This Synod was a Church gathering of 368 delegates of lay women and men, clergy and religious orders from all over the world, to discuss the theme 'For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.'
Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick, and Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, Bishop of Down and Connor, attended the Synod on behalf of the Irish Bishops' Conference, and they welcomed Pope Francis' decision to publish the Synod's Final Document immediately.
At this time the Final Document is only available in the original Italian, but will be available in other language versions over the coming days.
By immediately publishing the 52-page conclusions approved by the Synod, Pope Francis forwent the tradition of publishing an apostolic exhortation. In doing so, Pope Francis explained to delegates in his final address to them: "There are already highly concrete indications in the Document that can be a guide ... This is why I am making it immediately available to everyone".
This Synod in Rome follows a period of three-years when Catholics all over the world have been offering their views and suggestions on how best to be a 'synodal Church', that is, a Church where stronger relationships among believers are promoted, increased lay participation in Church decision-making processes advanced, and a higher level of accountability in evidence.
Bishops Leahy and McGuckian expressed their gratitude for the Universal Synod's Final Document which, in turn, can feed in to the preparations of the Irish Synodal Pathway for a Synodal gathering in Ireland next year.
For both Bishop Leahy and Bishop McGuckian, one of the strongest messages emerging from this Synod is the importance of discernment at every level of the Church. They see this emphasis as affirming the work already taking root in the Irish Church, where creating prayerful and discerning communities - and ensuring participative structures such as Parish Pastoral Councils are in place - remains central to experiencing the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The bishops noted, "The Synod has underscored that fostering these communities is essential as we continue to listen for God's direction for the Church in Ireland."
Speaking of their experience in Rome over the past month, Bishop McGuckian commented, "Following our meeting here in October 2023, it has been a privilege to return to the Synod on Synodality, reconnecting with familiar faces and building upon the vital work we began together. While a month at a Synod may seem a daunting or even tiring commitment, the incredible diversity of people I have had the chance to meet and work alongside has made this experience not only energising but deeply enriching. Their dedication and perspectives have renewed my hope and commitment to the Church's journey."
A major feature of the Final Document is the "significant emphasis" placed on recognising the gifts and charisms of all the baptised. Bishop McGuckian said, "The concept of baptismal ministry - acknowledging the ministry or service that all baptised people can participate in - was profoundly encouraging. This Synod has really inspired us to embrace the gifts of the Spirit, that are present in each individual, as we journey forward together in faith."
Bishop Leahy observed: "I was struck when Pope Francis said to us yesterday that the Synod experience has shown it is possible to walk together in diversity, without condemning each other. More so than last year what stood out for me is the sheer variety of cultural contexts and situations the Catholic Church lives her mission. The Synod has shown us that we need to approach one another with an attitude of trust and openness to learn from one another.
"Pope Francis has called the Final Document 'a gift to all the faithful people of God, by the variety of its expressions.' It is not a short document. He acknowledges that not everyone will read it directly, so he has urged Synod delegates and others to make its contents accessible in dioceses throughout the world. The Pope also encouraged delegates to bear witness to the wonderful lived experience of the Synod over these years.
"The fruit of this Synod is not a new Church, rather a Church that is new. The Synod is inviting us to move from a way of seeing Church in terms of a 'pyramid' structure - a Pope at the top, and then all the way down through bishops, priests, religious, lay people - to be more collaborative and participative, with a community focus, and where each one is valued for her or his specific gifts and roles."
Bishop Leahy continued, "The Synod's Final Document is not just about structural changes. It invites us to go deeper. It involves a new Church culture that will need a conversion that is personal, spiritual and pastoral."
Bishops Leahy and McGuckian both expressed how moving it was to meet with and hear from those delegates coming from parts of the world marked by violence, poverty, and a range of social and cultural issues and challenges.
"The Synod has brought home to us," Bishop Leahy noted, "how the focus on renewing Church life is not about Church navel-gazing, but rather is directed towards being better able to promote justice and peace in the world as we ourselves grow in processes of listening and dialogue, sharing and reconciliation.
"With the final Synod session now concluded, the real work begins. Karl Rahner, after the Second Vatican Council (1962 - 1965) famously said, 'We are only at the beginning of the beginning.' The same can also apply to this Synod. It is time again to set out on mission but to do so more together, more as a community of sisters and brothers, more transparently in decision-making and more in contact with one another within our own communities.
"Many delegates here in Rome commented to me that we are fortunate in Ireland that the Irish Bishops' Conference already launched the Irish Synodal Pathway in 2021. Much work has been done with resources and training already in place, so that all of us can now get into action with a new energy, inspiration, sense of direction and speed."
Bishops Leahy and McGuckian concluded, "The theme of the Synod - 'For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission' - calls on us to look beyond our own parishes or congregations or movements, beyond our own dioceses and beyond our own regions, so that the Church can really be more effectively a sacrament of unity in our world. It is Jesus' deepest desire."
Bishops Leahy and McGuckian are returning to Ireland after the Synod to promote its message. They are grateful that information summaries of the Final Document are being produced in short video clips, and on digital and social media, by networks such as www.icatholic.ie/