For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission
A three-year 'synodal' process is taking place in the Catholic Church that culminates in two Synodal gatherings in Rome in October 2023 and a year later in 2024. The overall theme is "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission".
It’s an invitation for us, as Catholics, to ‘walk together’ and every member of the Church has the right to speak, and the obligation to allow those charged with the work of discernment the freedom to do so.
For the first time, the Synod Office in Rome has produced a comprehensive process which encompasses the stated aim of the Holy Father that the Church in today’s world should have a vision of missionary communion orientated to evangelisation.
Please follow this link to read the Pastoral Letter of The Right Revd Alan Hopes Bishop of East Anglia that outlined the Diocese’s approach.
A synthesis of the 1000 reponses to the Synodal Ways Survey in the Diocese of East Anglia has been prepared and submitted to the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales.
In all, 1031 responses were received via the online returns, which was open to all comers to complete. This represents approximately 11% of those attending Mass within the Diocese of East Anglia.
In addition, 24 parishes, some 46% of parishes within the diocese, submitted "whole parish" summaries following parish meetings.
Further reports were received from Caritas and other groups such as Justice and Peace Cambridge, and a number of "hard-copy" individual responses were submitted by post.
Young people did not respond in significant numbers but have relatively recently met in a synodal form.
According to Deacon Huw Williams, who is part of the Synodal Pathway diocesan team: "The People of God are being encouraged to embed the Synodal Way in the local Church so that it will help the Church to grow and spread the Good News.
"It is hoped that Synodality is here to stay and that the initial methodology will act as a stepping stone, which can be improved upon, and will help us to grow, together, in Communion, Participation and Mission."