the faith with others. In a special way, young
people, with their gifts and fragilities, growing in friendship with Jesus, become apostles
of the Gospel to their peers.
e) The lay faithful are also increasingly present and active in service within Christian
communities. Many of them organize and animate pastoral communities, serve as religious
educators, theologians and formators, spiritual animators and catechists, and participate in
various parish and diocesan bodies. In many regions, the life of Christian communities and
the mission of the Church depends upon catechists. In addition, lay people serve in
safeguarding and administration. All of these contributions are indispensable to the
mission of the Church; for this reason, the acquisition of necessary competences should be
provided for.
f) In their immense variety, the charisms of the laity represent distinct gifts to the Church
from the Holy Spirit that must be called forth, recognized, and fully appreciated. In some
situations, the laity may be called to help make up for the shortage of priests, with the
danger that the lay character of their apostolate risks being diminished. In other contexts,
it may be that priests do everything themselves and thus the charisms and ministries of the
laity are ignored or underutilized. In all contexts, there is a danger, that was expressed by
many at the Assembly, of “clericalizing” the laity, creating a kind of lay elite that
perpetuates inequalities and divisions among the People of God.
g) The mission ad gentes is mutually enriching for the Churches, because it not only involves
the missionaries themselves but the entire community, which in this way is inspired to
prayer, the sharing of goods, and witness. Churches lacking clergy should not give up this
commitment, while those with more vocations to the ordained ministry benefit from
cooperating pastorally in a genuinely evangelical manner. All the missionaries — laymen
and women, those in consecrated life, deacons and priests, and particularly the members
of missionary institutes and fidei donum missionaries — are an important resource for
creating bonds of knowledge and exchange of gifts.
h) The Church’s mission is continually renewed and nourished by the Eucharist, particularly
when its communal and missionary nature is fully expressed.

Matters for Consideration

i) There is a need to continue to deepen the theological understanding of the relationships
between charisms and ministries in a missionary key.
j) Vatican II and subsequent magisterial teaching present the distinctive mission of the laity
in terms of the sanctification of temporal or secular realities. However, the reality is that
pastoral practice at the parish, diocesan and, recently, even universal levels, increasingly
entrusts lay people with tasks and ministries within the Church itself. Theological
reflection and canonical provisions need to be reconciled with these important
developments and to avoid dualisms that could compromise the perception of the unity of
the Church’s mission.
k) In the promotion of the co-responsibility of all the baptized for mission we recognize the
apostolic capacities of persons with disabilities. We want to better value the contribution
to evangelisation offered by the immense richness of their humanity. We recognise their
experiences of suffering, marginalisation and discrimination, sometimes occurring even
within the Christian community.
l) Pastoral structures need to be re-organized so they can readily recognise, call forth, and
animate lay charisms and ministries, inserting them into the missionary dynamism of the
synodal Church. Under the guidance of their pastors, the communities will be able to send
people as well as sustain those they have sent on mission. In this way, these structures will
primarily be at the service of the mission that the faithful carry out within society, in the
family, and in work life, rather than focusing exclusively on internal matters or
organisational concerns.
m) The expression “an all-ministerial Church,” used in the Instrumentum laboris, can lend
itself to misunderstanding. Its meaning will have to be clarified in order to remove any
ambiguities.

Proposals
n) We need more creativity in establishing ministries according to the needs of local churches,
with the particular involvement of the young. One can think of further expanding
responsibilities assigned to the existing ministry of lector, responsibilities that are already
broader than those performed in the liturgy. This could become a fuller ministry of the
Word of God, which, in appropriate contexts, could also include preaching. We could also
explore the possibility of establishing a ministry assigned to married couples committed
to supporting family life and accompanying people preparing for the Sacrament of
Marriage.
o) Local churches are invited to consider appropriate means and moments of
acknowledgment by the community of lay charisms and ministries. This could happen on
the occasion of a liturgical celebration in which the pastoral mandate is bestowed.

9. Women in the Life and Mission of the Church

Convergences
a) We are created, male and female, in the image and likeness of God. From the beginning,
creation manifests unity and difference, bestowing on women and men a shared nature,
calling, and destiny, and two distinct experiences of being human. Sacred Scripture
testifies to the complementarity and reciprocity of women and men, and to the covenant
between them that lies at the heart of God’s design for creation. Jesus considered women
his interlocutors: he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God; he welcomed them as
disciples, as for example Mary of Bethany. These women, who experienced His power of
healing, liberation and recognition, travelled with Him on the road from Galilee to
Jerusalem (Lk 8,1-3). He entrusted the announcement of the Resurrection on Easter
morning to a woman, Mary Magdalene.
b) In Christ, women and men are clothed with the same baptismal dignity (Gal 3:28) and
receive equally the variety of gifts of the Spirit. We are called together into a communion
of loving, non-competitive relationships in Christ, and to a co-responsibility to be
expressed at every level of the Church’s life. We are, as Pope Francis said to us together,
“a people convened and called with the strength of the Beatitudes”.
c) We have had a very positive experience of the reciprocity between women and men during
this Assembly. Together we echo the call made in the previous phases of the synodal
process, that the Church adopt a more decisive commitment to understand and accompany
women from a pastoral and sacramental point of view. Women desire to share their
spiritual experience of journeying towards holiness in the various stages of life: as young
women, as mothers, in their friendships and relationships, in family life at all ages, in
working life, and in consecrated life. Women cry out for justice in societies still marked
by sexual violence, economic inequality and the tendency to treat them as objects. Women
are scarred by trafficking, forced migration and war. Pastoral accompaniment and vigorous
advocacy for women should go hand in hand.
d) Women make up most of those in our pews and are often the first missionaries of the faith
in the family. Consecrated women, both in contemplative and apostolic life, are a
fundamental and distinctive gift, sign and witness in our midst. The long history of women
missionaries, saints, theologians and mystics is also a powerful source of nourishment and
inspiration for women and men today.
e) Mary of Nazareth, woman of faith and Mother of God, remains for all a unique source of
theological, ecclesial and spiritual meaning. Mary reminds us of the universal call to listen
attentively to God and to remain open to the Holy Spirit. She knew the joy of bearing and
nurturing and endured pain and suffering. She gave birth in impoverished conditions,
became a refugee and lived the sorrow of her Son’s brutal killing, but she also knew the
magnificence of his Resurrection and the glory of Pentecost.
f) Many women expressed deep gratitude for the work of priests and bishops. They also
spoke of a Church that wounds. Clericalism, a chauvinist mentality and inappropriate
expressions of authority continue to scar the face of the Church and damage its
communion. A profound spiritual conversion is needed as the foundation for any effective
structural change. Sexual abuse and the abuse of power and authority continue to cry out
for justice, healing and reconciliation. We asked how the Church can be a place that
safeguards all.
g) Where dignity and justice are undermined in relationships between men and women in the
Church, we weaken the credibility of our proclamation to the world. Our synodal path
shows the need for relational renewal and structural changes. In this way we can better
welcome the participation and contribution of all – with lay and consecrated women and
men, deacons, priests, and bishops – as co-responsible disciples in the work of mission.
h) The Assembly asks that we avoid repeating the mistake of talking about women as an issue
or a problem. Instead, we desire to promote a Church in which men and women dialogue
together, in order to understand more deeply the horizon of God’s project, that sees them
together as protagonists, without subordination, exclusion and competition.

Matters for Consideration

i) Churches all over the world have expressed a clear request that the active contribution of
women would be recognised and valued, and that their pastoral leadership increase in all
areas of the Church’s life and mission. In order to give better expression to the gifts and
charisms of all and to be more responsive to pastoral needs, how can the Church include
more women in existing roles and ministries? If new ministries are required, who should
discern these, at what levels and in what ways?
j) Different positions have been expressed regarding women’s access to the diaconal
ministry. For some, this step would be unacceptable because they consider it a
discontinuity with Tradition. For others, however, opening access for women to the
diaconate would restore the practice of the Early Church. Others still, discern it as an
appropriate and necessary response to the signs of the times, faithful to the Tradition, and
one that would find an echo in the hearts of many who seek new energy and vitality in the
Church. Some express concern that the request speaks of a worrying anthropological
confusion, which, if granted, would marry the Church to the spirit of the age.
k) Discussion of this question is also related to the wider ongoing reflection on the theology
of the diaconate (cf. below Chapter 11).

Proposals
l) Local churches are encouraged to extend their work of listening, accompaniment and care
to the most marginalised women in their social contexts.
m) It is urgent to ensure that women can participate in decision-making processes and assume
roles of responsibility in pastoral care and ministry. The Holy Father has significantly
increased the number of women in positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia. This
should also happen at other levels of Church life, in consecrated life and dioceses.
Provision needs to be made in Canon Law accordingly.
n) Theological and pastoral research on the access of women to the diaconate should be
continued, benefiting from consideration of the results of the commissions specially
established by the Holy Father, and from the theological, historical and exegetical research
already undertaken. If possible, the results of this research should be presented to the next
Session of the Assembly.
o) Cases of labour injustice and unfair remuneration within the Church need to be addressed
especially for women in consecrated life, who are too often treated as cheap labour.
p) Women’s access to formation programmes and theological study needs to be considerably
expanded. We suggest that women should also be integrated into seminary teaching and
training programs to foster better formation for ordained ministry.
q) There is a need to ensure that liturgical texts and Church documents are more attentive to
the use of language that takes into equal consideration both men and women, and also
includes a range of words, images and narratives that draw more widely on women’s
experience.
r) We propose that women receive appropriate formation to enable them to be judges in all
canonical processes.

10. Consecrated Life and Lay Associations and Movements: ACharismatic Sign

Convergences
a) The Church has always benefitted from the gift of charisms, be it from the most
extraordinary to the simplest. Through them the Holy Spirit rejuvenates and renews the
Church with joy and gratitude. The Holy People of God recognise in these charisms the
providential help with which God sustains, directs and illuminates His mission.
b) The Church’s charismatic dimension is made manifest in the rich and varied forms of
consecrated life. This testimony has contributed to renewing the life of the ecclesial
community in every age and provides an antidote to the perennial temptation towards
worldliness. The diverse families that compose religious life demonstrate the beauty of
discipleship and holiness in Christ, whether in their distinctive forms of prayer, their
service among the people, whether through forms of community life, the solitude of the
contemplative life or at the frontier of new cultures. Those in consecrated life have often
been the first to sense important historical changes and to heed the promptings of the Spirit.
Today, too, the Church needs their prophetic voice and action. The Christian community
also recognises and wishes to be attentive to the practices of synodal life and discernment
that have been tried and tested in communities of consecrated life, maturing over the
centuries. We know that we can learn from them wisdom in how to walk the synodal path.
Many Congregations and Institutes practice conversation in the Spirit or similar forms of
discernment in the conduct of provincial and general chapters, in order to renew structures,
rethink lifestyles, and activate innovative forms of service and proximity to the poorest. In
other cases, however, we find the persistence of an authoritarian style, which makes no
room for dialogue.
c) With equal gratitude, the People of God recognize the seeds of renewal in communities
with a long history that has blossomed into new ecclesial communities. Lay associations,
ecclesial movements and new communities are a precious sign of the maturation of the coresponsibility of all the baptized. They hold particular value because of their experience in
promoting communion among different vocations, the impetus with which they proclaim
the Gospel, their proximity to those on the margins economically and socially and through
their promotion of the common good. They are often models of synodal communion and
of participation for mission.
d) Cases of abuse of various kinds experienced by those in religious life and members of lay
associations, especially of women, signal a problem in the exercise of authority and
demand decisive and appropriate interventions.

Matters for Consideration

e) The Church’s magisterium has a well-developed body of teaching on the importance of
both hierarchical and charismatic gifts in the life and mission of the Church. This calls for
growth in ecclesial understanding and in theological reflection. It is therefore worth
considering anew the ecclesiological significance and concrete pastoral implications of
this teaching.
f) The variety of charismatic expressions in the Church underscores the People of God’s
commitment to being a prophetic presence in proximity to the least of our sisters and
brothers, and to providing contemporary culture with a deeper sense of the spiritual aspects
of life. There is a need to develop a more profound understanding of how consecrated life,
as well as lay associations, ecclesial movements, and new communities, place their
charisms at the service of communion and mission in local churches, augmenting existing
paths towards holiness with a presence that is prophetic.

Proposals

g) We believe the time has come for a revision of the 1978 document Mutuae relationes,
regarding the relationships between bishops and religious in the Church. We propose that
this revision be completed in a synodal manner, consulting all involved.
h) To the same end, it is necessary to put in place, in a synodal spirit, means and instruments
for promoting encounters and forms of collaboration between Episcopal Conferences and
the Conferences of Superiors and Major Superiors of Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life.
i) At the level of both individual local churches and groupings of Churches, the promotion
of missionary synodality requires the establishment and configuration of councils and
advisory bodies at which representatives of lay associations and ecclesial movements and
new communities can meet in order to foster enduring relationships between their life and
work and that of the local churches.
j) In theological formation at all levels, above all in the formation of ordained ministers, the
prominence given to the Church’s charismatic dimension should be monitored and
strengthened where necessary.

11. Deacons and Priests in a Synodal Church

Convergences

a) Priests are the principal collaborators of the bishop, forming with him one presbyterate (cf
LG 28). Deacons are ordained for the ministry of serving the People of God in the diakonia
of the Word, in the liturgy, but above all in the exercise of charity (cf LG 29). The Synodal
Assembly wishes, first and foremost, to express to priests and deacons a deep sense of
gratitude. Aware that they may experience loneliness and isolation, it encourages Christian
communities to support them with prayer, friendship, and collaboration.
b) Deacons and priests engage in ministry in a wide variety of pastoral settings: in parishes,
in evangelisation, among those living in poverty and who are marginalized, in the world
of culture and education, as well as in the mission ad gentes, in theological research, at
retreat centres and places of spiritual renewal, and many others. In a synodal Church,
ordained ministers are called to live their service to the People of God in a disposition of
proximity to people, welcoming and listening to all, while cultivating a deep personal
spirituality and a life of prayer. Above all, they are required to reconsider the exercise of
authority, modelling it upon Jesus, who, “though he was in the form of God, […] emptied
himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil. 2:6-7). The Assembly acknowledges that through
their dedication many priests and deacons make Christ, the Good Shepherd and the
Servant, present.
c) One obstacle to ministry and mission is clericalism. Clericalism stems from a
misunderstanding of the divine call, viewing it more as a privilege than a service, and
manifesting itself in the exercise of power in a worldly manner that refuses to allow itself
to be accountable. This distortion of the priestly vocation needs to be challenged from the
earliest stages of formation by ensuring close contact with the People of God and through
concrete service-learning experiences among those most in need. The exercise of priestly
ministry today cannot be conceived of except in harmony with the bishop and the
presbyterate, and in profound communion with other ministries and charisms.
Unfortunately, clericalism is a disposition that can manifest itself not only among ministers
but also among the laity.
d) In order to exercise ordained ministry in a context of co-responsibility, it is necessary to
be aware of one’s own capacities and limitations. For this reason, it is important to ensure
that a realistic approach to human formation is integrated with the cultural and spiritual
dimensions of formation, as well as formation for discipleship. In this regard, the
contribution of families of origin, and the Christian community, within which a young
man’s vocation is fostered, as well as that of other families that accompany his growth,
cannot be underestimated.

Matters for Consideration

e) Within the context of the formation of all the baptised for service in a synodal Church, the
formation of deacons and priests requires special attention. The request has been widely
expressed at this Assembly that seminaries and other programmes of priestly formation
remain connected to the daily life of the community. We need to avoid the risks of
formalism and ideology that lead to authoritarian attitudes, and impede genuine vocational
growth. Revision to programmes of formation requires extensive discussion and
consideration.
f) Different opinions have been expressed about priestly celibacy. Its value is appreciated by
all as richly prophetic and a profound witness to Christ; some ask, however, whether its
appropriateness, theologically, for priestly ministry should necessarily translate into a
disciplinary obligation in the Latin Church, above all in ecclesial and cultural contexts that
make it more difficult. This discussion is not new but requires further consideration.

Proposals

g) In the Latin Churches the permanent diaconate has been implemented in differing ways in
different ecclesial contexts. Some local churches have not introduced it at all; in others,
there is concern that deacons are perceived as a kind of substitute for the shortage of
priests. Sometimes, their ministry finds expression in the liturgy rather than in service to
those living in poverty and who are needy in the community. We therefore recommend an
assessment of how the diaconal ministry has been implemented since Vatican II.
h) From the theological point of view, there is a need to understand the diaconate first and
foremost in itself and not only as a stage of access to the presbyterate. Qualifying the
primary form of the diaconate as “permanent,” to distinguish it from the “transitional”
form, is itself an indication of a change of perspective that has not yet been adequately
realized.
i) The uncertainties surrounding the theology of the diaconate are related to the fact that it
has only been restored to a distinct and permanent hierarchical ministry in the Latin Church
since the Second Vatican Council. Deeper study will shed light on the question of the
access of women to the diaconate.
j) A thorough review of formation for ordained ministry in view of the missionary and
synodal dimensions of the Church is called for. This means also reviewing the Ratio
fundamentalis that determines how formation is structured. We also recommend at the
same time ensuring the adoption of a synodal style when it comes to the ongoing formation
of priests and deacons.
k) Transparency and a culture of accountability are of crucial importance for us to move
forward in building a synodal Church. We ask local churches to identify processes and
structures that allow for a regular audit of how priests and deacons are carrying out roles
of responsibility in the exercise of their ministry. Existing institutions, such as participatory
bodies or pastoral visits, can be the starting point for this work, taking care to involve the
community. Such forms must be adapted to local contexts and diverse cultures, so as not
to be a hindrance or a bureaucratic burden. The discernment of the kind of process required
could be considered at the regional or continental level.
l) On a case-by-case basis, and in accordance with the context, the possibility should be
considered of re-inserting priests who have left the ministry in pastoral services that
recognise their formation and experience.

