Synodality: it’s the time for Synods, Councils and Assemblies!

Synod, Council, Assembly. In recent times, there has been a buzz of these words in our Catholic communities, each bearing its own meaning and purpose. These processes pave the way to an exciting season of encounter, dialogue and discernment in our church community but at the same time, it can be difficult to keep up with where we’re at! If you’re a bit hazy on what’s the difference between a Synod and a Council and the like, then you’ve come to the right place. Here is a snapshot of what is the 2023 Synod, Australian Plenary Council, Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Youth Assembly and why they’re important.

Let’s start with Synodality

Synodality derives from an ancient Greek term meaning journeying together. It is a style, culture, way of thinking, being and governing that upholds the truth that the Holy Spirit is leading the church and is allowing everybody to contribute to the church’s life and mission. As a model for gathering and making decisions, synodality includes the opportunity to listen to a range of voices and discuss the issues together with the objective of discerning where the Holy Spirit is calling the church.

Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church

Officially called the “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”, the Synod on Synodality (say that 5 times fast) is a two-year process that Pope Francis launched in October 2021. Each Bishop has been asked to undertake a consultation process with their diocese, ranging from local parishes, educational institutions, lay movements and other relevant bodies in a spirit of openness, collaboration and mutual listening. This local diocesan feedback will be compiled into a synthesised document along with the responses from the other Australian dioceses (other countries will create their own as well!). The Archdiocese of Adelaide sent our submission in May 2022. This process will culminate in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican in October 2023. Archbishop O’Regan from the Archdiocese of Adelaide has been selected as one of the Australian bishop delegates to participate in the 2023 Synod.

Throughout history, the Catholic church has held many synods, which are essentially meetings (called a General Assembly) of church leaders (Bishops). The difference here, as explained on the Synod 21-23 website is that: “although previous synods also began with wide consultations in the form of questionnaires, this is the first time that everyone has been directly asked to engage in an exercise of listening at the level of parishes and dioceses.”

The Australian Plenary Council

A Plenary Council is the highest form of gathering of local churches in a country. It has legislative and governing authority. The Catholic church in Australia held the final session of its Fifth Plenary Council in July 2022 with the purpose to dialogue about and create resolutions that will impact the future of the Catholic church in Australia. A significant event, it was the first council to be held in Australia’s history since 1937.  Laypeople and consecrated religious from across Australia participated in the council sessions, joining bishops to vote on binding resolutions to be sent to the Vatican for approval. Further information about the Plenary Council including the final decrees can be found here: https://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/

The Adelaide Diocesan Assembly

The Diocesan Assembly is a meeting of representatives from the various Catholic communities such as parishes, schools, movements and agencies in the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Embracing the movement of synodality and closely linked to the Synod on Synodality and Australian Plenary Council, the purpose of the Assembly is for open dialogue about the life of the Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Adelaide and to discern its work and mission in years to come.

Phase one of the Diocesan Assembly was held in 2021 where participants were asked about what they considered to be the most important points to discuss as the Catholic community in Adelaide. After much discernment and dialogue, the 2022 Assembly which will be held in October, will focus on discerning and committing to actions and strategies.

More information can be found on the Adelaide Diocesan Assembly website: https://adelaidediocesanassembly.org/

Diocesan Youth Assembly

The Diocesan Youth Assembly (DYA) is a gathering specifically for young people aged 16-30 from across the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Connected to the Diocesan Assembly, the DYA is a space for young people to meet and discuss issues and ideas that matter to them and come up with recommendations and strategies for ways that they, their faith communities and the Archdiocese of Adelaide can respond to the needs and priorities of young people and our local Catholic communities. The first stage of the DYA was held in November 2021 and the second stage will take place on the 17th of September 2022. The priorities and recommendations determined at the DYA will feed back to the Diocesan Assembly and delegates will be selected to represent the group at the Diocesan Assembly. Parishes, schools, communities and other organisations will be invited to nominate young people to take part in the DYA or individuals interested in coming can also self-nominate.

For further details, check out COYYA’s event page and social media accounts.

Rounding up

As a part of the Catholic church community of today whilst looking ahead to tomorrow and beyond, the voice of youth has played an important role at every stage in discerning how the Holy Spirit is calling the church moving forward. Synods, Councils and Assemblies of this kind don’t happen every day so as young people in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, let’s take the opportunity, to pray, reflect and speak up about the issues and ideas that matter to us to form the church of tomorrow.