Spirit Unbounded Welcomes the Format of the Synod Working Document
July Newsletter
| “Human Rights in the Catholic Church” Event Brings Together Global Speakers to Address Questions of the Working Document for the Universal Synod in RomeSpirit Unbounded, the global community of Catholic reform and other Christian and ecumenical networks that share a vision of a just and inclusive church, welcomes the novel approach of the Instrumentum Laboris (IL) for the universal synod in Rome on 4–29 October. By asking questions rather than making declarative statements, the IL serves as a true working document. It leaves room for synod participants to discuss, debate, and discern together, and to conceive of new practices, both structural and theological, to help the church become more welcoming. Spirit Unbounded Brings a Wealth of Diverse Global Voices to October 8–14 Event “Human Rights in the Catholic Church,” a weeklong event organized and hosted by Spirit Unbounded and scheduled to coincide with the synod, will feature over seventy speakers representing all seven of the synod’s Continental Assemblies (Africa and Madagascar, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, North America, and Oceania). The diversity of speakers in terms of location, church experience, and focus will offer participants an opportunity to engage the questions of the Instrumentum Laboris in substantive and original ways. Early Bird tickets are now on sale here. Event Speakers Urge Synod to Address Human Rights in the Catholic Church Speakers such as Philomena Mwaura (Kenya), Claudia Nothelle (Germany), and James Alison (Spain) will look at how the church can become a sign of unity for others, particularly how “the service of charity and commitment to justice and care for our common home [can] nourish communion in a synodal Church” (IL B.1.1). Sr. Nasreen Daniel (Pakistan), Miriam Duignan (UK), Olga Consuelo Vélez Caro (Columbia), and Huda Khoury (Lebanon/Canada) are a few of the many speakers who will address how the church can better share the gifts of its members in service of the gospel, especially the overlooked and under-utilized gifts of women (IL B.2.3). Speakers representing Indigenous communities, including Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair (Anishinaabe Nation), Steven Newcomb (Shawnee-Lenape), and Sr. Makareta Tawaroa (Whanganui-Māori Tribe, Aotearoa/New Zealand), will take up the question of how the church can avoid “destructive colonialisms” (IL B.2.1.c) in its missionary work as well as incorporate “stimuli from indigenous, minority and oppressed cultures” into its decision-making processes (IL B.3.2.9). |
 Steve Newcomb |
| Not Just Another Boring Online Conference!Conceived as having the ambience of a festival that includes poetic, artistic, and liturgical expressions of faith, “Human Rights in the Catholic Church” will also incorporate the celebratory, liturgical dimension of the synodal assembly as outlined in the Instrumentum Laboris (48). Come One and Come All to the Global Conversation The range of speakers and global participants at “Human Rights in the Catholic Church” represents the depth and breadth of the universal church in dialogue with the synod assembly. It is not meant to be a parallel or alternative assembly, but a means of contributing to the synodal experience undertaken collectively by the People of God. Its ultimate hope is that “the Church ‘may never cease to renew herself’ in a journey of repentance and conversion that opens paths of reconciliation, healing and justice” (IL 23). Additional Resources 1. Spirit Unbounded website: https://spiritunbounded.org 2. Event page: https://spiritunbounded.org/event 3. List of confirmed speakers as of 12 July 2023 4. Direct link to event ticketing 5. Mailing list signup Social Media 1. Shareable flyer 2. Twitter 3. Instagram Contact Information 1. Media and interview requests: press@spiritunbounded.org 2. General inquiries: hello@spiritunbounded.org |