12. The Bishop in Ecclesial Communion

Convergences

a) According to Vatican II, bishops, as successors of the Apostles, are placed at the service
of the communion that is realised in the local Church, among the Churches and with the
entire Church. The figure of the bishop can therefore adequately be understood only in the
web of relations that is woven from the portion of the People of God entrusted to him, the
presbyterate and the deacons, consecrated persons, and the other bishops, and the Bishop
of Rome, and taking account of a constant orientation toward mission.
b) The bishop is, in his Church, the one primarily responsible for proclaiming the Gospel and
for the liturgy. He guides the Christian community and promotes pastoral care of those
experiencing poverty and defence of the most vulnerable. As the visible principle of unity,
he has, in particular, the task of discerning and coordinating the different charisms and
ministries sent forth by the Spirit for the proclamation of the Gospel and the common good
of the community. This ministry is realized in a synodal manner when governance is
accompanied by co-responsibility, preaching by listening to the faithful People of God,
and sanctification and celebration of the liturgy by humility and conversion.
c) The bishop has an indispensable role in vivifying and animating the synodal process in the
local Church, promoting the mutuality between “all, some and one”. The “one” Episcopal
ministry values the participation of “all” the faithful, through the contribution of “some”
who are more directly involved in discernment and decision-making processes. The
conviction with which the bishop himself adopts a synodal approach and the style by which
he exercises authority will influence decisively how priests and deacons, lay men and
women, and those in consecrated life, participate in the synodal process. The bishop is
called to be an example of synodality for all.
d) In contexts where the Church is perceived as the family of God, the bishop is regarded as
a father to all; there is, however, a crisis in regard to how his authority is experienced in
secularised societies. It is important not to lose sight of the sacramental nature of the
Episcopate, lest the figure of the bishop be assimilated into that of a civil authority figure.
e) Expectations of bishops are often very high, and many bishops spoke of feeling
overburdened with administrative and legal commitments, which makes it difficult for
them to fully realize their mission. The bishop also must come to terms with his own frailty
and limitations and sometimes lacks the support he needs, whether human or spiritual. A
certain sense of loneliness is not uncommon. That is why it is important, on the one hand,
to refocus on elements that are essential to the mission of the bishop, and, on the other
hand, to cultivate authentic fraternity among bishops themselves and among bishops and
their priests.

Matters for Consideration

f) On the theological level, the significance of the reciprocal relationship between the bishop
and the local Church needs to be significantly deepened. He is called, both to guide his
local Church, and, at the same time, to recognise and preserve the richness of its history,
traditions and charisms.
g) The question of the relationship between the Sacrament of Holy Orders and jurisdiction
needs to be studied in greater depth. In dialogue with Lumen Gentium and more recent
teachings such as the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, the aim of such a
study would be to clarify the theological and canonical criteria underlying the principle of
the shared responsibility of the bishop and to determine the scope, forms and implications
of co-responsibility.
h) Some bishops express discomfort when they are asked to speak on matters of faith and
morals where full agreement within the Episcopate is lacking. Further reflection is needed
on the relationship between episcopal collegiality and diversity of theological and pastoral
views.
i) Integral to a synodal Church is ensuring a culture of transparency and respect for the
procedures established for the protection of minors and vulnerable people. It is necessary
to develop further structures dedicated to the prevention of abuse. The sensitive issue of
handling abuse places many bishops in the difficult situation of having to reconcile the
role of father with that of judge. The appropriateness of assigning the judicial task to
another body, to be specified canonically, should be explored.

Proposals

j) It is necessary to implement, in forms legally yet to be defined, structures and processes
for regular review of the bishop’s performance, with reference to the style of his authority,
the economic administration of the diocese’s assets, and the functioning of participatory
bodies, and safeguarding against all possible kinds of abuse. A culture of accountability is
an integral part of a synodal Church that promotes co-responsibility, as well as
safeguarding against abuses.
k) There are calls to make the Episcopal Council (can. 473 §4), the Diocesan Pastoral Council
and the Eparchial Pastoral Council (CIC can. 511, CCEO can 272) mandatory, and to make
the diocesan bodies exercising co-responsibility more operational, including in legal terms.
l) The Assembly calls for a review of the criteria for selecting candidates for the episcopate,
balancing the authority of the Apostolic Nuncio with participation of Episcopal
Conferences. There are also requests to expand consultation with the faithful People of
God, and to involve a greater number of lay people and consecrated persons in the
consultation process, taking care to avoid being put under any undue pressure in the
selection process.
m) Many bishops express the need to rethink the functioning and strengthen the structure of
the metropolitan sees (ecclesiastical provinces) and regions, so that they can become
concrete expressions of collegiality in a territory and, through fraternity, mutual support,
transparency and a wider consultation, become commonplace practices among bishops.

13. The Bishop of Rome in the College of Bishops

Convergences

a) The synodal dynamic also sheds new light on the ministry of the Bishop of Rome. Indeed,
synodality articulates symphonically the communal (“all”), collegial (“some”) and
personal (“one”) dimensions of the Church at the local, regional and universal levels. In
such a vision, the Petrine ministry of the Bishop of Rome is intrinsic to the synodal
dynamic, as are the communal aspect that includes the whole People of God and the
collegial dimension of the exercise of Episcopal ministry. Therefore, synodality,
collegiality, and primacy refer to each other: primacy presupposes the exercise of
synodality and of collegiality, just as both of them imply the exercise of primacy.
b) Promoting the unity of all Christians is an essential aspect of the ministry of the Bishop of
Rome. The ecumenical journey has deepened understanding of the ministry of the
Successor of Peter and must continue to do so in the future. Responses to the invitation
made by St. John Paul II in the encyclical Ut unum sint, as well as the conclusions of
ecumenical dialogues, can help the Catholic understanding of primacy, collegiality,
synodality, and their mutual relationships.
c) The reform of the Roman Curia is an important aspect of the Catholic Church’s synodal
journey. The Apostolic Constitution Praedicate evangelium insists that “the Roman Curia
does not stand between the Pope and the Bishops, rather it places itself at the service of
both in ways that are proper to the nature of each” (EP I.8). It promotes reform based on a
“life of communion” (EP I.4) and “healthy decentralization” (EP II.2). The fact that many
members of the Roman dicasteries are diocesan Bishops expresses the catholicity of the
Church and should foster the relationship between the Curia and local churches. The
effective implementation of Predicate evangelium may foster greater synodality within
the Curia both among the different dicasteries and within each of them.

Matters for Consideration
d) There is a need for more insight into how a renewed understanding of the Episcopate
within a synodal Church affects the ministry of the Bishop of Rome and the role of the
Roman Curia. This issue has significant implications for the way co-responsibility in
Church governance is lived out. At the universal level, the Code of Canon Law and
the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches offer provisions for a more collegial exercise
of papal ministry. These could be further developed in practice and strengthened in a future
update of both texts.
e) Synodality can shed light on ways in which Cardinals can collaborate in the Petrine
ministry and the ways in which their collegial discernment can be promoted in ordinary
and extraordinary consistories.
f) It is important for the good of the Church to study the most appropriate ways to foster
mutual acquaintance and bonds of communion among the members of the College of
Cardinals, taking into account also their diversity of origin and culture.

Proposals
g) The Visits ad limina Apostolorum are the highest moment of the relationships of the
pastors of the local churches with the Bishop of Rome and his closest collaborators in the
Roman Curia. It is necessary to review the form in which they are carried out so that they
become always more the occasion for open and mutual exchange that fosters communion
and a true exercise of collegiality and synodality.
h) In light of the synodal configuration of the Church, it is necessary for the dicasteries of the
Roman Curia to enhance the consultation of bishops, for greater attention to the diversity
of situations and a more attentive listening to the voices of local churches.
i) It seems appropriate to establish forms of evaluation of the work of the Pontifical
Representatives by the local churches in the countries where they carry out their mission
to facilitate and perfect their service.
j) It is proposed to enhance and strengthen the experience of the Council of Cardinals (C-9)
as a synodal council at the service of the Petrine ministry.
k) In the light of the teaching of Vatican II, it is necessary to carefully evaluate whether it is
opportune to ordain the prelates of the Roman Curia as bishops.

PART III – WEAVING BONDS, BUILDING COMMUNITIES

14. A synodal approach to formation

Convergences
a) Every baptised person is called to take care of their own formation as a response to the gifts
of the Lord, making use of the talents they have received in order that they bear fruit and
put them at the service of all. The time the Lord has dedicated to the formation of His
disciples reveals the importance of this ecclesial formation. This often happens in the
background yet it is decisive for mission. We would like to express a word of thanks and
encouragement to all those who are engaged in this work and invite them to welcome the
new orientations in regard to formation emerging from the Church’s synodal journey.
b) The way in which Jesus formed the disciples constitutes the model we need to follow. He
did not merely impart teaching but he shared his life with them. Through the example of
his own prayer He drew from them the request: ‘Teach us to pray’. By feeding the crowds
He taught them not to dismiss the needy. By walking to Jerusalem He showed the way to
the Cross. From the Gospel we learn that formation is not only or primarily a strengthening
of one’s own abilities; it is a conversion to the ‘logic’ of the Kingdom that can render even
defeats and failures fruitful.
c) The Holy People of God is not only the object but is first and foremost the co-responsible
subject of formation. The first formation, in fact, takes place in the family. It is here that
we usually receive the first proclamation of the faith in the language – indeed in the dialect
– of our parents and grandparents. Those who carry out a ministry in the Church must
therefore intertwine their contribution with the wisdom of all the faithful People of God in
a cooperation that is indispensable to the community. This is the first sign of a formation
understood in a synodal sense.
d) In Christian initiation we find guidance in how to navigate our formation path. At the heart
of Christian formation is a deepening of the kerygma, that is, the encounter with Jesus
Christ that offers us the gift of a new life. Catechumenal logic reminds us that we are all
sinners called to holiness. This is why we engage in a journey towards personal conversion
that the Sacrament of Reconciliation brings to fulfilment. This is also why we nourish the
desire for holiness, supported by a large number of witnesses.
e) The areas in which the formation of the People of God takes places are many. In addition
to theological formation, the Assembly requested training in specific skills: the exercise of
co-responsibility, listening, and discernment; conducting ecumenical and interreligious
dialogue, service to the poorest and care for our common home; engagement as “digital
missionaries”, facilitation of discernment processes, Conversation in the Spirit, consensusbuilding and conflict resolution. Particular attention should also be given to catechetical
formation of children and young people, which should involve the active participation of
the community.
f) Formation for a synodal Church needs to be undertaken synodally: the entire People of God
being formed together as they journey together. There is a need to overcome the
‘delegation’ mindset found in so many areas of pastoral ministry. Formation in a synodal
key is meant to enable the People of God to live out their baptismal vocation fully, in the
family, in the workplace, in ecclesial, social, and intellectual spheres. It is meant to enable
each person to participate actively in the Church’s mission according to his or her own
charisms and vocation.

Matters for Consideration
g) We recommend undertaking work on relationship and sexual education to accompany
young people as they mature in their personal and sexual identities and to support the
maturation of those called to celibacy and consecrated chastity. Formation in these areas is
a necessary aid at all stages of life.
h) It is important to deepen the dialogue between the human sciences, especially psychology
and theology, for an understanding of human experience that does not merely situate these
approaches by side by side but integrates them into a more mature synthesis.
i) The People of God need to be widely represented in formation programmes for ordained
ministry, as already requested by previous Synods. We need, therefore, a thorough review
of formation programmes, with particular attention to how we can foster the contribution
of women and families to them.
j) Episcopal Conferences are encouraged to work together at the regional level to create a
culture of lifelong formation and learning, using all available resources, including the
development of digital options.

Proposals
k) In the light of synodality, we propose that priority should be given to providing programmes
designed and intended for the joint formation of the entire People of God (laity, consecrated
and ordained ministers). Dioceses should endeavour to encourage these projects within the
local churches. We encourage Episcopal Conferences to work together at regional level to
create a culture of ongoing formation, using all available resources, including the
development of digital options.
l) A range of members of the People of God should be represented in formation programs for
ordained ministries, as already requested by previous Synods. The involvement of women
is of particular importance.
m) Adequate standards and processes for selecting candidates for ordained ministry need to be
applied to ensure that requirements for the propaedeutic programme for seminarians are
met.
n) Formation for ordained ministers should be designed in a way that is consistent with a
synodal Church in the different local contexts. Before embarking on specific paths
candidates should have a significant, albeit initial, experience of life in a Christian
community. Formation should not create an artificial environment separate from the
ordinary life of the faithful. By safeguarding the requirements of formation for ministry,
we can foster an authentic spirit of service to the People of God in preaching, celebrating
the sacraments and enacting charity. This may require a revision of the Ratio fundamentalis
for priests and permanent deacons.
o) In preparation for the next session of the Assembly, a consultation of those responsible for
the initial and ongoing formation of priests should be undertaken to assess how the synodal
process is being received and to propose changes that will promote the exercise of authority
in a style appropriate to a synodal Church.

15. Ecclesial Discernment and Open Questions

Convergences
a) The experience of Conversation in the Spirit was enriching for all who took part. Our style
of communication, privileging freedom in expressing one’s views and listening to each
other, was greatly appreciated. It avoided us moving too quickly to a debate based on the
reiteration of our own positions without listening first to the reasoning that supports the
position of others.
b) This basic approach creates a context that enables careful consideration of matters that are
controversial within the Church, such as the anthropological effects of digital technologies
and artificial intelligence, non-violence and legitimate self-defence, issues related to
ministry, and issues related to sexuality and “bodiliness”, among others.
c) To develop authentic ecclesial discernment in these and other areas, it is necessary to
approach these questions in the light of the Word of God and Church teaching, properly
informed and reflected upon. In order to avoid repeating vacuous formulas, we need to
provide an opportunity for a dialogue involving the human and social sciences, as well as
philosophical and theological reflection.
d) At the heart of many of these controversial matters lies the question of the relationship
between love and truth and the impact this has on many controversial matters. This
relationship, before being considered a challenge, is actually to be considered as a grace
revealed in Christ. For Jesus brought to fulfilment the promise found in the psalms: “Love
and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall embrace. Truth will sprout from the earth and
justice will come forth from heaven” (Ps 85:11-12).
e) Several Gospel passages reveal that Jesus meets people in the uniqueness of their personal
story and situation. He never begins from the perspective of prejudices or labels, but from
the authenticity of relationship to which he commits himself wholeheartedly, even at the
cost of experiencing misunderstanding and rejection. Jesus always listens to the cry for
help of those in need, even in situations in which it remains unexpressed. He engages in
gestures that communicate love and restore confidence; he makes new life possible with
his presence: those who meet him come away transformed. This happens because the truth
of which Jesus is the bearer is not an idea, but the very presence of God in our midst; and
the love with which he acts is not just a feeling, but the justice of the Kingdom that changes
history.
f) We can only support others if we ourselves are undergoing conversion, both personal and
communal. The difficulty we encounter in translating Jesus’ clear evangelical vision into
pastoral choices is a sign of our struggle to live up to the Gospel. If we use doctrine harshly
and with a judgmental attitude, we betray the Gospel; if we practise mercy ‘on the cheap’,
we do not convey God’s love. The unity of truth and love implies bearing the difficulties
of others, even making them our own, as happens between brothers and sisters. This unity
can only be achieved, however, by patiently following the path of accompaniment.
g) Certain issues, such as those relating to matters of identity and sexuality, the end of life,
complicated marital situations, and ethical issues related to artificial intelligence, are
controversial not only in society, but also in the Church, because they raise new questions.
Sometimes the anthropological categories we have developed are not able to grasp the
complexity of the elements emerging from experience or knowledge in the sciences and
require greater precision and further study. It is important to take the time required for this
reflection and to invest our best energies in it, without giving in to simplistic judgements
that hurt individuals and the Body of the Church. Church teaching already provides a sense
of direction on many of these matters, but this teaching evidently still requires translation
into pastoral practice. Even where further clarification is required, Jesus’ actions,
assimilated in prayer and conversion of heart, show us the way forward.

Matters for Consideration
h) It is necessary to continue ecclesial reflection on the original interweaving of love and
truth flowing from Christological revelation, with a view to an ecclesial practice faithful
to these origins.
i) We encourage experts in different fields to bring together their knowledge with their
personal spirituality so that what they offer is a real ecclesial service. What synodality
means in this context is a readiness to think together in the service of mission and in diverse
settings, but with a shared sense of purpose.
j) We identified a need for reflection on the conditions that enable theological and cultural
research that takes as its starting point the daily experience of God’s Holy People and
places itself at its service.

Proposals
k) We propose that initiatives enabling shared discernment on controversial doctrinal,
pastoral and ethical issues should be developed, in the light of the Word of God, Church
teaching, theological reflection and an appreciation of the synodal experience. This can be
accomplished through in-depth discussions among experts with diverse skills and
backgrounds, in an institutional setting that protects confidentiality and promotes frank
discussion. When appropriate it should also involve people directly affected by the matters
under consideration. Such initiatives should be set in motion before the next Session of the
Assembly.

16. Towards a Listening and Accompanying Church

Convergences

a) During the first two years of the synodal journey, including during our Assembly, listening
is the word that best expresses our experience. This is listening given and received.
Listening is a deeply human reality, a dynamic of reciprocity in which each makes a
contribution to the other’s journey while receiving a contribution to one’s own.
b) Many of those who participated in the synodal process at the local level, and especially
those who have suffered forms of marginalization in the Church or in society were greatly
surprised by the invitation to speak and be heard in the Church and by the Church. Being
deeply listened to is an experience of affirmation and recognition of dignity, and is a
powerful way of engaging people and communities.
c) Placing Jesus at the centre of our lives requires some degree of self-emptying. In this
perspective, providing a listening ear means being willing to ‘decentre’ oneself in order to
leave space for the other. We have experienced this in the dynamic of conversations in the
Spirit. It is a demanding ascetical exercise that obliges each person to recognize his or her
own limitations and the partiality of his or her point of view. Because of this, it opens the
possibility of listening to the voice of the Spirit of God that speaks to those beyond the
borders of the ecclesial community, and can initiate a journey of change and conversion.
d) Listening has a Christological significance; it means adopting Jesus’ attitude toward the
people he encountered (cf. Phil. 2:6-11). It also has an ecclesial value, since it is the
Church that is listening through the actions of the baptised who act not simply in their own
name but in the name of the community.
e) The Church encountered many people and groups along the synodal process asking to be
listened to and accompanied. We mention first and foremost young people, whose request
for listening and accompaniment resonated strongly in the Synod dedicated to them (2018)
and in this Assembly, confirming the need for a preferential option for young people.
f) The Church needs to listen with special attention and sensitivity to the voices of victims
and survivors of sexual, spiritual, economic, institutional, power and conscience abuse by
clergy members or persons with Church appointments. Authentic listening is a
fundamental element of the path to healing, repentance, justice and reconciliation.
g) The Assembly expresses its closeness to and support for all those who accept being alone
as a choice made in fidelity to the Church’s Tradition and Magisterium on marriage and
sexual ethics, which they recognise as source of life. Christian communities are invited to
be close to them, listen to them and accompany them in their commitment.
h) In different ways, people who feel marginalized or excluded from the Church because of
their marriage status, identity or sexuality also ask to be heard and accompanied. There
was a deep sense of love, mercy and compassion felt in the Assembly for those who are or
feel hurt or neglected by the Church, who want a place to call “home” where they can feel
safe, be heard and respected, without fear of feeling judged. Listening is a prerequisite for
walking together in search of God’s will. The Assembly reiterates that Christians must
always show respect for the dignity of every person.
i) People who suffer the many different forms of poverty, exclusion and marginalization
within our unequal societies also turn to the Church in search of love, listening and
accompaniment. This listening allows the Church to understand the realities of poverty
and marginalisation, and to draw close in friendship to those who suffer. Crucially it also
enables the Church to be evangelised by those who suffer. Listening to them allows the
Church to understand their point of view and to place itself concretely at their side, and to
be evangelised by them. We thank and encourage all those who are engaged in the service
of listening to and accompanying those who are in prison. They, in particular, need to
experience the merciful love of the Lord and to not feel isolated from the community. On
behalf of the Church, they realise the Lord’s words “I was in prison and you visited me”
(Mt 25:36).
j) Many people experience a condition of loneliness that is often close to abandonment. The
elderly and the sick ill are often invisible in society. We encourage parishes and Christian
communities to be close to them and listen to them. Works of mercy inspired by the Gospel
words “I was sick and you visited me” (Mt 25:39) have a profound significance for the
people involved and for fostering the wider bonds of community.
k) Finally, the Church wants to listen to everyone, not just those who can most easily make
their voices heard. In some regions, for cultural and social reasons, members of certain
groups, such as young people, women, and minorities, may find it more difficult to express
themselves freely in public or ecclesial spaces. Living under oppressive and dictatorial
regimes also erode this freedom. The same can happen when the exercise of authority
within the Christian community becomes oppressive rather than liberating.

