Pope Francis has presented us with an extraordinary opportunity to speak out about the kind of Church we’d like to see today. It is our belief that his invitation to us to gather in small groups and share our stories offers far more hope for Church reform than even Vatican II back in the 60s. Pope Francis wants to hear from practicing Catholics, of course. But even more, he wants to hear from those who are no longer part of the institutional Church, from other denominations, from men and women young and old. He wants to hear stories of how people have been hurt and what drove some away along with suggestions for how the situation(s) could have been better handled by the Church. We encourage you to join a synod offered by your bishop, pastor, or Small Christian Community to discern the synthesis report that was released by the synod delegates. If none are being offered in your community, then consider starting your own.
How to begin your own synodal gathering
1. Reach out to a group of friends or members of your parish in your local community. It can be a small group, as few as 3 or 4, ideally no larger than 10 or 12 people.
2. You are encouraged to invite a broad spectrum of participants – active members in the Church, people who have dropped out, even members of other religious affiliations. If your group is larger than 10-12 persons, you might want to break into subgroups.
3. By way of preparation, we encourage you to read What Is the Synod on Synodality? – Catholic Church Reform International (catholicchurchreformintl.org) to learn what has already been completed.
4. Gather your group together for the purpose of (1) familiarizing yourselves with what the synod is and (2) preparing to submit your reflections on what you’d like to see included and/or further emphasized in the next Synod to be held in October 2024. What reforms are needed to transform the Church into the kind of community in which you would want to be involved. You may choose to come together either in person or online via Zoom.
5. Always open with a prayer, allowing time for silent reflection.
6. Ask someone to be the scribe to summarize in writing the stories shared and the recommendations of how the situation could have been better handled by the Church.
7. After introductions, you might invite them to share one facet of Catholicism so meaningful to them that they would want to preserve that, no matter what. Next, ask if they have ever been hurt in their life in the Church. Allow time for silent reflection before responding.
8. As your gatherings continue, welcome anyone who wishes to share his/her own personal real-life experience of life in the Church; listen to everyone with equal attentiveness.
9. Invite them to share their views of these experiences and, if they were not dealt with as Jesus would have done, offer solutions to how the situation could have been better handled. In this way, you’re laying the groundwork for the Church you’d like to see in the future.
10. Set up a regular meeting schedule for your group.
11. At the appropriate time, you’ll be invited to send a compilation of your responses and comments to: info@CatholicChurchReform.com where we will gather all the responses and forward them to the Synod Office in Rome.
12. Feel free to continue your gatherings on into the future.
We invite you to join a CCRI online gathering
The very best experience is participating in a small gathering of your own. If you are unable to join or start a synod in your own region, we’ll post a central calendar offering a series of ongoing online gatherings to accommodate the various time zones globally. You will be invited to register for the one that best fits your schedule.
Feel free to pass this information onto to your contacts both in and out of the Church and invite them to join us, to share their stories of life in the Catholic Church, and to become involved in preparing for the next phase of the Synod to be held in Rome in October 2024.
Join with us and be part of reforming our Church
YOUR GIFT – IN ANY AMOUNT – IS PRICELESS
When you make a donation to support our cause, you join with others who are investing in restoring our Church to what Jesus intended. If you are part of the movement to stop contributing to your local parish and/or diocese, you may consider a donation to CCRI in its stead. The dollars we receive are used to run our programs and to reach a broad spectrum of the People of God. We are focused on reaching out to the Faithful, reform activists, young adults as well as those who feel abandoned by the Church, to mention just a few. Your personal contributions in offering your suggestions and your donations are most appreciated.
Gratefully,
Rene Reid
CCRI director