Czech Republic: Wide participation in the synodal process

The first results of the meetings held so far in the dioceses of the Czech Republic in the framework of the ongoing synodal process are collected. Sister Klára Malinaková, religious of the Infant Jesus congregation in Prague, says: Today we are called to give a deeper response to the need for spirituality, to make an “Easter transition” from the egocentricity of the “I” to a “we”. ecclesial

Klára Malinaková, ijs

From a religious point of view, the Czech Republic presents a rather peculiar situation. Up to three quarters of the population declare that they do not belong to any religious denomination and only 5% of the more than 11 million inhabitants regularly attend a religious service of any religion. In this context, the response to the request to participate in the Synod on synodality in the Catholic Church has reserved unforeseeable surprises.

The novelty is in the method of confrontation

Despite the initial skepticism of a part of the believing people, and even of many priests, the path has involved no less than 2,312 groups! synodalit is! Through them, the people of God learned to work together in a synodal style, to listen and discern the direction in which the Spirit of God is leading us.

“The topics discussed in the synodal groups were not always the easiest, and this gives us great hope for the part of the road that is still to come. Many participants pointed out that, for them, the final results of the Synod will not be so essential compared to the novelty of the method of debate that has been initiated at the grassroots level”

In all these small groups, in the parishes and in the communities, everyone now feels more present and, above all, more aware of their co-responsibility in leading ecclesial life. Looking in more detail: it will still take time to summarize all the diocesan syntheses of the confrontation in a higher, national level.

The desire for a Church more capable of understanding

The diocese of Brno, which has given rise to no less than 557 synodal groups, is, in order of size, the second largest diocese in the country. The results obtained by these groups were analyzed both from the point of view of the content of the approved texts and the statistical reports presented. Observing the texts that are beginning to arrive from other dioceses, we think that many of the ideas and proposals that emerged in Brno can easily be generalized to the whole country. The first and important point is that in many communities there is a complaint that the synodal style is below the average or the expectations of the people of God.

“Quite a few expressed the perception of a lack of transparency and openness to the world, along with the desire for the Church to be more understanding, more humane, more capable of receiving suggestions from the grassroots and, above all, more attentive to the real needs of the people. world”

A greater dialogue between priests and laity is necessary

About a third of the participants in the groups highlighted the need to improve communication between priests and laity. They explained that what they expect from priests is not so much their theological erudition as their real closeness and openness, a greater attitude of listening and the ability to always work together. There is a clear desire that they be trusted, that they participate in decision-making processes and that their specific charisms be valued.

“It is worth noting the observation that when the priests were present in the groups, the topics were more related to the problems of the transmission of the faith today, while when they did not participate directly, there was a greater openness to debate on the topics. of the reform of the Church, the celibacy of priests and the ordination of women”

No to a self-referential Church

It is also interesting to note that groups already experiencing a synodal process internally are more likely – up to 10 times the average – to recognize the presence of a similar process at the diocesan level, and also – up to 4 times the average – at the the universal Church. Statistics that confirm the exhortatory statement to which the participants often refer: “As our parish is, so will the entire universal Church be.” However, the issues of intra-ecclesial relations and communion went far beyond the question of the relationship between priests and laity. In fact, close to 40% of the participants wanted to highlight the importance of genuine relationships of brotherhood and sisterhood, respect, tolerance and mutual care within their communities.

“Many recalled the need for a Church that knows how to welcome more and more the marginalized, the discarded, and shared a clear concern about the risk of a self-referential Church that lives in a glass dome without sufficient contact with the surrounding world”

Statistics have shown that this concern is the most widespread and preeminent in any type of group, regardless of its size, age, gender or other characteristics of the group. The prevalence of this concern was probably due to the original Synod proposal itself, but it certainly struck a chord with all participants.

Loneliness: a sign of the times to respond to

It is possible that the sensitivity towards this issue has also been generated by a broader problem, external to the Church, typical of our time, which some scholars have called “the century of loneliness”.

“Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic, are among those with the highest level of existential loneliness”

On the other hand, as is well known, this is a trend that affects everyone: research indicates that the feeling of loneliness in life not only affects those who live on the margins of society, but also the active population. and productive.

“Could this ‘epidemic’ of existential loneliness be one of those signs of the times that we must know how to discern and listen to? And for which to imagine creative answers? Many secular and institutional organizations from various countries, as well as the Catholic Church, are also taking important steps in this direction to curb the problem.”

Moving from me to us for a more authentic spiritual life

We, like them, are called to a deeper response, to an “Easter passage” from the egocentrism of the self to an ecclesial we, as suggested by the International Theological Commission in its document on Synodality in the life and mission of the Church. This call to the “ecclesial we” also overlaps with the spiritual desire of more than a quarter of the participants for an increasingly communal style of prayer, for a Mass celebrated by a true Christian community, for a deeper spiritual life.

It is not a question of a simple “human” need, but of the desire for a spiritual life that is more profoundly close to God, who has created us as relational beings, that is, communitarian, and in the image of his Trinitarian being. The true desire to experience communion with God, not through one’s own self-centered self, but, like the Trinity, in the fiery mystery of the fullness of “we.” And this is perhaps the most authentic response to the drama of existential loneliness.

Czech Republic: Wide participation in the synodal process – Vatican News