Matters for Consideration
l) Listening requires unconditional acceptance. It does not mean compromising proclamation
of the Gospel or endorsing any opinion or position proposed. Jesus opened up new
horizons and pathways for the people to whom he listened unconditionally, and in order to
share the Good News of salvation with those we encounter we are called to do likewise.
m) Widespread in many parts of the world, small Christian communities foster listening
practices of, and amongst, the baptised. We are called to enhance their potential, in
particular, by exploring how they can be adapted to urban contexts.

Proposals
n) What would need to change in order for those who feel excluded to experience the Church
as more welcoming? Listening and accompaniment are a form of ecclesial action, not just
the actions of individuals. They must therefore find a place within the ordinary pastoral
planning and operational structuring of Christian communities at different levels, making
full use of spiritual accompaniment. A synodal Church needs to be a listening Church and
this commitment has to be translated into practice.
o) We do not start this work from scratch. Numerous institutions and structures carry out the
valuable task of listening, including the accompaniment work of Caritas amongst the
poorest, and among migrants and refugees, and the many other contexts of accompaniment
linked to consecrated life or lay associations. Connecting their work in a more integral way
with the local Church community enables this work to be seen as part of the life of the
whole community, not a delegated task.
p) Those performing the service of listening and accompaniment, in its various forms, need
adequate formation, taking into account the experiences of those they come into contact
with. They also need to feel supported by the community. For their part, communities
should become fully aware of the meaning of this service exercised on their behalf and to
receive the fruits of this listening. We propose establishment of a ministry of listening and
accompaniment in order to give greater prominence to this service. It should be grounded
in baptism and adapted to different contexts. The way this ministry is conferred should
promote the involvement of the community.
q) SECAM (Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) is
encouraged to promote a theological and pastoral discernment on question of polygamy
and the accompaniment of people in polygamous unions who are coming to faith.

17. Mission in the Digital Environment

Convergences
a) Digital culture represents a fundamental change in the way we conceive of reality and
consequently relate to ourselves, one another, our surroundings, and even to God. The
digital environment changes our learning processes as well as our perception of time,
space, our bodies, interpersonal relationships and, indeed, much of our way of thinking.
The dualism between real and virtual does not adequately describe the reality and
experience of people, especially the youngest, the so-called “digital natives.”
b) Digital culture, then, is not so much a distinct area of mission as a crucial dimension of the
Church’s witness in contemporary culture. This is why it holds special significance in a
synodal Church.
c) Missionaries have always gone with Christ to new frontiers, while the Holy Spirit pushed
and preceded them. It is up to us to reach today’s culture in all spaces where people seek
meaning and love, including the spaces they enter through their cell phones and tablets.
d) We cannot evangelize digital culture without first understanding it. Young people, and
among them, seminarians, young priests, and young consecrated men and women, who
often have profound and direct experience of it, are best suited to carry out the Church’s
mission in the digital environment, as well as to accompany the rest of the community,
including pastors, in becoming more familiar with its dynamics.
e) Within the synodal process, the initiatives of the “Digital Synod” (“The Church Listens to
You” Project) show the potential of the digital environment approached in a missionary
key, the creativity and generosity of those who engage in it, and the importance of
providing them with training, accompaniment and opportunities for peer-to-peer
discussion and collaboration.

Matters for Consideration
f) The Internet is increasingly present in the lives of children and families. While it has great
potential to improve people’s lives, it can also cause harm and injury, such as through
intimidation, disinformation, sexual exploitation, and addiction. There is an urgent need to
consider how the Christian community can support families in ensuring that the online
space is not only safe but also spiritually life-giving.
g) There are many valuable and useful Church-related online initiatives that provide excellent
catechesis and faith formation. Unfortunately, there are also sites where faith-related issues
are addressed in a superficial, polarized and even hate-filled manner. As a Church and as
individual digital missionaries, we have a duty to ask ourselves how we can ensure that
our online presence constitutes an experience of growth for those with whom we
communicate.
h) Online apostolic initiatives have a reach and scope that extends beyond traditionally
understood territorial boundaries. This raises important questions about how they can be
regulated and which ecclesiastical authority should be responsible for supervision.
i) We must also consider the implications of the new digital missionary frontier for the
renewal of existing parish and diocesan structures. In an increasingly digital world, how
do we avoid being trapped within a mindset that seeks only to conserve what we are
already doing and instead unleash new energies for new forms of mission?
j) The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated a range of creative online pastoral initiatives that
reduced the effects of the experience of isolation and loneliness experienced particularly
by elderly and vulnerable community members. Catholic educational institutions also used
online platforms effectively to continue offering formation and catechesis during
lockdowns. We need to assess what this experience has taught us and what the lasting
benefits might be for the Church’s mission in the digital environment.
k) While young people do seek beauty, many young people have abandoned the physical
spaces of Church into which we continue to try to invite them, favouring instead online
spaces. This has implications for how we try to engage them and seek to offer them
formation and catechesis. This is something to consider from a pastoral perspective.

Proposals
l) We need to provide opportunities for recognising, forming, and accompanying those
already working as digital missionaries, while also facilitating networking amongst them.
m) It is important to create collaborative networks of influencers that include people of other
religions or indeed who may profess no faith, but who wish to collaborate on common
causes to promote human dignity, justice, and care for our common home.

18. Structures for Participation

Convergences
a) As members of the faithful People of God, all the baptised are co-responsible for mission,
each according to his or her vocation, competence and experience. Therefore, all contribute
to imagining and discerning steps to reform Christian communities and the Church as a
whole. In this way, the Church experiences “the sweet and comforting joy of evangelising.”
The purpose of synodality, in the composition and functioning of the bodies in which it
takes shape, is mission. Co-responsibility is for mission: this attests that we are truly
gathered in the name of Jesus, this frees the bodies of participation from bureaucratic
limitations and worldly logics of power, and makes gathering fruitful.
b) In the light of the recent teaching of the Church (in particular, Lumen gentium and
Evangelii gaudium), this co-responsibility of all in mission must be the criterion
underlying the structuring of Christian communities and the entire local church with all its
services, in all its institutions, in each of its pastoral bodies (cf 1 Cor 12:4-31). The proper
recognition of the laity for mission in the world cannot become a pretext for assigning the
care of the Christian community to bishops and priests alone.
c) The authority par excellence is that of the Word of God, which must inspire every meeting
of participatory bodies, every consultation and every decision-making process. For this to
happen, it is necessary that, at every level, the gathering draws meaning and strength from
the Eucharist and takes place in the light of the Word heard and shared in prayer.
d) The composition of the various councils for the discernment and decision-making of a
synodal missionary community must provide for the presence of men and women who
have an apostolic disposition, distinguished not by their frequent presence in church, but
by a genuine evangelical witness in ordinary life. The People of God are all the more
missionary when they can make the voices of those already living the mission by
inhabiting the world and its peripheries resonate within themselves, including in
participatory bodies.

Matters for Consideration
e) In light of what we have shared, it is important to ask how we can promote participation
in the various councils when many feel they are not up to the task. Synodality grows when
each member is involved in processes and decision-making for the mission of the Church.
In this sense, we are encouraged by many small Christian communities in the emerging
Churches, who live the closeness of the day-to-day, around the Word of God and the
Eucharist.
f) In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis entrusted the Church to make changes to the composition
of participatory bodies, this task cannot be further delayed. The participation of baptised
men and women living in complex situations of loving relationship “can be expressed in
different ecclesial services, which necessarily requires discerning which of the various
forms of exclusion currently practised in the liturgical, pastoral, educational and
institutional framework, can be surmounted” (299). This discernment also concerns their
exclusion from parish and diocesan community participation bodies as experienced in
some local churches.
g) From the perspective of the uniqueness of ecclesial communion: how can we interweave
the consultative and deliberative aspects of synodality? Given the variety of charismatic
and ministerial gifts of the People of God, how do we integrate the tasks of advising,
discerning, and deciding in the various participatory bodies.

Proposals
h) Based on the understanding of the People of God as the active subject of the mission of
evangelisation, we suggest legislating for the obligatory nature of Pastoral Councils in
Christian communities and local churches. It would also be desirable to strengthen the
bodies of participation, with a proper presence of the laity, recognising the role they can
play in discerning decisions by virtue of their baptism.
i) Participatory bodies represent the first instance in which to experience the accountability
of those who exercise responsibility. While we warmly welcome and support their
commitment, in turn, they are invited to practice the culture of accountability to the
community of which they are an expression.

19. Groupings of Churches within the Communion of the Whole　Church

Convergences

a) The Holy Spirit abundantly distributes His gifts for the common good, and so we are
convinced that each Church, in the communion of the entire Church, has much to offer.
When we view the Church as the Body of Christ, we understand more easily that the
various members are interdependent and share the same life: “if one member suffers, all
the members suffer together with it; and if one member is honoured, all the members
rejoice with it” (1 Cor 12:26). We therefore want to develop the spiritual attitudes that
arise from this outlook: humility and generosity, respect and sharing. Also important are
the willingness to grow in mutual knowledge and to prepare the necessary structures so
that the exchange of spiritual riches, missionary discipleship and material goods can
become a concrete reality.
b) The question of groupings of local churches proved to be fundamental to the full exercise
of synodality in the Church. In responding to the question of how to configure instances
of synodality and collegiality involving groupings of local churches, the Assembly agreed
on the importance of ecclesial discernment carried out by the Episcopal Conferences and
Continental Assemblies for the proper conduct of the first phase of the synodal process.
c) The synodal process has shown how the bodies provided by the Code of Canon Law and
the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches exercise their function more effectively
when these bodies are understood from the local churches. The fact that the Church
(Ecclesia tota) is a communion of Churches requires each bishop in a more direct and
binding way to exercise his duty of care for all the Churches (sollicitudo omnium
Ecclesiarum) as a constitutive aspect of his ministry as pastor of a Church.
d) Episcopal Conferences played a decisive role in the first phase of the synodal process. The
process brought out the need for synodality and collegiality at the continental level. Bodies
operating at these levels contribute to the exercise of synodality, respecting local realities
and processes of inculturation. The Assembly expressed confidence that by these means,
the risk of uniformity and centralization in the government of the Church will be overcome.

Matters for Consideration
e) Before creating new ecclesial structures, we need to strengthen and revitalize those that
exist. There is also a need for ecclesiological and canonical study of the implications of
the reform related to groupings of Churches, so that they may assume a more fully synodal
character.
f) Considering the synodal practices of the Church of the first millennium, we suggest a study
exploring how ancient institutions can be recovered in the current canonical order, and
harmonising them with newly created ones, such as Episcopal Conferences.
g) The doctrinal and juridical nature of Episcopal Conferences needs further study,
recognising the possibility of collegial action, including questions of doctrine that arise
locally, thus reopening reflection on the Motu Proprio Apostolos suos.
h) Could the canons referring to particular councils (plenary and provincial) be revised in
order to increase the participation of the People of God, following the example of the
dispensation obtained in the recent Plenary Council of Australia?

Proposals
i) Among the structures already provided for in the Code, the ecclesiastical province or
metropolitan see should be recovered and strengthened as a place of communion for the
local churches within their territory.
j) Relevant authorities should implement synodality at regional, national, and continental
levels in accordance with the insights that have emerged in regard to Church groupings.
k) Where necessary, we suggest creating international ecclesiastical provinces to benefit
bishops who do not belong to any Episcopal Conference and to promote communion
among Churches across national borders.
l) In Latin Rite countries in which there is also a hierarchy of Eastern Catholic Churches, we
recommend including Eastern Bishops in national Episcopal Conferences, leaving intact
their governmental autonomy established by their own Code.
m) A canonical configuration of the Continental Assemblies should be worked out that, while
respecting the particularity of each continent, takes due account of the participation of the
Episcopal Conferences and that of the Churches, with their own delegates who make
present the variety of the People of God.

20. The Synod of Bishops and Ecclesial Assemblies

Convergences
a) Even when the experience of “walking together” has been tiring, the Assembly sensed the
evangelical joy of being the People of God. The new experiences involved in this stage of
the synodal journey were generally welcomed. The most obvious ones include the shift of
the celebration of the Synod from an event to a process (as indicated by the apostolic
constitution Episcopalis communio); the presence of other members, women and men,
alongside the bishops; the active presence of fraternal delegates; the spiritual retreat in
preparation for the Assembly; the celebration of the Eucharist at St. Peter’s; the atmosphere
of prayer and the method Conversation in the Spirit; and the very arrangement of the
Assembly in the Paul VI Hall.
b) The Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, while preserving its eminently Episcopal
character, made tangible on this occasion the intrinsic link between the synodal dimension
of the life of the Church (the participation of all), the collegial dimension (the care of the
bishops for the whole Church), and the primatial dimension (the service of the Bishop of
Rome, guarantor of communion).
c) The synodal process was and is a time of grace which encourages us. God is offering us
the opportunity to experience a new culture of synodality, capable of guiding the life and
mission of the Church. We recalled, however, that it is not enough to create structures of
co-responsibility if personal conversion to a missionary synodality is lacking. Synodal
processes do not diminish the personal responsibility of those called to participate in it at
every level of the Church by virtue of their ministry and charisms, but rather solicit it all
the more.

Matters for Consideration
d) The presence of members other than bishops as witnesses to the synodal journey was
appreciated. However, the question remains open about the effect of their presence as full
members on the episcopal character of the Assembly. Some see the risk that the specific
task of the bishops will not be adequately understood. The criteria by which non-bishop
members are called to be part of the Assembly will also need to be clarified.
e) Experiences such as the first Latin-American and Caribbean Ecclesial Assembly of
November 2021, the Organisms of the People of God in Brazil, and the Australian Plenary
Council were reported. It remains to identify and deepen how to integrate synodality and
collegiality in the future, distinguishing (without undue separation) the contribution of all
members of the People of God to the elaboration of decisions and the specific task of the
bishops. The articulation of synodality, collegiality, and primacy should not be interpreted
in a static or linear form but according to a dynamic circularity, in a differentiated coresponsibility.
f) While at the regional level, it is possible to think of successive steps (an ecclesial Assembly
followed by an Episcopal Assembly), it is considered appropriate to clarify how this might
be proposed with reference to the Catholic Church as a whole. Some believe that the
formula adopted in this Assembly responds to this need; others propose that an Episcopal
Assembly follow an Ecclesial Assembly to conclude the discernment. Still, others prefer
to reserve the role of members of the Synodal Assembly to the Bishops.
g) The contribution to the Assembly’s work and the synodal Church’s processes, made by
experts from different disciplines, particularly theologians and canonists, also has
something to offer.
h) It will also be necessary to reflect on the interaction between the synodal process and
Internet and media communication.

Proposals
i) The synodal processes at all levels of the Church should be evaluated.
j) The fruits of the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of　Bishops should be evaluated.

PROCEEDING ALONG THE JOURNEY

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God,　or what parable will we use for it”? (Mk 4:30)
The Word of the Lord takes precedence over words of the Church. The words of
disciples, even those of a Synod, are only an echo of what the Lord Himself says.
Jesus chose to speak in parables in order to announce the Reign of God. He found images
to speak of the mystery of God in the ordinary experiences of human life: the natural world,
the workplace, elements of the everyday. In this way, he let us know that the Reign of God
transcends us yet is not distant from us. Either we see God’s Reign in the things of this world,
or we will never see it.
Jesus saw his own destiny represented in a seed falling to the earth, something of no
value or significance destined to decay, yet possessing the dynamism of life, a dynamism that
is unstoppable, unpredictable, Paschal. This is a dynamism destined to give life; to become
bread for many; bread destined to become the Eucharist.
Today, in a culture where people struggle against one another for dominance and become
obsessed with what is visible, the Church is called to echo the words of Jesus, to bring them to
life again in all their potency.
“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?”
Our Lord’s question throws light on the work that now lies ahead of us. It is not a matter of
dispersing ourselves over several fronts, reducing everything to a logic of efficiency and
proceduralism. Rather, it is a matter of grasping, among the many words and proposals of this
Report, what appears as a small seed, yet one that bears the future, and of imagining how to
bring it to the soil that will enable it to grow and mature for the benefit of many. “How will
this happen?”, Mary asked herself in Nazareth (Lk 1:34) after hearing the Word. There is only
one answer: remain in the shadow of the Spirit and allow yourself to be enveloped by his
power.
As we look ahead to the period between now and the Second Session, let us thank the
Lord for the journey thus far and for the graces with which He has blessed it. We entrust the
next phase to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a sign of sure hope and consolation
to the faithful People of God as they continue their journey, and to that of the Holy Apostles
Simon and Jude, whose Feast we celebrate today. We are all invited to welcome the small seed
that this Synthesis Report represents.
Adsumus Sancte Spiritus!
Rome, 28 October 2023, Feast of Ss. Simon and Jude, Apostles

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, right, receives his biretta from Pope Francis as he is elevated as a cardinal in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Credit: Riccardo de Luca/AP.)

