What genuine Christian disciple could possibly be opposed to being open to the voice of the Spirit?
This was the question posed by Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, President of the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference, who last night delivered an address at the Theological Pastoral Forum for the Synod in Rome on October 16.
Held in the auditorium of the Jesuit Generalate, the forum explored the topic ‘Synodality and the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome’.
Commencing his speech, Archbishop Costelloe asked how can the process of circularity between all the people of God, the bishops, and the Bishop of Rome, be further developed?
Archbishop Costelloe proceeded by highlighting his own experience in the current synodal process and in the preparation and conduct of the recent Plenary Council of the Church in Australia
Speaking about the importance of a circular process as opposed to a linear process, Archbishop Costelloe explained that the concept of mutual listening has guided the Synodal journey from the beginning, in two very significant ways.
“The first is the extent of the consultation of the People of God, which did not simply constitute the first moment in the process but has continued to be an element of the process as it unfolds,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.
“We are familiar with the ways in which at each stage of the synodal journey the results of the ongoing reflection and discernment on the initial world-wide consultation were returned to the local Churches for further reflection: there was the Frascati document, the contributions from the Continental Assemblies, the reflections on the Instrumentum Laboris for the First Assembly and the further reflections on the final document of the First Assembly,” he said.
“Finally, there is the Instrumentum Laboris for the Second Assembly, which represents the fruits of this long process, and the point of departure for our further reflections presently underway.
Archbishop Costelloe added that the second “novelty”, if I can use that word, is the decision of the Holy Father to open membership of the Synod not only to bishops but also to lay women and men, to religious, and to deacons and priests.
“This all speaks powerfully of the unity and equality which, because of baptism, constitutes the Church as a community of missionary disciples,” Archbishop Costelloe emphasised, in reiterating that in previous Synods such people were there as observers, whereas now they are fully voting members.
“At the same time, the presence of “non-bishops” at the Synod of Bishops reminds everyone present that within this community, and not apart from it, the bishops have a particular role to play.
“As Vatican II teaches, each bishop in his diocese is ordainedto be the visible principle of unity for his local Church; the bishops together have a responsibility to maintain the communion of their own local Church with other local Churches; and the Bishop of Rome, who presides over the Universal Church in charity, is commissioned to be the visible principle of unity for the whole Church,” Archbishop Costelloe said.