Synod on Synodality

A synod in the Catholic Church refers to an assembly of bishops and other members of the Church, convened to discuss and make decisions on the pressing matters of the day for the Church. There are four types of synods: general, convened by the pope; provincial and national, convened by the bishops of their respective region; and diocesan, convened by the bishop.

Cardinal McElroy has convened three synods in the Diocese of San Diego since arriving in 2015 in response to calls from Pope Francis to address specific themes.

In 2016, the pope presented a document called “Amoris Laetitia” (“Joy of Love”), and invited bishops around the world to figure out ways to better welcome today’s families, respond to their needs and help them to grow in their faith.

Cardinal McElroy answered the call by convening a diocesan synod focused on marriage and family life, one of the few dioceses in the country to do so. He implemented the proposals that resulted from that synod, transforming the diocese’s pastoral care of families in the diocese.

The pope issued a document in 2019 titled “Christus Vivit” (Christ Lives), in which he reflected on the challenges young people face today and encouraged them to be vibrant voices in the Church.

In response, the Cardinal convened the young adults in the diocese in a synod, inviting them  to “dream big” about how they would create a Church that engaged their generation and helped them to grow in their faith. The diocese has been implementing the proposals that came from that consultation, a process initially slowed by the pandemic.

In 2021, the Pope Francis launched another synod, officially known as the Synod on Synodality. In announcing the three-year synod, this is how the pope described synodality:

“Synodality is a fundamental concept within the Catholic Church that emphasizes the communal and participatory nature of the Church as the People of God. It denotes a specific style of being and operating within the Church, reflecting its essence as a communion of believers who journey together in faith. This concept is rooted in the understanding that all members of the Church, by virtue of their baptism, have a role and responsibility in the life of the Church, contributing to its mission of evangelization and communal discernment.”

This synod has a global dimension, which culminated in October of 2024, when around 350 bishops, lay leaders, and religious women from around the world came together for the second of two, month-long assemblies. Cardinal McElroy was among the invited participants.

The global synod issued a final document which contained a series of proposals that were sent to all dioceses around the world. Their bishops were called to implement as they could to help renew their parishes, schools and faith communities.

As part of the Synod on Synodality, the San Diego Diocese held two cycles of small-group dialogues at parishes and schools, and an electronic survey, in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, in 2022 and 2023. All faithful were invited to participate, including clergy, religious women and seminarians, and a special effort was made to reach those not active in parish life, and those living in the margins.

The first dialogues provided an opportunity for the diocesan faithful to express their joys, sorrows, and hopes through their own personal narratives in small-group dialogue sessions. This took place in the spring of 2022 and had more than 11,000 participants.

A second cycle of dialogues took place in the fall of 2023 focused on “Building Eucharistic Communities” with more than 13,000 participants with a significant number of youth and young adult participants.

Their responses were analyzed by a diocesan team, supported by leading local experts in polling and data analysis.

As a result of those consultations, the diocese launched a pilot project involving 17 parishes in the spring of 2024. The Cardinal called on them to use a synodal approach in their decision-making to re-imagine their parish life and leadership.

The parishes’ “re-imagining teams” will be working on two goals pertaining to their parish life and leadership in 2025 and beyond, guided by the Holy Spirit.

The goal is that, over time, the synodal approach will become the way a parish functions, paving the way for greater participation in its life.

Here is how Cardinal McElroy describes this approach:

“In simple and concise terms, synodality is a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the Church to be more participatory and missionary, so that it can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ.”