(2023.11.9 Crux  Senior Correspondent  Elise Ann Allen)

（2023.11.1　Crux Senior Correspondent　 Elise Ann Allen

＊「カトリック・あい」からお断り

　「世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回総会第一会期の総括文書は、2023年10月29日に総会第一会議が閉幕した後、Vatican Newsには短い概要が同日に掲載されたのみのまま、時間が経過し、11月10日になって、ようやく英語版を含む公式の総括文書全文がバチカンの公式ホームページで確認されました。

　総会第一会期でどのような議論があり、どこまで参加者の意見が一致たのか、しなかったのか、提言にする内容はどうだっかのか、など、これからの私たちの”シノドスの道”の歩み、そして来年10月の総会第二会期につなぐ、極めて重要なものと考えます。このため、「カトリック・あい」では総括文書の全文の早期入手に努め、信頼できるルートからイタリア語の原文を基にした英語版全文を入手して、10月30日から、試訳ができた箇所から掲載を始め、日本語も有志の方々の協力を得て、試訳を行い、11月14日に終了、試訳全文を掲載しました。

　その中で、11月10日までに、バチカンから英語訳を含む公式文書が出されたことを確認し、入手しましたので、別途、公式英語版として掲載しました。既に試訳済みの箇所については、今後、公式英語版と比較、精査のうえ、必要であれば文章表現に修正を考えたいと思います。よろしくご理解お願いいたします。

　なお、お読みになっていて、誤訳あるいは活字の転換ミスなどがあれば、ご指摘いただければ幸いです（andynanjo@gmail.comあてに）。なお、文中の聖書の日本語訳は「聖書協会・共同訳」を使用しています。

（代表・南條俊二）

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回総会第一期（2023年10月4‐29日）

「使命においてシノダル（共働的）な教会」

（目次）

・はじめに

第１部　シノダルな教会の顔

1.シノダリティ: 経験と理解

2.三位一体によって集められ、送られる

3.信仰共同体に入る: キリスト教への入信

4.貧しい人々、教会の旅の主人公

5.教会はあらゆる階級、言語、民族、国家から

6.東方典礼教会とラテン典礼教会の伝統

 7.キリスト教一致への途上にあって

第２部　皆が弟子、皆が宣教師

8.教会は使命

 9.教会の活動と使命における女性

10. 奉献生活と信徒の集合体：カリスマのしるし

11.シノドス的教会における助祭と司祭

 12.教会の交わりにおける司教

 13.司教団の中のローマ司教。

第3部　絆を紡ぎ、共同体社会を作る

14.育成へシノドス的アプローチ

15.教会の識別力と未解決の問題

16. 耳を傾け、寄り添う教会のために

17.デジタル環境における福音宣教

18.参加団体

19.全教会の交わりにおける教会のグループ化

20.代表司教会議と教会会議

・旅を続けるにあたって

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

（本文）

・はじめに

（公式英語版をもとに2023年11月12日改訳）

　親愛なる姉妹、兄弟の皆さん、

　「私たちは皆…　一つの霊によって一つの体となるために洗礼を受けています」（コリントの信徒への手紙Ⅰ・12章13節）— これは、2023年10月4日から28日まで「シノダル（共働的）な教会のために。交わり、参加、使命」をテーマに開かれたシノドス総会第1会期で私たちが得た、喜びと感謝に満ちた経験です。洗礼という共通の恵みによって、背景、言語、文化が様々に違っても、私たちは心を一つにし、魂を一つにしてこの総会の日々を過ごすことができました。

   聖歌隊のように、私たちはさまざまな声と魂を一致させて歌おうとしました。 聖霊は私たちに、神だけが生み出すことのできる調和を体験するようにしてくれました。それは引き裂かれ分断された世界における賜物であり、証しです。

   私たちが参加する今回の総会は、世界中で新旧の戦争が猛威を振るい、無数の犠牲者の不条理なドラマが見られる中で開かれました。 私たちの中で響く貧しい人たちの、避難を強いられた人たちの、暴力と気候変動の壊滅的な影響に苦しめられている人たちの叫び。

   このような人たちの叫びを、メディアを通してだけでなく、これらの悲劇に個人的に家族や人々を通して関わった多くの人々の証言を通して、私たちは聞いています。私たちは皆、常に、自分たちの教会がどのようにして和解、希望、正義、そして平和の道を育むことができるのかを考えながら、この叫びを、自分の心と祈りに取り込んでいます。

　今回の総会は、ローマで、私たちの信仰を確認したペテロの後継者（教皇）を中心に行われ、教皇は私たちの信仰を固め、使命に果敢に取り組むよう促されました。

   この総会の日々をエキュメニカルな徹夜祭で始めることができたのは恵みでした―ペトロの墓で、教皇とともに、教会の指導者たち、他のキリスト教諸宗派とキリスト生共同体の代表たちが共に祈ったのです。
一致は神の聖なる教会の中で静かに醸成されています。 私たちはそれを自分の目で見、喜びに満ちて証言します。 「兄弟が共に住むことは何という幸せ、何という麗しさ」（詩編133章1節）。

  教皇の求めで、総会では神の民のメンバーが共に、司教の周りに集いました。 司教たちは、皆一致し、ローマ司教（教皇）と共に、教会が交わりであることを証ししました。
信徒たち、修道者たち、助祭たちと司祭たちは、司教たちと共に、教会すべてと教会のすべての人が関わることを意図する歩みの証人となりました。

   彼らの参加は、総会が他と切り離されたひとつの催しではなく、”シノドスの道”において不可欠な部分であり、必要なステップであることを、思い起こさせました。
総会で表明された発言の多様さ、立場の数多さは、シノダリティ（共働性）を受け入れることを学び、それを実現するために最もふさわしいやり方を追い求める教会の姿を明らかにしました。

　私たちが、この総会に至る“シノドスの道”の旅を2021年10月9日に始めてから 2 年以上が経ちました。2021年10月9日に旅が始まった後、ペースは異なるものの、世界のすべての教会は、教区、国、大陸の各段階で「他者に耳を傾ける」プロセスに取り組み、その結果はそれぞれのとりまとめの文書に記録されました。

   （全世界レベルの）この総会は、教会全体が、識別をするために（これまでの各レベルで）祈りと対話＝聖霊が私たちに求めているやり方―のうちに行われた討議の成果を受け取ることから始まりました。総会は、2024年10月の第二会期で作業を完成し、教皇にその成果を提出するまで続きます。

   教会の伝統に根ざした旅全体は、教会の伝統に基礎を置き、公会議の教えに照らして行われます。 実際、第二バチカン公会議は、世界と教会の分野に蒔かれた種のようなものでした。 それが発芽し成長する土壌は、信者たちの日常生活、あらゆる人々と文化の教会の経験、聖性についての多くの証言、そして神学者の考察でした。

　2021年から2024年の現在の“シノドス（の旅）″は、その種のエネルギーを引き出し、潜在的な可能性を発展させ続けています。この旅は、神の神秘と民としての教会についての第二バチカン公会議の教えを実践するよう、求められているのです。

   洗礼を受けたすべての人々が、さまざまな召命において、私たちが福音をより良く理解し実践できるよう助け、貢献したことを高く評価します。この意味で、それは公会議をさらに受け継ぎ、その霊感を育て、今日の世界のためにその預言的な力を再起動するという真の行為を成り立たせます。

　約1か月にわたる今総会の討議を経て、今、主は、私たちが（自分の担当する）教会に戻り、（総会での）私たちの働きの成果を皆さんに伝え、共に旅を続けるように、求めておられます。

   ここローマに集まった私たちは、人数は多くありませんでしたが、教皇が呼びかけられたシノドスの旅の狙いは、洗礼を受けたすべての人を関わらせることにあります。 私たちはそうなることを切望しており、その実現に全力を尽くすことを望んでいます。

　この総括文書で、私たちは、この総会の日々を特徴づける対話、祈り、そして討議に現れた主な要素を集めました。 私たちの個人的な物語は、どの構文も十分にとらえきれない生きた経験で、この総括文書を豊かなものにします。そうすることで私たちは、「耳と傾け」「沈黙し」「分かち合い」「祈る」経験のの豊かさを証言することができるでしょう。

   また、（他者の意見に）反論しようとする誘惑にすぐに負けず、異なる意見に耳を傾けるのは容易でない、ということにも私たちは共感するでしょう。 他者への贈り物として、そして絶対的なあるいは確かなものとしてではなく、貢献を申し出ることも同様です。

　しかし、主の恵みは、私たちをそれができるように導いてくださっています－限界があるにもかかわらず。そして、これは私たちにとって、真のシノダリティ（共働性）の経験でした。 実践することで、私たちはそれをよりよく理解し、その価値を把握しました。実際、私たちが理解したのは、多様なカリスマ、召命、奉仕活動の中で、洗礼を受けた人々として共に歩むことが、私たちの地域社会だけでなく、世界にとっても重要だ、ということです。

　福音的な連帯は、ランプのようなもので、「升の下に置くのではなく、家にあるすべてのものを照らすために燭台の上に置かれる」（マタイ福音書 5章15節 参照）必要があります。
今日、世界はこれまで以上に、この証しを必要としています。 私たちは、イエスの弟子として、傷ついた人類に神の愛と優しさを示し、伝える責任を果たすことを怠ってはなりません。

　今総会での討議は、Instrumentum Laboris（準備要綱）に書かれたロードマップに従って進められました。この要綱によって、総会は、シノダルな教会の特徴的なしるしと、そこに含まれる交わり、使命、参加の原動力について再考することができました。提示された課題の功罪について議論し、深い研究が必要なテーマを特定し、一連の初歩的ないくつかの提言を前に進めることができました。

   討議の進展状況を受け、総括文書は、準備要綱の内容すべてを、長々と繰り返し述べることはしていません。私たちが優先すべきと判断した問題とテーマに新たな弾みをつけています。 この総括文書は最終的な結論ではなく、進行中の識別の手段となるものです。

・・・・・・・・・・・・・

　この総括文書は３部構成になっています。

　第1部は「シノドス的な教会の顔」を概説し、シノダリティ（共働性）の実践と理解、そしてその神学的根拠を提示します。ここでは、シノダリティのスタイルが、三位一体の観想に由来し、教会における統一性と多様性によって広がった霊的経験として、何よりも第一に示されます。

　「皆が弟子、皆が宣教師」と題された第 2 部は、教会の活動と使命に関わるすべての人々と、その他の人々との関係を扱います。 この部分では、シノダリティは、主に神の民の共同の旅として、また王国の到来に奉仕するカリスマと聖職の実りある対話として提示されます。

　第3 部には「絆を紡ぎ、共同体社会を作る」というタイトルが付けられています。 ここで、シノダリティは主に、諸教会間の交流と世界との対話を可能にする一連のプロセスと組織体のネットワークとして、提示されます。

・・・・・・・・・・・・・

　3つの部のそれぞれの章は、それぞれ、総会の対話から生まれた「convergences（まとまったこと）」「matters for consideration（ なお検討を要すること）」「proposals（提言）」に分けてまとめられています。

　「まとまったこと」は、熟考が示す具体的な点を特定し、私たちの（進むべき）道を見つけるのに役立つ地図のようなものです。

  「さらに検討を要すること」は、神学的、司牧的、正典的な理解を深め続ける必要があることについて要点をまとめたものです。取るべき方向をもっと良く理解するために、立ち止まる必要のある交差点のようなものです。

  「提言」は、進むことが可能な道を示しています。suggested（提案されているもの）、 recommended（推奨されているもの）、あるいは、requested with some strength and determination（一定の力と決意を込めて要請されているもの）もあります。

　来年10月の総会第2期までの期間、（世界各国の）司教協議会と東方カトリック教会の高位聖職者の機関は、現地の諸教会とシノドス事務局との間の連絡役として機能し、考察を進めるために重要な役割を果たすことになります。

　総会第1会期でまとまったところから出発して、最も緊急性が高いと考えられる問題や提言に焦点を当てることが求められています。司牧的、神学的な課題の深化を督励し、教会法上の含意を示すよう求められています。

　私たちは、ローマで共に働いた日々に経験した、互いに耳を傾け、誠実に意見を交わした雰囲気が、神の国の良い種の育成する奉仕によって、私たちの地域社会や世界を通して広がるよう、希望に支えられ、強い熱意を心から伝えます。

（ここまで、翻訳・編集「カトリック・あい」南條俊二・改訂）

 

第1部     シノダル（共働的）な教会の顔

１．シノダリティ（共働性）：経験と理解

【一致 したこと】

a)　私たちは、教会のシノダル（共働的）な側面を新たに認識するよう招かれている。シノドス（代表司教会議）の実践は、新約聖書と初代教会で証明されています。その後、それらは異なるキリスト教会や伝統の中で特定の歴史的な形態をとるようになりました。第二バチカン公会議によって「改革」されたが、教皇フランシスコは教会に再びそれを更新＊するよう勧めています。

　　＊注＊updated：第2バチカン公会議は、ローマ教皇ヨハネ23世のもとで開かれ、後を継いだパウロ6世によって遂行されたカトリック教会の公会議。公会議史上初めて世界五大陸から投票権を持つ参加者 (公会議教父) が集まり、まさに普遍公会議というにふさわしいものとなり、教会の現代化をテーマに多くの議論がなされ、教会憲章、典礼憲章、教義憲章はじめ多くの教令、宣言が出され、以後の教会の刷新の原動力となるなど、第2バチカン公会議は20世紀のカトリック教会において最も重要な出来事であり、現代に至るまで大きな影響力をもっている。したがって、「更新」や「改革」といった言葉が適切であると言える。

　2021年から2024年にかけての”シノドスの道”＊も、このプロセスの一環です。神の聖なる民は、シノドスを通して、神のことばに根ざしつつ、喜びのうちに、時には疲労さえも伴う出会いの瞬間に織り込まれる「祈り、耳を傾け、語る」というシノダルな方法が、私たちは皆、キリストにある兄弟姉妹であるという深い自覚につながることを発見したのです。

＊注＊「Synod」という言葉は2021年10月に教皇フランシスコがその歩みを始められて以来、様々な意味に使われ、いまだに関係者の間でそれが続いている。「カトリック・あい」では、その意味を文脈の中で明確にするため、2021年10月からの小教区レベル、教区レベル、各国レベル、各地域（大陸）レベル、そして世界レベル（世界代表司教会議＝シノドス＝総会）に至る全体を「シノドスの道（synodal way, synodal path)」 とし、世界代表司教会議を「シノドス」、現在の総会を「世界代表司教会議（シノドス）総会」という表記で統一することで、訳の混乱が起きないように工夫した。

　それは、一人ひとりが洗礼によってもたらされた尊厳の担い手であり、福音化という共通の使命のための共同責任を担うように呼びかけられた、神の忠実な民としての私たちのアイデンティティに対する意識の高まりです。

b)　このプロセスは、神の家であり家族である教会に対する私たちの経験と願いを新たにするものです。「シノダリティ」と「シノダル」という用語は、まさにこのような経験と、より人々に近く、官僚的でなく、もっと関わり合いのある教会への願いを表すものであり、より明確化される必要のある初歩的な理解を示しています。

　それは、若者たちに捧げられた2018年のシノドス総会＊において、若者たちが「取り戻したい」と言明した教会です。

　＊注＊2018年10月28日　ローマに若者が３００人参加した他、インターネットでも若者による意見が集められた。インターネットを通した質問書に、世界のおよそ10万人の青少年が回答を寄せた。

c)　パウロ6世記念ホールで円卓を囲んで小グループに座るという、聖書の婚宴のイメージ（ヨハネの黙示録19章9節）に匹敵する配置で始まる総会の開催方法そのものが、シノドス教会を象徴しており、神の言葉を中心とするシノドスの源泉であり頂点である聖体のイメージです。その中で、異なる文化、言語、儀式、考え方、そして現実が、聖霊の導きの下、真摯な探求の中で共に実り豊かに関わることができるのです。

　＊注＊Paul VI Hall：1971年完成。ローマにある建物で、毎週水曜日朝の教皇の一般謁見の聖ペトロ広場の代わりとして利用される。

d)　私たちの中には、戦争、殉教、迫害、飢餓の犠牲となった人々の姉妹や兄弟がいた。シノドスのプロセスに参加することが不可能なことも多かった、これらの人々の苦境は、私たちの交流と祈りの中に入り込み、彼らとの交わりの感覚と平和をつくり出す者としての決意を育んでくれました。

　＊注＊In our midst：私たちの中に（この場に集まっている）「我々」とも訳する。

e)　総会では、このシノドスのプロセスの間に聖霊が教会に注いでくださった多くの賜物の中で、希望、癒し、和解、信頼の回復について頻繁に語られました。教会で虐待を受け、傷つけられてきた人々を含め、すべての人に耳を傾け、寄り添う姿勢は、長い間、見えないと感じてきた多くの人々を見えるようにしました。和解と正義に向けて、私たちはまだ長い道のりを歩まなければなりませんが、そのためには、そのような虐待を可能にした組織的な状況に対処し、具体的な懺悔の行動を起こすことが必要です。

f)　私たちは、”シノダリティ “という言葉が神の民の多くの人々にとって馴染みのない言葉であることを知っています。その中には、教会の教えが変更され、父による使徒信仰から遠ざかり、今日でさえも、神を求めて飢え渇いている人々の期待を裏切ることになるのではないかという危惧もあります。しかしながら、私たちは、シノダリティは生きた伝統のダイナミズムであると確信しています。

g)　教皇フランシスコは、代表民主主義の価値を低く評価することなく、シノドスが教会的・霊的な本質を欠いた多数決の審議機関となり、教会の本質的なヒエラルキーを危うくするのではないかという一部の人々の懸念に応えています。中には、変更を余儀なくされることを恐れる人もいれば、何も変わらず、生きている伝統のリズムで動く勇気があまりにも乏しくなることを恐れる人もいます。

　* 注＊representative democracy 代表民主主義

　また、戸惑いや反発の中には、権力とそれに伴う特権を失うことへの恐怖が隠されていることもあるでしょう。いずれにせよ、どのような文化的背景においても、「シノダル（共働的」や 「シノダリティ （共働性）」という言葉は、交わり、宣教、参加を明確にする教会のあり方を示しています。この例として、アマゾン地域シノドス（代表司教会議＝CEAMA）が挙げられますが、これは同地域における宣教的シノダル・プロセスの結果です。

h)　シノダリティとは、キリスト者はキリストとともに、また全人類とともに御国に向かって歩むことや理解することができます。福音宣教を志すシノダリティは、教会生活のさまざまなレベルの集まり、互いの声に耳を傾けること、対話、共同体的な識別、キリストが聖霊のうちに生きてご自身を現存させてくださることの表現としての合意形成、差別化された共同責任において決定することを含みます。

i）経験と出会いを通して、私たちはこの認識を共にすることで成長してきました。第一は、私たちが、長年にわたって分かち合ってきた経験が正真正銘のキリスト教的なものであり、その豊かさと深さのすべてを受け入れるべきであるということです。第二は、「シノダル」と「シノダリティ」という言葉には、異なる文化においてその意味のレベルをより注意深く明確を必要とするというものでした。必要な明確化を施した際に、シノダルな視点は教会の未来を象徴するものであるという点で、実質的な一致が見られました。

