Synod Update

What we know so far

Hi friends, on this week’s episode of the Raised Catholic podcast I’ll give a short overview of what we know so far about the fruit, if any, of the month-long meeting of the Synod on Synodality (spoiler: it’s not a lot). The meat of this episode is really found in the show notes, in the articles and podcasts I’ve linked which might lend some color and context to what we’ve been able to glean, so I’ll include those here for you.

There is a sense of collective breath-holding among the faithful who are wondering:

• Did this meeting change anything and if so, what?

• Will there be appreciable change on critical matters like clericalism, politicization of the clergy, the role of women in the church, and the welcome of all of God’s people including LBGTQ Catholics?

• How long should we wait for change? Will it be next year at or after part two of the Synod meeting in October of 2024? Will we see it in my lifetime, in the lifetime of my kids or my one-day grandchildren? And what exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime?

Though no one expected anything like concrete change from this first half of the Synod assembly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little deflated at what I’ve heard and read about what’s come out of the Synod so far. Still, God is bigger than my worries or the Synod or even His church. I do believe the Holy Spirit is moving and He is always at work making all things new. Let’s keep praying to see the fruit, and to participate in it the best we can.

Listen to episode 149: Synod Update at the Raised Catholic podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts (or read the transcript) and check out the show notes below for lots more information.

Show Notes

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Thanks as always to my friend, Peter Vaughan-Vail, for providing the beautiful harp music you hear in this and every episode.

Here are some resources I hope will help you to engage with this week's topic in a deeper way for yourself:

1. Article: ⁠Synod: Unpause⁠, by Colleen Dulle at Go, Rebuild My House from Sacred Heart University

2. Official ⁠Synod 2021-2024 website⁠ from the Vatican

3. ⁠Summary⁠ of the Synod Synthesis Report from the Vatican

4. Article: ⁠What to Make of the Synthesis Report⁠, from National Catholic Register

5. Article: ⁠Sisters respond to document from Synod's first session, from National Catholic Register⁠

6. ⁠Synod Diary⁠ from America Media

7. Full text: Pope Francis' ⁠homily⁠ closing the 2023 Synod

8. Chicago's Cardinal Cupich on ⁠his experience ⁠of the Synod

9. Podcast: ⁠Synod on Synodality Debrief with Fr. James Martin⁠, from Inside the Vatican

10. Podcast: ⁠Unpacking the Synod's first letter to the people of God⁠, from Inside the Vatican

11. On when Catholic doctrine can change, on the ⁠Jesuitical podcast