Let me say also that, as Bishop of Meath, I am worried about this Synodal Gathering.
You see, the Diocese of Meath has not always fared well with Irish Synodal Gatherings.
Historians among you are probably already thinking of the Synod of Rath Breasail, in 1111, where the Diocese of Clonard was carved out of Westmeath but where the Diocese of Dunshaughlin was suppressed.
Then, in the same year, the Synod of Uisneach was convened by no less than the Bishop of Clonmacnois, and this was where the Diocese of Duleek – where you are now happily sitting – was also suppressed. It might also be where the well-known, long established and enduring parish and Diocesan Synodal Principle that: good walls make for good neighbours, was formally established.
A few years later, in 1152, at the Synod of Kells, the Diocese of Trim was suppressed and merged with the now ever expanding Diocese of Clonard. Clonard, Dunshaughlin, Duleek, Kells, Uisneach, and Trim, are all now in the Diocese of Meath! You can see why we would be anxious with another Synod!
We have though come a long way since then, though there is also a sense that history might be repeating itself in our time. We have also come a long way in this Synodal journey.
The Diocesan conversations that were held at the beginning of this process seem a long time ago now. The enduring concerns expressed then of a welcoming Church, the creation of vibrant faith communities with shared responsibility, the survival of parishes, evangelisation, handing on the faith to the next generation and reparation for sins and crimes committed against many featured predominantly and, I believe, have shaped Diocesan and Parish Pastoral strategy since then.
This is the mission of the Church and this is our focus today. Our gathering in Athlone was a moving and humbling experience of ‘Conversations in the Spirit’, and of listening to different and passionate voices. Last year’s gathering in Kilkenny was another example. The Holy Spirit accompanied and enlightened that journey, and Baptism has asserted itself as what empowers us as disciples of Christ.
During that time, fears have been allayed, understandings of the process have grown and Synodality itself seems to have moved from being a sometimes controversially perceived destination to a way of being Church. That should not be surprising.
Archbishop Randazzi, the Prefect for the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, said last month that synodality and accompaniment are not new realities. They are contemporary expressions that seek to help the Church scrutinise the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel. He also said that this process, seen positively, can be understood as a new springtime, a moment of renewal, growth and deeper awareness of what it means to walk together as the people of God.
Cardinal Mario Grech said as much as the Consistory last June, Synodality is not an end in itself. It exists so that the Church may proclaim the Gospel more effectively and serve the men and women of our time more faithfully. Many people are searching for meaning, hope and authentic relationships. Many look to the Church for a credible witness to the Gospel.
Faced with these challenges, synodality appears ever more clearly as a missionary resource. It helps the Church to listen more attentively to the questions of humanity, to recognize the signs of the times, to value the gifts of all and to discern together the steps to be taken. In this way, the implementation phase becomes a new stage in the reception of the Second Vatican Council and in the missionary renewal of the Church within the concrete realities of ecclesial life.
Today, that process culminates in the discernment of proposals that will, like the Synods of old, shape the Irish Church for the years to come.
At the end of the day, the Church, Baptism and Synodality itself are all about participation and salvation. I pray that the Holy Spirit will also enlighten and guide our decisions today as we discern further, in the light of those concerns made in the beginning, for a welcoming community believers, fit for mission and faithful to the mandate of Christ in the great commission of Matthew to: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’
May God bless and inspire our day together. Thank you.