【さらに検討を要すること】

j)　すでに行われてきた内省的な作業に基づいて、司牧的な使い方から神学的、教会法的な使い方まで、さまざまなレベルでシノダリティの意味を明確にする必要があります。漠然としすぎたり汎用に聞こえたり、一時的なもののように思われるリスクを回避する必要があります。同様に、シノダリティと聖体拝領の関係、シノダリティと合議制の関係も明確にする必要があると考えられています。

k)　東方キリスト教の伝統とラテン語の伝統との間の会同の実践と理解の違いを、現在進行中の”シノドスの道”も含めて、両者の間の対話を促進することによって高めたいという願望が現れた。

＊注＊Encounters：出会い、遭遇。文脈に沿って、「対話」とした。

l)　特に、人々が共同体として共に歩むことに慣れている文化的背景におけるシノダルな生活の多くの表現が引き出されるべきである。このような観点から、シノダルの実践は、内向きな個人主義、ポピュリズムが分裂し、均質化し平坦化するグローバリゼーションに対する教会の預言的な対応の一環であると言えます。それはこれらの問題を解決するものではないが、希望に満ち、多様な視点を統合し、さらに探求され、照らされる必要のある、代替的なあり方と行動を提供する必要があると言えます。

＊注＊この総括文書は、「内向きな個人主義、ポピュリズム、グローバリゼーション」を社会的な否定的傾向だ、とし、教会におけるシノダルな生活の実践が、その対応であることを示唆している。それは、協力と一致を促進し、分裂と均質化に対抗することによって、希望に満ち、多様な視点を統合し、さらに探求・照明される必要がある存在だ、としている。

【提言】

m)　生きた経験の豊かさと深さから、シノダルの旅に参加する人々の数を増やし、これまでに現れた参加への障害や、一部の人々が抱いている不信感や恐れを克服することを優先事項として示します。

n)　今後1年間、助祭、司祭、司教がシノドスのプロセスにもっと積極的に参加する方法を開拓する必要がある。シノドス教会は、彼らの声、経験、貢献なしには成り立たない。私たちは、彼らの一部がシノダリティ化に抵抗する理由を理解する必要がある。

o)　最後に、シノドス文化がより世代を超えたものになる必要性が強く浮かび上がり、若者が家族、仲間、牧師たちと、デジタルコンテンツ（digital channels）を含めて自由に発言できる場が必要であることが示された。

p)　第二バチカン公会議以降の研究の豊かな継承と、特に国際神学委員会の『教会の生活と宣教におけるシノダリティに関する文書』（2018年）と『教会の生活におけるセンスス・フィデイ』（2014年）の文書＊を活用しながら、来年の今総会第二会期に先立ち、シノダリティの概念と実践の用語的・概念的理解を深める神学的作業を適切な場で推進することを提言します。

*注＊この二つの国際神学委員会の文書の日本語訳は今年5月に出版された「カトリック教会は刷新できるか」（田中昇など編・訳、教友社）でご覧になれる。

 

r)東方教会典礼法典の改訂の時期が来ているようである。したがって、そのための予備的研究を開始すべきなのです。

 

 

 

2．三位一体によって集められ、送られる

【一致したこと】

a)　第二バチカン公会議が言及しているように、教会は「父と子と聖霊の一致に基づいて一つに集められた民」です（第二バチカン公会議・教会憲章４項参照）

　御父は、御子の遣わしと聖霊の賜物を通して、我々を “私 “から “私たち ” へと移し、世界に尽くすように求められる交わりと宣教のダイナミズムに、関与させてくださるのです。シノダリティは、神が人類と出会うために訪れる三位一体的なダイナミズムを、霊的な態度や教会的なプロセスに翻訳＊します。そのためには、洗礼を受けたすべての人が、それぞれの召命、神の恵み、聖職者の相互的な実践に献身することが必要です。

　そうすることによってのみ、教会は真の意味で、自分自身の中と世界との “対話 “となり（参照：Ecclesiam suam 67）、イエスに倣い＊＊、すべての人間と肩を並べて歩むことができるのです。

＊注＊translates：ベネディクト１６世著作「イエス・キリストの神」三位一体の神についての省察（訳：星野泰昭）において、「十字架の神秘に翻訳されなければなりません」としているのを参照。原文：Für uns Menschen heißt Schenken, Sichselbergeben, immer auch Kreuz.(Das trinitarische Ge- heimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheim- nis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus der der Heilige Geist kommt. (独)übersetztは（英）translateに相当する。

＊＊the style of Jesus.：イエスのスタイルだと日本語だと軽く見えるので「イエスに倣い」とした。

b)　その起源から、教会のシノドスの旅は、神がすべてのうちにすべてのものになられる時に、完全になされるであろう御国へと向けられています。教会的兄弟愛の証しと、最も貧しい人々への奉仕のための宣教的献身は、それらのしるしであり道具でもある神秘の証しには、決して及びません。

　教会は、自らを宣教の中心に据えるためにシノドスの構成を省みるのではなく、たとえその構成上の不完全さの中にあっても、御国の到来への奉仕を最もよく果たすために、シノドスの構成を省みるのです。教会のシノドスの旅の中心は、神の国とその最終的な完成にあります。教会は、自らを宣教の中心に据えるためではなく、たとえ不完全な状態であっても、神の国の到来によりよく奉仕するために、そのシノダル的な構成を振り返るのです。友愛に満ちた一致と、最も小さい人々への宣教的献身という教会の証しは、その御国のしるしであり、道具なのです。

c)　キリスト教共同体の刷新＊は、恵みの優位性を認識することによってのみ可能である。もし霊的な深みが欠けているのなら、シノダリティはうわべだけの「刷新」にとどまってしまいます。 私たちに求められているのは、他の場所で得た霊的経験を共同体のプロセスに反映させることだけでなく、共同体の友愛関係が神との真の交流の場であり、形であることをより深く経験することです。この意味において、シノダルの視点は、伝統の豊かな霊的な遺産を活かしつつ、その形式を新たにすることに貢献します。それは参加に開かれた祈り、共に生きるという識別、分かち合いから生まれ、奉仕として放たれる宣教的エネルギーなどです。

＊注＊renewal：三箇所あるが、文脈と日本語の自然さを優先して翻訳した。

　その起源から、教会における”シノドスの道”の歩みは、恵みの重要性を認識することによって、キリスト教共同体の刷新を志向しています。霊的な深みがなければ、シノダリティは単なる表面的なものとなってしまう。私たちは、神と真正に出会う場所と形として、友愛関係を優先するよう求められているのです。シノダルな視点は、伝統の霊的遺産に基礎を置きながら、その形式を変革することにも貢献します。これには、参加を歓迎する祈り、共に実践する識別、そして分かち合いから生まれ、奉仕を通して現れる宣教のエネルギーが含まれます。

d)　聖霊による会話は、その限界はあるとしても、聖霊が教会に何を語っておられるかを見極め、真摯に耳を傾けることを可能にする、実りある手段です。その実践は、喜び、畏敬の念、感謝の念を呼び起こし、個人、グループ、そして教会を変容させる刷新の道として経験されてきました。

　「対話」という言葉は、単なる会話以上のものを表現しています。それは、思考と感情を調和的に織り交ぜ、分かち合う生命世界を生み出すものです。だからこそ、対話による関与は重要な意味を持つと言えるのです。それは、共同体にとって重要な問題に対処し、決定するために連帯して集うという実践によって結ばれた、異なる民族や文化に見られる人類学的なデータです。恩寵はこの人間的経験を結実させます。「聖霊にあって」対話をするということは、聖霊がそのまぎれもない声を聞かせ、真に福音的な雰囲気の中で、信仰の光を分かち合い、神の意志を求める経験を生きることを意味するのです。

　まとめ：キリスト教共同体の刷新は、真摯な対話と聖霊との関わりを通してのみ可能となります。この種の対話は、単なる対話を超え、信仰の光の中で分かち合い、神の御心を求め、聖霊の声が聞こえるような本来の福音的な雰囲気を作り出すことを含みます。それは、個人、グループ、そして教会全体に影響を与える変容的な経験なのです。

e)　シノダリティは宣教を使命としているので、キリスト教共同体は、他宗教、他信条、他文化の男女と友愛を分かち合うことが不可欠であり、一方では自己言及や自己保身のリスクを避け、他方ではアイデンティティの喪失のリスクを避けなければなりません。対話、相互学習、共に歩むという論理は、福音宣教、貧しい人々への奉仕活動、共通の家庭への配慮、神学的研究を特徴づけるものでなければならず、教会の司牧スタイルとなります。

【さらに検討を要すること】

f)　御父の御心に真に耳を傾けることを実現するためには、聖霊の自由と新しさへの言及が、「ただ一度」（ヘブライ10:10）であるイエス・キリストの出来事と適切に調整されるように、神学的観点から教会的識別の基準を深める必要があると思われます。そのためにはまず、聖書に記されている神の言葉に耳を傾けること、伝統と教会の教導職を受け入れること、そして時代のしるしを預言的に読み取ることの関係を、明確にする必要があります。

＊注＊once and for all:「この御心に基づいて、ただ一度イエス・キリストの体が献げられたことにより、私たちは聖なる者とされたのです」（ヘブライ人への手紙10章10節）

g)　そのためには、理性と感情の間の還元主義や二元論を克服し、信仰体験の知的次元と情緒的次元を並列させるのではなく、統合することができる人間学的・霊的ビジョンを促進することが極めて重要です。

h)　聖霊による対話が、神学的思考と人文科学と社会科学（the humanities and social sciences）の貢献をどのように統合できるのか、特に「見る」「判断」「行動」 によって精査することや、「認識」「解釈」「選択」の手順によって行われる他の教会的識別のモデルに照らし合わせた場合でも、明確にすることが重要です。

＊注＊other models of ecclesial：「他の教会的」とは、f〜hによって教会内の識別に対するより広範で包括的なアプローチの必要性を強調するために、言及されている。神学的思考と人文科学と社会科学などのさまざまな視点や学問分野を照らし合わせ、様々な状況や文脈の中で神の御心を識別し理解するために用いることのできる様々な方法論や枠組みがあることを示唆している。

i)「Lectio Divina（神の読書）」＊と、古今東西のさまざまな霊的伝統が識別の実践に提供しうる貢献を発展させるべきなのです。実際、聖霊が何世紀にもわたって示唆し、教会の霊的遺産の一部である、複数の形式やスタイル、方法や基準を評価することは適切なのです。

＊注＊Lectio Divinaは、神の言葉を深く味わうために聖書で祈る瞑想的な方法。 初期教会の時代にさかのぼり、６世紀の聖ベネディクトによって修道生活の慣行として確立された。

 

【提言】

 j ) 教会の生活の中で、聖霊による対話や その他の形式の識別を試み、適応させ、文化や文脈に応じ て、さまざまな霊的伝統の豊かさを大切にすることを提案します。適切な形の同伴＊がこの実践を促進し、その論理を理解し、起こりうる抵抗を克服する助けとなります。

　＊注＊Appropriate forms of accompaniment：日本語の場合、「適切な理解」「適切な共感」と方法や手段として記すことが通常だが、form（形）は日本語の場合は、具体的な形や外見を指すことが一般的だが、西洋圏（キリスト教圏）では、ある目的や目標に対して適切な形式や方法を指す場合がある。

l)司牧の場においても、教会生活の具体性を照らし出すために、状況に応じて適切な方法で、識別の実践を行うことが重要です。それによって、共同体に存在するカリスマをよりよく認識し、 任務や 使命を賢明に委ね、単なる活動の計画を超え、聖霊の光に照らされた司牧の道 を設計することが可能になります。

3.　信仰共同体に入る： キリスト教への入信

【一致したこと】

a)　キリスト教への入信は、主が、教会の務めを通して私たちに復活祭信仰を示し、私たちを三位一体的、教会的な交わりの中に入れてくださる旅程です。この旅程は、それが行われる年齢や、東洋と西洋の伝統にふさわしい強調点の違いによって、実に多様な形をとっています。もっとも＊＊、御言葉に耳を傾けること、生活を改めること、典礼を祝うこと、共同体とその使命の中に溶け込むことは、常にこの旅程に絡み合っています。まさにこの理由から、求道者の旅は、その段階と歩みの漸進性をもって、すべての教会的歩みのパラダイムとなるのです。

＊注＊この文脈では、キリスト教のinitiation processが異なる伝統や年齢によって異なる特徴や重点を持つことを指している。つまり、異なる伝統等によって、initiationの形式や重視される点が異なるということを言っている。＊＊英語分ではhoweverとある。 前述の内容と対照的な要素や制約を導入する際に使われる単語だが、キリスト教入信の旅は、様々な形式をとりいれるが、その中には東西の伝統に固有の重点があるとし、それを述べた後に、聖書の言葉、聴衆の生活の変革、ミサの祝福、共同体への参加などを含みcatechumenal journeyは、段階的な進行によって、全ての共同体の歩みによって関わって絡み合っているものとしているので、使い方として「しかし」という逆接ではない。よって、「もっとも」と訳した。

b)　入信は、実に多様な召命や教会の務めに触れることをもたらします。そこには、子どもたちとともに歩むことによって、子どもたちに歩むことを教える教会の母性的な顔が表れています。「母性的な一面を持つ教会」は子どもたちの声に耳を傾け、子どもたちの疑問や質問に答えながら、一人ひとりの歴史、言語、文化がもたらす新しさによって豊かにされるのです。この司牧的行為の実践の中で、キリスト教共同体は、多くの場合、十分に意識されることなく、合一性の最初の形態を経験するのです。

＊注＊”maternal face”と”she”: カトリック教会における教会とは、父性的な性格を持つとされる。司教や神父などの聖職者は、父親のような役割を果たし、信徒を導く。しかし、教会もまた母性的な性格を持つと考えられており、信仰の親元としての保護や教育など、母親のような役割も果たすとされている。「彼女」と訳すると違和感があるので、「母性的な一面を持つ教会」とした。

c) カリスマや宣教の区別以前に、「奴隷も自由人も、一つの霊によって一つの体となるために洗礼を受け」（コリントの信徒への手紙1・12章13節）とあるように、洗礼を受けたすべての人には、各人の召命に従って、尊厳の真の平等と、宣教に対する共通の責任があります。「この油があなたがたに、すべてのことを教えます」（ヨハネの手紙1・2章27節）。

　聖霊の油注ぎによって、信者は皆、福音の真理に対する直感（信仰の感覚：sensus fidei ）を持っています。それは、神の存在に対するある種の親近感と、信仰の真理に適合するものを直感的に把握する適性から成っているのです。シノドスの道はこの賜物を高め、特定の教義や実践が使徒的信仰に属するかどうかを決定する確かな基準である、信者たちの同意（consensus fidelium）の存在を検証することを可能にします。

d)　堅信は聖霊降臨の恵みを教会に永続させます。聖霊の賜物の豊かさで信徒を豊かにし、共通の洗礼の尊厳に根ざした特定の召命を宣教の奉仕の中で発展させるように呼びかけます。その重要性はより強調され、教会のシノダル（共働的）な顔（synodal face）を描く多様なカリスマと宣教との関連において位置づけられなければなりません。

f)　聖体から、教会の一致とキリスト教共同体の多様性、秘跡の神秘の一致と典礼の伝統の多様性、祝典の一致と召命、カリスマ、奉仕活動の多様性など、一致と多様性を明確に表現することを学ぶことになります。聖霊によって生み出される調和は画一的なものではなく、すべての教会的賜物が共通の啓発のために意図されたものであることを、聖体以上に示すものはないのです。

【さらに検討を要すること】

g)　洗礼の秘跡は、キリスト教の入信の論理から切り離して理解することはできないし、個人主義的に理解することもできません。従って、キリスト教の入信についてのより統一的なビジョンからもたらされる会衆制の理解への貢献をさらに探求する必要があります。

h)　信仰の感覚の成熟には、洗礼を受けるだけでなく、聖餐の恵みを真正なる弟子としての生活へと発展させることが必要であり、それによって、支配的な考え方の表れであるもの、文化的な影響であるもの、あるいはいかなる場合にも聖霊の働きや福音と矛盾するものから見分けることができるようになります。これは、適切な神学的考察によって深める必要があります。

i)　シノダリティに関する考察は、聖霊の恵みがペンテコステ（聖霊降臨日）の調和の中で多様な賜物とカリスマを明確にする堅信についての理解に新たな洞察を与えることができます。様々な教会経験に照らし、この秘跡の準備と祝典をより実りあるものにし、すべての信徒が共同体形成、世界における宣教、 信仰のあかしへの呼びかけを呼び覚ますための方法を研究すべきなのです。

j)　司牧の神学的観点から、教会で指導を受けるための（catechumenal）論理が、結婚準備、職業的・社会的に積極的に関わることによる選択に伴い、あるいは聖職への養成など、教会の共同体全体が関与しなければならない他の司牧の道をどのように照らし出すことができるかについて、研究を続けることが重要です。

【提言】

k)　聖体がシノダリティ（共働性）を形づくるものであるなら、最初の一歩は、その賜物にふさわしく、真正な友愛をもって祝福することによって、その恵みに敬意を表わすことです。真正をもって祝われる典礼は、弟子としての自覚と友愛の最初の、そして基本的な学びの場になります。あらゆる養成の取り組みを行う前に、私たちはその力強い素晴らしさと、その身振りの高貴な意味合いによって自分自身を形成することを許さねばなりません。

l)　第二のステップは、典礼言語を信徒にとってより親しみやすいものにし、文化の多様性の中でより具体化する必要性が広く報告されていることに言及しています。伝統との連続性や典礼の形成の必要性を疑問視することなく、この問題についての考察と、教皇フランシスコのmotu proprio（自発教令）「Magnum principium」＊に沿った司教協議会へのより大きな責任の帰属が求められています。

＊注＊教皇フランシスコが2017年9月3日付で使徒的書簡の形で発出した自発教令。 1983年の教会法典を修正し、典礼本文の現代語への翻訳の責任と権限を、各国、各地域の司教協議会に移管し、バチカンの典礼秘跡省の役割を制限した。

