In the Vineyard : December 24, 2024 : Volume 24, Issue 12
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from your friends at Voice of the Faithful!
Christmas Wishes
Healing God,
remove the hopelessness that blinds us;
cleanse us of the hurts
that divide us from others;
restore us to hope,
that we may work for the gifts
we wish for those we love.
May the grace of your Christ
who comes to shepherd us
help us to care for one another;
may the good news we hear
in our struggles bring joy and
hope to all our mornings;
may your coming to us as
one of us inspire us to lift up
one another to the dignity of being
your daughters and sons.
– From the Jesuits
Check your Mail!
Voice of the Faithful’s holiday newsletter should be appearing in your mailbox any day now! Enjoy!
Long Live Synodality
We are living in a “strange moment” between the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality and the opening of the Jubilee Year on Christmas Eve. So claims Massimo Faggioli in his analysis of the Synodal process in a presentation sponsored by the Glastonbury Monks of Hingham, MA on Dec. 10, 2024.
With his chosen title “Long Live Synodality”, Faggioli affirmed that synodality is inseparable from life in the Church as promulgated by Vatican II. Now is the time for rediscovering and augmenting that theology—deliberations are no longer necessary!
The urgent incentive for change in our way of being church was fueled by the shock of the abuse crisis and the trauma of discovering its cover up. It exposed a profound need for change and demanded reform and renewal. VOTF was formed in response and engaged in a “synodal process” of praying, listening and acting in the formation of our movement. Our mission is an expression of synodality! As baptized Catholics, we are co-responsible disciples in the mission of the church. Ours is a Spirit-driven call to active participation.
Three areas of synodality stand out and were highlighted by Professor Faggioli: Administrative Synodality (for transparent and accountable systems of government); Spiritual Synodality (sharing prayerful conversations of discernment); and Ecclesial Synodality (creating new bodies of power to dismantle clericalism).
We know that synodality is not new to the Church, as evidenced from the early days described in the Acts of the Apostles, to Church synods in the fourth century up to Pope Paul VI’s renewal of synods of Bishops in 1967. The ever-changing landscape of the Church has caused Pope Francis to modify the Synod process. Here are some striking developments:
- Bishops, seated at round tables, joined by lay men and women who were given voting privileges.
- The synod did not meet as a Parliament, but as a spiritual retreat!
- No longer Rome-centered but poly-centric, the church stretched to the peripheries in Africa and Asia.
- Over the past three years of Synodality, fear-based radical opposition has quieted. Ministry is no longer the exclusive domain of celibate male priesthood; that model is no longer sustainable!
- And there is growing demand for the ordination of women deacons. As one prelate declared, “The Church must become diaconal, or it will cease to exist.”
This is a new chapter in the Church’s history, and we don’t know where it will end. Synodality challenges our assumptions. It requires humility and openness to others with whom we might not agree. It only works when we are all in it together. Massimo concludes that “If synodality hasn’t changed anything for you, we haven’t paid attention.”
IT’s ADVENT: Time to pay attention! Walk with us and others who are claiming their rightful role in the mission of the Church.
May this be a sacred time of hope and encouragement as together we celebrate the promise of peace on earth and good will for all! – Svea Fraser
Voice of the Faithful Focus News Roundup
‘Trust but verify’ to reduce parish embezzlement risk, say experts
In the wake of recent high-profile cases of financial mismanagement at parishes, experts said transparency, accountability and greater involvement of finance councils in parish business operations can head off losses in money — and in pastoral trust. National Catholic Reporter, by Gina Christian. Read more here.
Almost 50 Catholic priests in Michigan accused of historic sexual misconduct in new report
Dozens of senior figures from the Catholic Church in Michigan have been accused of historic sexual misconduct dating to the 1950s in a landmark report the state’s top prosecutor released Monday.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the lengthy report that investigators uncovered extensive allegations of misconduct in the Diocese of Lansing against children and adults since 1950. NBC News, Patrick Smith. Read more here.
The Catholic Church and AI
For many observers and followers of the Catholic Church and its stance on artificial intelligence, Fr. Philip Larrey—about to start his second year on the Boston College faculty—is the guru.
Fr. Larrey (pronounced “la-RAY”) has been characterized as one of the Church’s foremost experts on a technological advancement viewed as both as transformational as the wide-scale adoption of the Internet, and no less than an existential threat. His most recent book, Artificial Humanity (2019), offers a philosophical analysis of AI’s significance for humanity, and its predecessor, Connected World (2018), explores the profound effects of digital advancements on modern life. Boston College News, Phillip Gloudeman. Read more here.
Pope Francis’ December Prayer Intention
“Christian hope is a gift from God that fills our lives with joy.” In this last month of the year, and on the threshold of Jubilee 2025, the Pope reminds us how vital it is to cling to hope. “The world really needs it a lot!”
Pope Francis invites us to seek those encounters with Christ that revitalize our being, that encourage us to make a pilgrimage toward hope during the upcoming Jubilee, so that it might be a year to strengthen our faith.
Watch his video, here.
Comments?
Please send them to Siobhan Carroll, Vineyard Editor, at Vineyard@votf.org. Unless otherwise indicated, I will assume comments can be published as Letters to the Editor.
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