 

m)　第三のステップは、ミサの祭儀だけに限定することなく、あらゆる形式の共同祈願を高めるという司牧的取り組みであります。典礼の祈りの他の表現、また、その土地の文化的才能を生かした民衆的な敬虔の実践は、すべての信徒の参加を促進し、信徒にキリスト教の神秘を徐々に紹介し、教会にあまり馴染みのない人々を主との出会いに近づける上で、非常に重要な要素です。人々の敬虔なる形のうちで、聖母マリアへの献身は、多くの人々の信仰を支え、育むことができるという点で、特に際立っています。

4.　貧しい人々、教会の旅の主人公

【まとまったこと】

a) 教会は貧しい人々に愛を求めます。愛とは、尊敬、受容、承認を意味しており、それなくして、食料、金銭、福祉を提供することは、確かに重要ではあるが、人の尊厳を十分に考慮しない援助の一形態となってしまいます。尊重と承認は、個人の能力を活性化するための強力な手段であり、その結果、一人ひとりの人は、他者の福祉行為の対象ではなく、自分自身の成長の道の主体となるのです。

b) 貧しい人々への優先的配慮は、キリスト論的信仰に暗黙のうちに含まれています－ イエスは貧しく謙遜であったが、貧しい人々と親しくし、貧しい人々と共に歩み、貧しい人々と食卓を共にし、貧困の原因を訴えられました。教会にとって、貧しい人々や捨てられた人々のための選択肢は、文化的、社会的、政治的、哲学的なものである前に、神学的なものなのです。聖ヨハネ・パウロ二世にとって、神はまず彼らに慈悲を与えます。この神の選択は、「イエス・キリストにも見られるもの」（フィリピの信徒への手紙2章5節）を育むように召されているすべてのキリスト者の生活の中で結果をもたらします。

c) 貧困の種類はひとつだけではありません。貧しい人々のさまざまな顔の中には、尊厳ある生活を送るための必需品を欠く、すべての人々の顔があります。それは、移民や難民、先住民族、原住民族、アフリカ系住民、暴力や虐待に苦しむ人々、特に女性や依存症の人々、発言権を組織的に否定されるマイノリティ、見捨てられた高齢者、人種差別、搾取、人身売買の被害者、特に未成年者、搾取される労働者、経済的に排除された人々、その他周辺地域に住む人々のことです。

　弱者の中で最も弱い立場にあり、そのために絶え間ない擁護が必要なのは、胎内にいる胎児とその母親だといえるでしょう。今総会は、さまざまな大陸の多くの国々を苦しめている戦争とテロリズムによって生み出された「新しい貧困層」の叫びを認識し、その原因となっている腐敗した政治・経済体制を非難します。

d) 私たちの世界は、物質的な貧困のさまざまな形態とともに、精神的な貧困の形態も知っています。自分自身への過度なこだわりは、他者を脅威とみなし、個人主義に閉じこもることにつながることになります。これまで述べてきたように、物質的な貧困と精神的な貧困は、結びつけば互いのニーズに対する答えを見つけることができるでしょう。共に歩むということは、シノドス教会の視点を具体化することであり、福音の言葉「心の貧しい人々は幸いである」（マタイによる福音書5章3節）の完全な意味を私たちに明らかにすることなのです。

e) 貧しい人々と共に立つということは、私たちの共通の故郷と関わりを持つことにおいても彼らと共に関わるということなのです。今総会の開会に合わせて教皇フランシスコが発表された使徒的勧告『Laudate Deum』が指摘するように、対応の欠如は、生態系の危機と特に気候変動を人類の生存に対する脅威にしています。 気候変動の影響に最もさらされている国々の教会は、方向転換の緊急性を強く認識しており、このことは、地球上の他の教会の旅路への貢献です。

f) 教会の使命は、貧困と排除の原因に取り組むことです。これには、貧しい人々や排除された人々の権利を守るための行動も含まれ、個人、政府、企業、社会構造のいずれによって行われたにせよ、不正を公に糾弾することが必要かもしれません。そのためには、彼らの要求や視点に耳を傾けることが不可欠であり、彼らの言葉を用いて彼らの声を代弁するのです。

g)　キリスト者は、教会の社会教義からインスピレーションを受け、さまざまな形（市民社会組織への参加、労働組合、民衆運動、民衆に根差した団体、政治の分野など）で活動しながら、共同体の構築と生命の尊厳の擁護に積極的に参加することを約束する義務があります。教会は、彼らの行動に深い感謝を表明するでしょう。共同体は、慈愛と奉仕の純粋な精神をもって、これらの分野で働く人々を支援します。彼らの活動は、福音を宣べ伝え、神の国の到来に協力するという教会の使命の一部なのです。

h)　貧しい人々の中で、キリスト者の共同体は、裕福な人であったキリストが、私たちのために貧しくなってくださり、その貧しさによって私たちが裕福になるようにしてくださったキリストの顔と肉体に出会うのです（コリント信徒への手紙２・8章9節参照）。それは、彼らと親しくなるだけでなく、彼らから学ぶことでもあります。シノドスとは、道であるお方とともに歩むことであるとすれば、シノダルな教会は、貧しい人々をその生活のあらゆる側面の中心に置く必要があります。彼らの生活が主と似ていることから、貧しい人々は賜物として受けた救いの前触れとなり、福音の喜びの証人となるのです。

【なお検討を要すること】

i)　世界のある地域では、教会は貧しく、貧しい人々とともに、貧しい人々のためにある。教会の慈愛の” モノ ” として、貧しい人々を “彼ら” と “私たち” の観点から見てしまうという、注意深く避けなければならないリスクが常にあります。貧しい人々を中心に置き、彼らから学ぶことは、教会がもっとすべきことなのです。

＊注＊Object: “object”は「対象」という意味であり、「モノ」とも解釈される。例えば「貧しい人を対象に支援する」としたいときは“Supporting disadvantaged individuals.” Individual（個人）の複数形にするなどがある。Peopleも可能だが、文脈による。

j)　不公正な状況に対する預言的な糾弾と、為政者への働きかけは、外交的な手段に訴える必要がありますが、明晰さと実りを失わないように、動的な緊張関係を保たなければなりません。特に、教会機構が公的または私的な資金を使用することが、福音の要求のために発言する自由を制約しないように注意しなければなりません。

＊注＊policy makers：政策立案者のことを「為政者」と言い換えた。

k)　教育、医療、社会福祉の分野で、いかなる差別も排除もなく活動することは、教会の構成として、最も弱い人々の統合と社会への参加を促進する教会の明確なしるしです。 この分野で活動する団体は、自らをキリスト教共同体の表現としているからこそ、非人道的なスタイルの慈善活動を避けるよう強く求められています。また、これらの共同体は、ネットワークを作り、協調することが強く求められています。

＊注＊They are also:　they areが共同体を指しているのか、非人間的な慈善活動かを明確にし、alsoで同時にという意味も兼ねて、共同体が、キリスト教共同体の表現としているからこそ、非人道的な慈善活動を避けるのと同時に、ネットワークを作り、協調することを強く求めるとした。

l)　教会は、その整合性を誠実に示すために、その関連機関で働く人々に対する正義の要求をどのように満たしているかを誠実に調べなければならなりません。

m)シノダル的な教会において、連帯意識は、異なる地域の地方教会間の贈り物の交換や資源の共有というレベルでも発揮されます。これらは、関係するキリスト教共同体間の絆を生み出すことによって、教会の一致を促進する関係です。

   私たちは、聖職者に恵まれない教会を助けるためにやってくる司祭が、単なる機能的な救済策ではなく、彼らを派遣する教会と彼らを受け入れる教会の成長のための資源となるように、確保されるべき条件に焦点を当てる必要があります。   同様に、経済援助が福祉主義に陥ることなく、福音的連帯を促進し、透明で信頼できる方法で管理されるように努力することが必要です。

＊注＊Welfarism：何故、welfarism（福祉主義）が否定的に書かれているかについて。福祉主義は、個人や社会全体の福祉や幸福を追求するために、経済的な支援やサービスを提供する考え方。この文脈で「福祉主義」を否定的に言及しているのは、単純な経済的支援や援助に留まらず、より包括的で文化的なアプローチが必要だという意味だ。この文脈では、福祉主義が問題とされている理由は、次の二つの点が書かれている。①福祉主義に頼るだけでなく、教会の発展を促し、成長を実現するためのより包括的な戦略が求められる②経済援助が福祉主義にdegenerate（退化）しないようにする必要があるという指摘が書かれてある。この文脈では単なる援助に頼るだけでなく、援助を通じて共に成長し、透明性と信頼性を確保することが求められている。これらの理由から、「福祉主義」自体は問題ないが、単なる経済的な援助や慈善事業にとどまらず、より包括的かつ持続可能なアプローチが求められている。

【提案】

n)　教会の社会教理は、あまりに知られていない資源であり、再び力を入れる必要があります。地域の教会は、その内容をよりよく知らせるだけでなく、その霊感を行動に移す実践を通して、その充足を促進することを約束しましょう。

o)貧しい人々や社会から疎外された人々に出会い、生活を分かち合い、奉仕する経験を、キリスト教共同体が提供するすべての養成過程の不可欠な一部とします。

p)司祭職の再考の一環として、貧しい人々への奉仕をより強く志向するように促進させます。

q)　integral ecology＊の聖書的・神学的基礎が、教会の教え、典礼、実践の中に、より明確かつ注意深く統合されますように。

＊注＊integral ecology：2015年に出された教皇フランシスコの環境回勅「Laudato-si」の中心的な考え。「すべてのものはすべてのものと密接に関わっていて、無関心でいられるものなどなにひとつない」を基本とする概念。

5.　教会はあらゆる階級、言語、民族、国家から

【一致したこと】

a) キリスト者は、特定の文化で生活し、言葉と秘跡の中でキリストを自らの内にもたらします。慈愛の奉仕に取り組むことによって、キリストの秘義を謙遜と喜びをもって歓迎し、そのようにして、彼らは 「あらゆる部族と言葉の違う民」（黙示録5章9節）の教会となるのです。

b) 教会が存在する文化的、歴史的、地域的背景は、霊的、物質的に異なる必要を明らかにします。このことは、地域教会の文化、宣教の優先項目、各教会がシノダルな対話に持ち込む関心事や賜物、そして彼らが自分たちを表現する言語を形作っています。今総会を通して、私たちは教会であることの多様な表現を直接、しかも喜びをもって体験することができました。

c) 教会は、ますます多文化的、多宗教的な文脈の中で生きており、そこでは、社会を構成する他のグループとともに、宗教と文化の間の対話に関与することが不可欠です。このような文脈の中で教会の使命を生きることは、橋をかけるような存在であり、相互理解を培い、伴走し、耳を傾け、学ぶ福音化に携わろうとする存在、奉仕、宣教のスタイルが必要です。集会では何度か、「靴を脱いで」対等な立場で相手との出会いに臨む、というイメージが、謙遜と神聖な空間への敬意のしるしとして響くことです。

＊注＊taking off one’s shoes：この文脈では、他の宗教や文化との関わりにおいても、同様の謙虚さと尊重の姿勢が求められると意味している。「靴を脱ぐ」ことは、日本、及びアジア圏では礼儀だが、諸外国では失礼にもあたる。他の人々や文化との出会いにおいて、互いを平等な存在として尊重し、お互いを理解し合うための態度を示す際の「比喩表現」ではなく、具体的なアクションの一例として言及される。

d) 人口移動は、異文化共同体としての地域教会を作り変える現実です。移住者や難民の多くは、根こそぎ奪われ、戦争や暴力の傷を負っているが、彼らを受け入れる共同体にとっては、再生と豊かさの源となり、地理的に離れた教会と直接的なつながりを築く機会となることが多いのです。

  移住者に対する敵対的な態度がますます強まる中、私たちは、開かれた歓迎を実践し、新しい生活計画の建設に同行し、民族間の真の異文化交わりを築くよう求められています。移民の典礼的伝統と宗教的実践を尊重することは、真の歓迎の不可欠な部分になります。

＊注＊・the wounds of uprooting：根ざしていた環境を奪われるという意味ですが、文脈から次の戦争や暴力の傷を受ける状況から奪われているということである。

e) 宣教師たちは、福音を世界に伝えるためにその生涯を捧げてきました。彼らの努力は福音の力を雄弁に物語ります。しかし、「宣教」という言葉が、痛ましい歴史的遺産をはらんでいる文脈では、今日の交わりを妨げているような状況では特別な注意と感受性が必要です。

　一部の地域では、福音の宣教が植民地化や大量虐殺と結びつけられていました。このような文脈で福音を伝えるには、犯した過ちを認め、これらの問題に対する新たな感受性を学び、植民地主義を超えてキリスト教的アイデンティティを築こうとする世代に同伴することが必要です。尊敬と謙遜さは、私たちが互いに補い合い、異文化との出会いがキリスト教共同体の信仰の生き方や考え方を豊かにすることを認識するための基本的な態度です。

f) 教会は、すべての人々の間の交わりを築く一環として、諸宗教間の対話の必要性を教え、その実践を奨励します。暴力と分断の世界にあって、社会正義、平和、和解、共通の家庭への配慮に向けた協調的で友愛的な連帯の中で、人類の一致、共通の起源、共通の運命への証しは、これまで以上に急務とされています。教会は、聖霊があらゆる宗教、信念、文化を持つ人々の声を通して語りかけることができることを認識しています。

【さらに検討を要すること】

g)  教会であることの多様な表現の豊かさに対する感受性を養うことが必要です。このためには、教会全体としての姿と、その地域に根ざした姿との間にダイナミックなバランスを見出すこと、教会の一致の絆を尊重することと、多様性を妨げるような均質化の危険性との間にダイナミックなバランスを見出すことが必要になります。意味や優先事項は異なる文脈の中で変化するため、分権化*や中間的な存在**の形態を特定し、推進する必要があります。

＊注＊Decentralization：分権化とは、中央から地方や地域の組織や団体に権力や機能を分散させることを指す。これにより、地域の特性やニーズに応じた柔軟な対応が可能になる。

** intermediate instances：中間的な存在とは、中央集権的な組織や地方自治体と地域の間に位置する組織や団体のことを指す。これにより、地域レベルと中央レベルの連携や協力を図りながら、より効果的な意思決定や政策実施を行うことができる。

　文脈として、教会は異なる文脈や地域の特性を考慮し、分権化や中間的な存在を推進することで、地域のニーズに柔軟に対応しつつ、統一性を保ちつつ多様性を尊重することが求められる。

h)  教会は典礼生活や道徳的・社会的・神学的考察といった重要な分野における分極化や不信感の影響を受けています。私たちは、対話を通してそれらの原因を認識し、それらを克服するために、勇気をもって交わりの活性化と和解のプロセスを行う必要があります。

i)  私たちの地域教会では、福音化を理解するさまざまな方法の間に緊張が生じることがあります。それは、生活のあかし、人類の進歩への献身、信仰や文化との対話、福音の明確な宣教に焦点を当てたものです。同様に、明確にイエス・キリストを宣べ伝えることと、それぞれの文化がすでに持っている「種子としての御言葉（semina Verbi）」＊を求めて、その特徴を大切にすることとの間にも緊張が生じます。

j)  福音のメッセージと伝道者の文化との間に起こりうる混乱は、探求されるべき問題の一つとして言及されます。

k)  一段と激しくなっている武器の取引とその使用がもたらす紛争の広がりは、今総会のいくつかの作業部会で提起され、非暴力的な方法で紛争に対処するための、より慎重な考察と訓練の問題を切り開いています。これは、他宗教との対話と協力を含め、キリスト者が今日の世界に対してなしうる正当な貢献です。

【提言】

l)  幅広い多様な文脈の中で、親しみやすく美しい方法で人々の心と心に語りかけるために、私たちが用いる言葉の問題に改めて注意を向けることが必要です。

m) 地方分権の形態を試すという観点から、その管理と評価のための共通の枠組みを定義し、関係するすべての人々とその役割を明らかにする必要があります。首尾一貫性を保つために、分権化に関する検討プロセスは、さまざまなレベルで関係する全ての関与する関係者の同意と貢献が得られるよう、シノダルなスタイルで行われねばなりません。

n) 先住民族との司牧的関わりには、彼らのために行われる支援に限らず、共に歩む旅に沿った新しいパラダイムが必要です。先住民のあらゆるレベルでの意思決定プロセスへの参加は、より活力に満ちた宣教的な教会に貢献することです＊。

＊注＊New paradigms are needed for pastoral engagement with indigenous peoples, along the lines of a journey together and not an action done to them or for them.について：先住民族に対する支援や関与の形をより分散させることで、彼ら自身の自発性や主体性を尊重することを提案している。前文からも読み取れるように従来の中央集権的なアプローチではなく、彼ら自身が持つ知識、リソース、文化に基づく取り組みを促進することを目指す。

o)　今総会では、第2バチカン公会議の教え、公会議後の教理、教会の社会教説について、よりよく知ることが求められました。 私たちは、交わり、奉仕と対話において効果的な教会の教会であることをより明確にするために、私たちの異なる伝統をよりよく知る必要があります。

p)　移民や難民の数が増加する一方で、彼らを受け入れる意欲が減少し、外国人に対する猜疑のまなざしが強まる世界において、教会は、特に司牧養成プログラムにおいて、人種差別や外国人嫌悪と闘いながら、対話と出会いの文化の教育に断固とした姿勢で取り組むことが適切です。移住者の統合のためのプロジェクトに関与することも同様に必要です。

q)　人種的正義の分野における対話と識別への新たな取り組みを推奨します。教会内に人種的不公正を生み出し、あるいは維持するシステムが特定され、闘わなければなりません。癒しと和解のプロセスは、人種差別の罪を根絶するために、その影響を受けている人々の助けを借りて開始されねばなりません。

（ここまで「カトリック・あい」Chris Kyogetsu 試訳）

 

 

(2023.10.29 Vatican News )

  教皇フランシスコは29日午前、聖ペトロ大聖堂で、約1か月に渡す世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回総会第1期の閉幕ミサを捧げられ、説教で、「主の愛ある臨在の中で経験し、友愛の美しさの中に見出した『聖霊の対話』」について語られた。そして、総会参加者たちが「主の愛ある臨在を体験し、友愛の美しさを見出した様子」を回想された。

　「交わり、参加、使命」をテーマとするシノダリティ（共働性）に関するこの総会第1期の閉幕ミサで、最高潮を示した。 説教で教皇は、福音朗読（マタイ福音書22章34-40節）で読まれた、 律法学者たちが、律法のどの戒めが最も重要か尋ねることで、イエスを試みようとする場面を振り返りながら、「この重要かつ永続的な疑問は、私たち自身の心や教会生活の中で起こり得ること」とされ、「 最も重要なのは、生涯かけて神を愛し、自分自身のように隣人を愛することだ」という主の答えは、「すべての中心」を示し、「どのようにしてすべてが新たに始まるのかを示していいます」と説かれた。

 

　（以下、バチカン放送）

　「律法の中で、どの掟が最も重要でしょうか」（マタイ22章36節）とファリサイ派の律法の専門家から尋ねられた時、イエスの答えは明快だった。「『心を尽くし、精神を尽くし、思いを尽くして、 あなたの神である主を愛しなさい』 。これが最も重要な第一の掟である。 第二も、これと同じように重要である。 『隣人を自分のように愛しなさい』」（22章37-39節）。

　このシノドス総会の第1会期の歩みを終えるにあたり、教皇は、「神をすべての命をもって愛し、隣人を自分のように愛する」という、すべての出発点・再出発点であるこの「原則かつ基礎」を見つめるようにと招かれた。そして、教皇はこの「神と隣人を愛する」という愛の態度を、「礼拝し、奉仕する」という2つの動詞で表現された。

　まず、「『愛する』とは、神を礼拝すること」とされた教皇は、「『礼拝』とは、神の無償の驚くべき愛に対して私たちが捧げることのできる、最初の答えです…　『神から愛されている』という驚き、礼拝にあるこの驚きは、教会において欠かすことができません」と説かれた。

　同時に、「神を礼拝することで、私たちは自由を再び見出します。なぜなら、神を礼拝する者は、私たちを隷属化する偶像を拒むからです」と語られ、私たちが闘うべき偶像として、虚栄心や、成功への熱望、何がなんでも目立とうとする態度、金銭への貪欲、出世への憧れなどを挙げつつ、「自分の宗教に対する考えや、自身の司牧の上手さなど、霊的なものに偽装された偶像をも示し、神の代わりに自分たちを中心に置くことがないように」と注意を促された。

　そして、「教会とは礼拝する存在である」と、教皇はすべての教区、小教区、共同体で、主が礼拝されるようにと望まれ、「こうしてこそ、私たちは自分自身でなく、イエスを見つめることができるでしょう」と語られた。

　次に、「愛するとは、奉仕すること」とされた教皇は、「キリストが最も重要な掟の中に、神と隣人を結び合わせたのは、決して両者を分離させないためです。この世の叫びに耳を傾けない真の宗教体験はなく、隣人に思いやりを持たない神の愛はありません」とされ、「私たちは、実に多くの教会改革のためのアイデアを持っているかもしれません。しかし、神を礼拝し、兄弟を神の愛で愛すること、これこそが、『永遠の偉大な改革』だということを忘れてはなりません。『礼拝する教会、奉仕する教会』とは、傷ついた人類の足を洗い、弱く、見捨てられた人と歩みを共にし、優しさをもって最も貧しい人々の所に出かけていく教会です」と強調された。

　教皇は、戦争の冷酷さの犠牲者、移民の苦しみ、孤独な人、貧しい人、人生の重みで押しつぶされた人の悲しみに思いを向けながら、「貧しい人を搾取し、兄弟愛を蝕み、社会を荒廃させることは大きな罪です。私たち、イエスの弟子たちは、神を第一に据え、それと同時に、神が大切にされる貧しく弱い人々を愛する『福音』という別のパン種を世界にもたらすことを望んでいるのです…　最も貧しい人々をはじめ、皆に奉仕する教会、慈しみの港として、皆に扉を開く教会、それが私たちが夢見るように、と招かれた教会なのです」と力を込めて語られた。

　シノドス総会・第1会期の閉会にあたり、教皇は、「聖霊の対話」の中で、主の優しい現存を体験するとともに、兄弟愛の素晴らしさを発見することができました…　シノドスは歩みの途中であり、完全な実りをまだ見ることはできませんが、未来を見つめる目をもって、前に広がる地平線を眺めることができます」され、「主の導きと助けのうちに、神を礼拝し、人々に仕え、福音の喜びを皆にもたらす、よりシノドス的で宣教的な教会を目指しましょう！」と、シノドス関係者はじめ、全教会に励ましをおくられた。

（編集「カトリック・あい」）

 

（2023.10.28　Crux  Senior Correspondent　 Elise Ann Allen

ローマ 発– 教皇フランシスコが主宰する1か月にわたる「シノダリティ（共働性）に関するシノドス総会がまとめた総括文書で、注目を集めている問題について、明確かつ具体的な提案はなかった。だが、あるバチカン当局者は28日の夜、「十分で説得力のある合意」を模索した結果だ、と説明した。 」

The Assembly of the Synod on Synodality gathered together in the Paul VI Hall  (Vatican Media)

 

 

 

 

 

 

＊「女性の助祭職」は賛否両論でまとまらず、さらなる「神学的、司牧的研究」を求める

　助祭職を女性に開放することについて、総括文書では、「総会では、さまざまな意見があった」(9 j)としている。具体的には、「伝統との断絶、と考えているので、受け入れられない」と反対意見がある一方で、「初代教会の習慣を回復することになる」と支持する意見があり、「時代の兆しに対する適切かつ必要な対応であり、教会に新たなエネルギーと活力を求める多くの人々の心に響くだろう」と積極的に受け入れようとする参加者もいた。また、「憂慮すべき人類学的混乱」を伴うのではないか、と懸念する声や、「女性に助祭職がが認められれば、教会は時代の精神と融合することになるだろう」と理解を示す声もあった。

　総括文書では、今総会の参加者たちは、教皇が特別に設置した委員会の結果と、すでに行われている神学的、歴史的、釈義的な研究を活用し、「助祭職を女性に開放することに関する神学的、司牧的研究」を継続することを求め、「可能であれば」、「この研究の結果は、次の議会で発表されるべきである」(9n)と述べている。

＊女性の意思決定過程への参加、司牧や奉仕で責任ある役割は、積極支持で一致

　女性の助祭職についての意見の一致がみられなかった一方で、今総会では、「女性が教会の意思決定プロセスに参加し、司牧や奉仕において責任ある役割を担う」ことを確実にすることの緊急性が繰り返し述べられ、総括文書で、そのための教会法の適応に必要が指摘されている(9m)。 聖別された女性がしばしば「安価な労働力」とみなされる教会内の事例を含め、雇用差別や不当な報酬の事例にも対処する必要(9o)。 典礼文書や教会文書における包括的な言葉の使用の促進を含め、神学教育および研修プログラムへの女性のアクセスを拡大する必要(9 p)も指摘されている。

 

＊奉献生活の豊かさと多様性を評価、権威主義的なスタイルに警告

 

　総括文書は、さまざまな形の奉献生活の豊かさと多様性に目を向け、「対話の余地を与えない権威主義的なスタイルを続けること」に警告している。

　また、「宗教関係者や信徒協会の会員、特に女性が経験したさまざまな種類の虐待の事例は、権威の行使に問題があることを示しており、断固とした適切な介入を必要としている」とも指摘(10d)した。

 

＊聖職者主義は、司祭候補の育成を妨げる

 

　次に総会は、叙階され​​た聖職者たちに「深い個人の霊性と祈りの生活を培いながら、人々に寄り添い、すべての人を歓迎し、耳を傾ける姿勢で神の民への奉仕を生きるよう召されている」(11b) ）と謝意を述べた。そのうえで、総括文書は、聖職者主義、つまり「司祭の召命の歪み」に対して警告し、人々や困難を感じている人々との「緊密な連絡」の確保に、「養成の初期の段階から取り組む必要がある」(11c)。 また、これらの方針に沿って、「聖職者としての真の育成を妨げる、権威主義につながる形式主義とイデオロギーのリスクを回避するために、セミナーやその他の司祭候補者の育成が地域社会の日常生活と結びつけられるようにする」ことも要請されている(11e)。

 

＊独身主義は「さらなる検討が必要」

 

　司祭の独身主義も今総会で取り上げられたが、討議の中では、さまざまな評価が出された。 独身主義は、「豊かな預言であり、キリストについての深遠な証しであるとして、すべての人に認められている」との見方がある一方で、「神学的に、聖職者としての務めに対するその妥当性は、ラテン教会において、とりわけそれをより困難にする教会的および文化的文脈において、必然的に『規律上の義務』と理解すべきなのか」という疑問を抱く参加者もいた、と指摘。総括文書は「この議論は新しいものではありませんが、さらなる検討が必要」と結論している。

＊司教はシノダリティ（共働性）の一例だが、常に人的、精神的支援を得られるわけでなく、孤独感も珍しくない

 

　今総会では、司教の在り様と役割については十分な考察がなされた。司教は「共同責任」を負うことで「シノダリティ（共働性）の一例」（12c）とされ、教区内および聖職者の中において他の主体と関り合いを持つ者、と理解されている。それは、司教としての使命を妨げる可能性のある「行政上および法的義務」の負担を軽減するため(12e)と述べている。 これに加えて、司教は「必要な人的、精神的なサポート」を常に見つけられるわけではなく、「ある種の孤独感を抱くのは珍しいことではない」(12 e)とも指摘している。

 

＊多くの司教は、”父親”と”裁判官”の二つの枠割を演じる困難な状況に置かれている

 

　上記に関連して、総括文書は「多くの司教を、父親の役割と裁判官の役割を調和させなければならない、という困難な状況に陥らせている」(12 i)と述べ、虐待の問題に関して、「教会法上の司法的役割を、別の機関に割り当てることの妥当性」を探求することを支持している。 (12 i)。

 

＊育成にもシノドス的対応が必要—若者の成熟を支える人間関係と性の教育

 

　「シノドス的対応」は、育成にも必要とされ、次のことが推奨された—個人として、そして性的に成熟する中で、若者たちと共に歩むために、独身主義と聖別された純潔に召された人々の成熟を支えるために、人間関係と性の教育について取り組むこと－だ。

　また総括文書は、「教会内で物議を醸している問題についての慎重な検討」（15 b）を可能にするために、自己確認や性、人生の終末、複雑な夫婦関係、人工知能に関連する倫理問題などに関連した「人間科学の間の対話」（14 h）を深めることの重要性を強調した。

　そして、このような問題が物議を醸すのは、まさに社会や教会において「新たな問題が提起されるから」(15g)であり、 「個人や教会共同体を傷つける短絡的な判断に屈することなく、この考察に必要な時間を取り、最善のエネルギーを注ぐことが重要」とする一方で、教会の教えの中で、これらの問題の多くについては方向性が示されているが、司牧の実践に合うように”翻訳”する必要が、依然として存在する」とも指摘している。

 

＊教会から排除されていると感じる人々に耳を傾ける　

　総括文書はまた、「結婚の形、自己の主体性、あるいは性の問題で教会から疎外されている、あるいは排除されていると感じている人々にに耳を傾け、寄り添うこと」を改めて呼びかけている。 「今総会では、教会に傷つけられたり、無視されたり、あるいはそのように感じている人々、安心して話を聞き、敬意を持って対応してくれる『家』を求めている人々に対する、深い愛、慈しみ、同情が感じられた」と述べ、「裁かれていると感じることへの恐怖」を感じている人もいる、「キリスト教とは、常に、あらゆる人の尊厳を大切にせねばならない」(16 h)と強調している。

 

＊一夫多妻について「神学的かつ司牧的な識別」の促進を、アフリカ司教団に奨励

　アフリカからの参加者の一部からの報告を踏まえて、SECAM（アフリカおよびマダガスカル司教協議会）は、一夫多妻制と一夫多妻で信仰を持っている人の課題について、（16 q）と総括文書は述べている。

 

＊デジタル環境を生かせるかは私たち次第、偽情報、性的搾取、依存症など負の側面も留意が必要

 

　総括文書は最後に、デジタル環境について次のように指摘している。「携帯電話やタブレットを通じて人々が入る空間を含め、人々が意味と愛を求めるすべての空間で、今日の文化に到達できるかどうかは、私たち次第だ」(17 c)。インターネットは「脅迫、偽情報、性的搾取、依存症などを通じて危害や損害を引き起こす可能性もある」ことに留意する必要がある、と。

　さらに、「キリスト教共同体は、オンライン空間が安全なだけでなく、霊的な命を与えるものであることを保証するために、家族をどのように支援できるかを早急に検討する必要がある」と提言している(17 f)。

（翻訳・編集「カトリック・あい」南條俊二）

 

 

2023年10月28日 (土)　菊地・東京大司教、司教協議会会長のページより

　シノドスはまもなく終了します。本日、土曜日の午後に最終の全体会議が行われ、終了となる予定です。長い一か月でした。季節も変わりました。

Thursday’s press briefing at the Holy See Press Office 

 

＊ルッフィーニ広報省長官：総括文書の目的と内容について

　総括文書について、長官は、26日午前、朝の祈りに続いて348人が参加した全体会議で、総括文書起草委員会から28日の最後の全体会議で採決される文書の基礎となる基準について説明があり、35の作業部会で原案の検討が始められた。

　長官は、今回の総括文書の性格について、第1期となる今回の総会の結果として教皇に提出され、来年10月の総会第2期で、承認を受けるものとなります。したがって、教皇の承認を前提とする文書とは性格が異なり、あくまで暫定的なものです」と説明。

　したがって、この総括文書の主たる目的は、「私たちが今、どのにいるのかを理解し、今回の総会期間中の識別の過程で語られたことを思い起こし、今総会に始まり、来年10月で終わる旅を、循環的なプロセスの中で再開できるようにすること」と述べた。

　そして、その内容について、「識別が進んでいる点と、さらなる検討が必要な点が、ともに含まれていること、話し合われた すべてを忠実に表現することが必要。 私たちは循環的なプロセスの中におり、 神の民が耳を傾け、自らの識別力を提供したのと同じように、総会は自らの識別力を神の民に返すことになるでしょう。これは旅です」と強調。

＊コッホ枢機卿「 エキュメニズムとシノダリティには相互関係がある」

＊西・南欧正教会のヨシフ主教「世界中のキリスト教徒の間で友愛が築かれつつある」

　カナダの首都オタワのセントポール大学の組織歴史神学の教授で、国際カトリック・メソジスト合同委員会のメンバーでもあるキャサリン・クリフォード博士は、北米のシノドスの道”の歩みの代表として会議に参加している。

　世界中のすべての司教が、このシノドス総会の優先事項としてシノダリティ（共働性）を取り上げることに賛成したのは、「教会によって養われてきた長い成熟過程における数十年の熟考の成果」と評価。

　カナダにおける”シノドスの道”の今総会前の歩みに関しても、「キリスト教他宗派の代表者たちとの間で重要な意見交換が行われ、シノダル（共働的）な教会の統治の実践に関する経験を私たちと共有しました。 これは、私たちが『受容的エキュメニズム』と呼ぶものの重要な経験であり、互いの慣行の最良のものから学び、私たち全員が福音をよりよく生きるために刷新と成長の必要性を認識できました」と述べた。

　さらに「シノダリティは、諸教会の完全な和解を目指す私たちの共通の歩みにとって好ましい模範にもなりました。 全人類の救いの源であるイエス・キリストに対する私たちの信仰は、私たちを分断し続けている問題よりもはるかに偉大です」と強調した。

＊記者団との一問一答

「教会を神の民として、もっと真剣に受け止めるように」という教皇の指摘は重要」

　クリフォード博士は、「教会を神の民として、もっと真剣に受け止めるように」と教皇フランシスコが呼びかけられたことの重要性を指摘。「過去30年間、神学者の間で教会の共通理解について重要な議論が行われてきました。この教皇の言葉が、教会を『交わりと神の民の神秘』とみなす第二バチカン公会議の教えと類似していることは、注目に値します」と述べた。

　ガンデツキ大司教は、ポーランドの司祭の育成について、「訓練期間は7年間に延長され、司祭候補者が効果的に訓練されるようさまざまな科学t的手法が使われ、将来の司祭が、世間から孤立した司祭にならないように、他者との関係を育むようにしている」と説明。

　 新しい福音宣教におけるエキュメニズムの役割について尋ねられたコッホ枢機卿は、「これは重要な問題」と述べた。ガンデツキ大司教も「福音宣教は、ユダヤ人と教会共同体の両方の活動に伴うもの」と述べ、 時のしるしを識別する必要性について、聖性の証人として若い福者カルロ・アクティスの例を挙げた。 クリフォード博士は、教皇フランシスコが使徒的勧告「福音の喜び」で宣教的回心を呼びかけておられる、と指摘した。

「シノダリティは、合意形成に難しさがある」

　また、来年10月の総会第2期に、今総会の同じメンバーが参加するのか、との記者の問いに、ルッフィーニ長官は「そのようになる見通しだ」と答えた。

　正教会の経験からみたシノダリティ（共働性）の限界について尋ねられたヨシフ主教は、「合意形成に難しさがあります。『信者の信仰が、私たちの奉仕の中心』という認識を皆が持っていれば、シノダリティを持って進むのは容易なのですが」と本音を明かした。

・召命の欠如と既婚男性の司祭叙階の可能性－「最も議論されたトピックではない」「アマゾン・シノドスで出されたが教皇が却下」「正教会では千年以上続いてきた、カトリック教会でも可能性はある」

　記者からの 最後の質問は、「司祭への召命の欠如と既婚男性の司祭叙階の可能性」だったが、ルッフィーニ長官は、今回の総会の議論で、この問題にも触れたが、「最も議論されているトピックの一つではありません」と答えた。

　コッホ枢機卿は、アマゾン地域シノドスでこの問題が議論されたことを指摘しつつ、「教皇が『極めて多くの声に耳を傾けてきましたが、聖霊の声は聞いていません』とされたため、最終的な判断はなされなかった」と説明。

　またヨシフ司教は、 「私たち正教会では、千年以上も既婚の聖職者が続いてきました。それは、カトリック教会にもその可能性があることを、カトリック教徒に思い起させます」と述べ、 クリフォード博士は、「今総会で、このテーマが議論されなかったわけではありません」と語った。

シノドス参加者らによる宗教行列　 2023年10月25日　ロザリオの祈りの集いで　バチカン・聖ペトロ大聖堂  (Vatican Media)

　バチカンで開催中の世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回通常総会・第一会期の参加者たちが25日夕、バチカンの聖ペトロ大聖堂で、平和のためにロザリオの祈りを唱えた。

Pope Francis at the XVIII General Congregation  (Vatican Media)

(2023.10.26 Vatican News)

    教皇フランシスコは25日午後のシノドス総会全体会議で、冒頭に特別に発言され、その中で、「教会は神の忠実な民であり、信じることにおいて間違いのないものです」と強調された。

　発言の全文以下の通り。

A moment from the XVIII General Congregation of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops  (Vatican Media)

 

（2023.10.25　Vatican News ）

　世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回通常総会の参加者たちが25日、全世界の司祭、修道者、信徒に向けた「a Letter to the People of God（神の民への手紙）」を賛成336、反対12で可決、発表した。この文書では、過去数週間の総会の動きを述べ、自分たちの経験したことに感謝し、これから来年10月の通常総会第二部に向けて、「すべての人が『シノドス』という言葉によって示される福音宣教者の交わりの力強い動きに具体的に参加する」ことへの強い希望を表明した。

 

　世界代表司教会議（シノドス）第16回通常総会の第1会期が終わりに近づく中、私たちはこれまでの素晴らしく、豊かな経験を皆さんとともに神に感謝したいと思います。 私たちは皆さんとの深い交わりの中でこの祝福された時間を過ごしました。

　私たちは皆さんの祈りに支えられ、皆さんの期待、疑問、恐れを受け止めて、総会に臨んでいます。教皇フランシスコが2年前に”シノドスの道”の歩みを始められ、聖霊の導きの下で「共に旅をする」ために、誰一人排除されない、神の民全員に開かれた「傾聴と識別の長いプロセス」が開始され、実質的に 9月30日から私たちはローマに集い、討議を進めてきました。

　多くの面で、それは前例のない経験でした。 教皇フランシスコの招きによって、洗礼を受けた男女が初めて同じテーブルに座り、議論だけでなく、この総会の投票プロセスにも参加するように求められました。 私たちは共に、自分の召命、神から与えられた特性、聖務で補完しながら、神の言葉と他の人々の経験に熱心に耳を傾けてきました。 私たちは聖霊による対話という方法を用いて、聖霊が今日、教会に何を言おうとしているのかを、見極めることに努めつつ、あらゆる大陸の共同体の富と貧困を謙虚に分かち合いました。私たちは、ラテン典礼の伝統と東方典礼の伝統との相互交流を促進する重要性も経験しました。他の教会や修道会の兄弟の参加で、私たちの議論はより豊かなものになりました。

　私たちの総会は、世界が危機的状況にある中でで開かれました。そこに存在する酷い傷と不平等が私たちの心の痛いほど共鳴し、私たちの討議に特別な重みを与えてくれました。参加者の中には、戦乱の渦中にある国から来た方もいます。私たちは、悲惨な生活、為政者の汚職などで移民という危険な道を選ぶことを余儀なくされた全ての人々を念頭に置きつつ、致命的な暴力の犠牲者のために祈りました。正義と平和の実現のために努力を続ける世界中の女性、男性と共に、一致と決意を表明しました。教皇が勧めておられるように、互いに耳を傾け、聖霊における交わりを求める気持ちを育むために、沈黙の時間を大きく取りました。

　総会冒頭の信仰一致の徹夜祭で、十字架につけられたキリストを静かに観想する中で、私たちは、どれほど一致への渇望が高まるかを経験しました。十字架は、世の救いのためにご自分をささげ、「彼らが皆一つになるように」と弟子たちを御父に委ねられた方の唯一の司教座です（ヨハネ福音書17章21節）。私たちは、主の復活でもたらされた希望で堅く一致し、地球と貧困者の叫びがますます緊急性を増している”共通の故郷”を主に委ねました。教皇が総会の初めに語られたように、私たちは司牧者、宣教者への回心の差し迫った呼びかけを、日に日に感じました。

　教会に与えられた使命は、福音を宣べ伝えることであり、神が世に示された無限の愛をもって奉仕することを通して、福音を告げ知らせることです（ヨハネ福音書3章16節参照）。総会が開かれているバチカンの聖ペトロ広場のそばにいたホームレスの人々は、「教会に何を期待するか」との問いに、「愛だ！」と答えました。愛は、教会がいつも熱心に持ち続けねばならない。教皇は総会中盤の15日、全体会議で、幼子イエスの聖テレジアの「三位一体と聖体への愛」を思い起こされました。

　総会で私たちが経験した「大胆さ」と「内なる自由」を与えてくれるのは「信頼」でした。それがあれば、自分たちの一致点、相違点、願望、疑問を、自由かつ謙虚に語ることに躊躇しません。そして今、これからどうするか。2024年10月の総会第２期までの期間に、誰もが、「シノドス」が示す宣教の交わりの力強い動きに具体的に参加できるよう、願います。シノドスは、イデオロギーに関するものではなく、使徒の伝統に根差した経験に関するものです。2021年10月、教皇は、”シノドスの道”を始められた時に、すべての人の参加を奨励され、「シノダリティ（共働性）を具体的に示すような教会の慣行を育てない限り、ミサ典礼と宣教活動は、何がしか抽象的なままになる恐れがあります」と語られました。

　私たちの前には、さまざまな課題と多くの問題が残っています。

　（今総会の閉幕時に発表される）総会Ⅰの総括文書では、これまでに合意した点を示し、未解決の問題を明らかにし、（来年10月の）総会Ⅱに向けた作業をどのように進めるかを提示する予定です。この過程でさらに識別力を固めていくためには、教会は、最も貧しい人々から始めて、あらゆる人の声に耳を傾ける必要があります。そのためには回心、そして賛美の道を歩むことです。

　「天地の主である父よ、あな人々のたを褒めたたえます。これらのことを知恵ある者や賢い者に隠して、幼子たちにお示しになりました」（ルカ福音書10章21節）。このことは、そうした人々に耳を傾けることを意味します。社会で発言する権利を否定されたり、教会からさえも排除されていると感じている人々、あらゆる形の人種差別に遭い、特に、自己の伝統文化が否定されてきた先住民の人々の声に耳を傾ける必要があります。

　そして現代の私たちの教会には、教会関係者による虐待の犠牲となった人々の声に、回心の精神を持って耳を傾け、虐待が二度と起こらないように、具体的、制度的に対応する義務があります。

Dr. Paolo Ruffini, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, holds daily Synod briefing in the Vatican. 

（2023.10.23　Vatican News 　By L’Osservatore Romano）

　バチカン広報省のルッフィーニ長官は23日午後、シノドス総会の進行状況などについての定例記者会見で、今総会のSynthesis Document（総括文書）が28日夕に発表されることを明らかにした。

　　長官は、23日朝の総会全体会議でシノドス事務局長のマリオ・グレック枢機卿がこの文書の原案を説明すると、参加者全員が拍手で支持した、と説明。グレック事務局長は「全体会議で若干の修正や追加、特に様々な言語への翻訳に関する提案があり、受け入れられた。さらに追加の提案があれば23日午後6時まで受け付けることになっている」と述べた。

　これらの修正、追加をもとに、28日までに総括文書の最終案をまとめ、総会での承認を得て、同日夕の発表となる予定だ。

　また長官の説明によると、総会そのものは週初の23日朝、聖ペトロ大聖堂で、ヤンゴン大司教のチャールズ・マウン・ボー枢機卿主宰のミサが捧げられたあと、16回目となる全体会議が教皇はじめ350人が参加して開始。この場で総括文書原案が提示され、意見交換がされた。

　この定例会見には、ウィーンのクリストフ・シェーンボルン枢機卿、メキシコシティのカルロス・アギアル・レーテス枢機卿、 マルセイユのジャン＝マルク・アヴリーヌ枢機卿、そしてCongregation of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Motherの総長でグレゴリアン大学教授のシスター・サミュエラ・リゴンが同席した。各氏の発言など以下の通り。

 

＊アギアル・レーテス枢機卿「2012年の『新たな福音宣教』シノドス総会で、信仰の伝達が断たれた後、教皇フランシスコの下で”復旧”された」

　メキシコ・シティ教区長のカルロス・アギアル・レーテス枢機卿は、ベネディクト16世教皇が2012年に、「新たな福音宣教」を課題に招集したシノドス総会を回想し、「その総会で、信仰の伝達が断絶した、と結論付けられました」と述べた。

　そして「家庭内では、新しい世代に話しかけることができなくなりました。教皇フランシスコが就任されて最初のシノドス総会が『家庭』に捧げられたのは、そのような背景があったのです。 そして、若者たちに手を差し伸べ、協力することが重要だとされ、2018年の次のシノドス総会は「若者」がテーマになった。当時、私はトラルネパントラ司教区にいましたが、若者世代との友好を育てる集まりを、様々な社会階層の若者たちを持ちました。対話を目的として、さまざまな社会階級の若者たちと会合を持ちました。信仰は、信仰に生きる若者たちを通して伝えられねばなりません。 その後、教皇はアマゾン地域シノドス総会を招集され、気候変動と創造物の保護の重要性を確認し、子供たちや若者の環境への感受性を信頼することが重要だという認識を共有しました。気候変動などの問題に関する神の言葉を理解できるように、若者たちを助ける必要があります」と語った。

　最後に、メキシコシティ司教区での”シノドスの道”の歩みに関しては、「新型コロナウイルスの世界的大感染の影響で開始が延ばされ、2021年10月からのスタートとなりましたとなった。 現場を訪問した経験 、対話、そして互いに耳を傾け合うなどのやり方で、成果は社会の要請に応えるために蓄積されています」と説明した。

 

＊ジャン＝マルク・アヴリーヌ枢機卿「フランスでは誰もが”シノドスの道”の歩みに加わっているわけではない。より多くの傘下に努力する余地がある」

　仏マルセイユ大司教のジャン＝マルク・アヴリーヌ枢機卿は、このシノドス総会で経験したことなどについて、「 総会が始まる前、世界中の人々と会い、互いの経験を分かち合うことに好奇心をもっていましたが、総会開会と共に始まり、日増しに悪化していく戦争の動きにも関心を持たざるを得なくなった」と述べ、こうした悲劇的な出来事の中で、「教会は神の愛のメッセージを世界にさらに強力に広める責任を負わなければならない、と痛感しています」と語った。

　また、「私の国では、信者の誰もが”シノドスの道”の歩みに加わっているわけではない。より多くの人がこの歩みに参加するためには　努力の余地がある、という思いがある」ことを認めたうえで、「私たちの『共通の責任』を反映する、今総会の総括文書に多くの期待が高まっています。今週は、さまざまな問題について合意し、相違点を解決しようとする重要な段階を迎えています。今後数か月は、私たちが蒔いた果実を刈り取る月となるでしょう」と総会の成果に期待を表明した。

 

＊シスター・リゴン「 すべての人にとって世界をより良い場所にするために、私に何ができるだろうか?」

　シスター・サミュエラ・マリア・リゴンは、まず、 「私は祈りの中で、洗礼を受けたキリスト教徒で、修道女として、このシノドス総会に召される、という神の呼びかけを受け入れました」とし、「今回のシノドス総会に参加できたことは、教会の普遍性に触れる、非常に豊かな経験であることが証明されつつあります。 この経験は、謙虚さへの招待状であり、私の視点は美しいモザイクを構築するのに役立つ、地平線上の窓です」と語った。

　そして、「私は昨日以来、ミサ聖祭から、使徒パウロが、勤勉な信仰、熱心な慈善活動、イエス・キリストへの希望の堅固さについて語った三つの言葉を持ち歩いています。もしも、この言葉がこの総会で出てきたなら、私たちは、良い意味での本当の革命を起こしていたでしょう。それは、私たちが、神と共に成長でいる重要な種を受け取ったからです」と述べ、 この原則に基づいて、「今日、私は、これまでとは違うキリスト教徒として歩み始めます。 全員がこれを実行すれば、私たちは変革を遂げることになるでしょう」と強調した。

　この後、記者からの質問を受け、総括文書について、ルッフィーニ長官は「最終決定のための投票方法はまだ決まったいません。いずれにしても、28日の夕方には発表し、文書を配布することを予定しています」と説明した。

＊一般信徒が議決権を持つシノドス総会は、これからも続くのか

 

　また、「今後開かれるシノドス総会では、これまでの各国の代表司教のみが参加する形から、今回の総会のように変わるのか」との問いには、アギラール・レーテス枢機卿は、「この総会で議論され、経験されたことが実践につながれば、変わることはあるでしょう。今後のシノドス総会の形がどうなるか、その すべては、参加者たちが、自分の教区に戻ったときに何が達成されるかにかかっています」と答えた。

　関連して、「今回の総会で選ばれた形（司教だけでなく、司祭や一般信徒も議決権を持って参加する形）が、教会のあらゆるレベルの会合で適用され、一般信徒と女性の教会の意思決定への参加を広げる可能性」を聞かれた シェーンボルン枢機卿は、「エルサレム公会議から始めて、公会議が採用したのは、何よりもまず聴くこと、つまり神が歩く経験を通して示されることに耳を傾けることでした。 シノドス総会の結論は、この傾聴と共通の認識から得られます」とし、「私のウィーン大司教区では、すでにそうしたやり方に慣れています。2015年から今日まで、1400人が参加する5つの教区集会が開かれました。これは神の民全体の表現でです。 たとえ投票による議決が行われなかったとしても、傾聴と交流は経験されました。重要なのは、最終的には決断が下されなければならない、ということ。エルサレム公会議は教会の歴史にとって根本的な決定を下し、そこに到達する方法は、使徒言行録に書かれている通りです。 この方法の特徴は、『傾聴』『沈黙』『議論』の 3 つにあります」と指摘した。

 

＊「シノドス総会の本質は『聴くこと』にある」「『シノドス』であることに変わりはない｝

　シスター・リゴンも同様の意見で、「シノドス総会の本質的な側面は、『聴くこと』にあります。 職場や家庭、教会共同体で、誰もがこの側面を再発見する必要がある。 誰もが共有し、耳を傾ける機会を持たなければなりません」と述べた。

　また、「一般信徒が議決権を持って参加している今回のシノドス総会」に疑念を示す記者の意見には、シェーンボルン枢機卿が、この総会には司教以外の信者も参加していますが、シノドス（世界代表司教会議）であることに変わりはありません。私は、このことは問題ではないと思う。合議的な責任を行使する機関としての、性質は変わっていません。 参加者が拡大されただけであり、前向きな変化です。これまでも、シノドス総会には一般信徒の専門家が存在し、いくつかの非常に重要な決定には事実上参加して来ましたが、今総会はその”緊密度”が増した、ということです」と答えた。

 

　「シノダリティ（共働性）の喪失が教会を分裂に導いたのか、すべての教会がどの程度まで、共通の道に誘われるのか」との記者の疑問に対しては、「キリスト教徒の分裂が、証しの障害になっている」ことを認め、コプト正教の修道士の言葉を引用しながら、「人は人類の利益のために団結をうまく活用することがまだできないため、神はこの『恥』を赦されるかもしれません」と述べた。

＊「文化的な違いがあっても、多様性は障害となるべきでない」

　アギアル・レーテス枢機卿は、人口1億8千万人を擁し、その80％がカトリック教徒であるこの国で、グアダルーペの聖母に根ざした宗教性を中心に団結したメキシコ司教協議会の経験について言及。 「メキシコの北部、南部、中央部では状況が異なります。 2016年の使徒訪問の際、教皇は社会文化的背景のニーズに応えて安全なプロセスを求められましたが、その際、『多様性が障害となるべきではありません。さまざまなやり方がありますが、すべて教会の利益のために努力を集中することです』とおっしゃっています」と語った。

　アヴェリン枢機卿は、シノドス総会参加者の一致の素晴らしい瞬間は、信仰一致の徹夜の祈りで経験された、と指摘、「皆が十字架につけられたキリストの周りにいたのは、キリストの弱さとして十字架につけられた者を観想する中で一致への願いが高まるからです。そうすることが、一致への唯一、確実な道です」と指摘した。

＊LGBT＋の人々にとって「カトリック教会のカテキズム」は

　「一部のLGBT+の人々が、カトリック教会のカテキズムの道徳的”無秩序”という表現に傷つかれたと感じるのではないか」との質問に、シェーンボルン枢機卿は、自身がこのカテキズムの草案作成に関わったことを認めたうえで、「カテキズムは、教皇によって公布されたもの。公布以来、表現に変化があったのは、教皇フランシスコが「死刑」の扱いに介入した時だけです。 他に変更が必要かどうかは、教皇の決定によります」と説明。「常にカテキズムのテキスト全体を読むことをお勧めします。道徳神学に関わる問題だが、その原理には、客観的な秩序があり、人間が存在する、ことにあります。たとえ罪を犯したとしても、常に尊重される権利があり、ありのままの姿で神に受け入れられる権利があります」と強調した。

　最後に、教導職の話題性と神学者の貢献、そして「信者の感覚」との関係について、シェーンボルン枢機卿は、「聖ヨハネ23世教皇と、彼が第二バチカン公会議の初めに教義の不変性とその提示方法について語られたことに注目する必要がある」とし、「理解の程度には大きな進歩があるが、信仰の不変性は存在し、三位一体、神のキリストにおける顕現、聖体についての教義は誰も変えられない」と指摘。そして、これを基に、世界共通の信仰宣言がある。文化が違っても、信仰の実体は、使徒の時代から大きく発展していても、変えられない」と明言した。

A moment during the Synod Assembly  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

 

 

 

 

 

Synod Briefing in Holy See Press Office 

 

 

 

＊”シノダリティ”は修道生活でも重要

　シスター・ファドゥールは、”シノダリティ”に関連して、自身の体験として、自分のコミュニティの困難な状態にあるシリア人キリスト教徒を見捨てず、共に祈るよう助け、連帯感がもてるようにしたことを語った。

　シスター・バロンは、”シノドスの道”の歩みへの修道会総長の関与の重要性の一方、修道者としての奉献生活で、シノダリティ的生き方を理解するための育成の重要性を指摘。また、オンラインを活用した育成の波及効果についても言及し、「共有の拡大とコミュニティの構築に役立ちます」と述べた。

＊「女性助祭の問題は、すでにシノドス総会での識別のテーブルに載っている」

　また、女性助祭について記者から聞かれ、「この問題は、すでにシノドスでの識別のテーブルに載っています」とする一方で、「さまざまな意見があるのがカトリック教会の素晴らしさですが、（是非が）議論されている問題に、この場で（是非についての自分の考えを）申し上げるのは適切とは思いません」と語った。

　これに関連して、シスター・ファドゥールは「男性も女性も、誰もが教会で役割を引き受け、主の賜物を生かすことを、学ばねばならない、と思います」と述べ、グルーシャス大司教は「教会のさまざまな聖職に関する議論は、シノドス総会での非常に幅広い意見交換の一つ。文化的背景により意見の違いもあり、現段階でイエスかノーの決断を下すのは時期尚早です」と付け加えた。

　また、”シノドスの道”の歩みに関連して、グルーシャス大司教は「各国の司教協議会の会長たちは、教会法で既にシノダル（共働的）とされているいくつかの仕組み検討しています」と述べ、菊地大司教は「新型コロナの大感染の期間中、人々が”シノドスの道”を共に歩む機会が多くなかったので、オンラインでの歩みが選択された」とし、「もし一般信徒と本当に関わりたければ、彼らの活動、彼らの家族を考えることが必要ねばなりません」と語った。