35. Synod and Synodality
Last week, I noted that synodality is the way all members of Christ faithful participate in the mission of the Church and are co-responsible for …
Last week, I noted that synodality is the way all members of Christ faithful participate in the mission of the Church and are co-responsible for …
An attempt to democratise the Church’s governance structure is a conundrum that can only lead to a democratised Church which does not fit properly into the modern concept of democracy and one which deviates from the governance structure willed by Christ.
The major difference between the governance structure of the Church and democratic institutions is the source of authority.
Co-responsibility demands a change in mindset especially concerning the role of lay people in the Church. They should not be regarded as “collaborators” of the clergy, but, rather, as people who are really “co-responsible” for the Church’s being and acting.
Do we collaborate with the laity in the mission, or is our relationship with them exploitative?
Whatever we achieve while working alone in the ministry will always be doubled if we work together.
Religious experience differs from spirituality because one or multiple experiences with God do not always equate to a relationship with him
The lack of self-worth induced by disregard by ecclesiastical authority snuffs out the burning zeal for our father’s house
The vine-dresser in John 15 is not interested in branches with beautiful flowers but in those that bear fruits. The Church is the mystical body of Jesus Christ (Mysticum Corpus Iesu Christi), and it is ONLY Christ’s criteria for the mission that should govern everything we do. Every other thing is secondary.
Jesus is not interested in the number of our academic degrees or our grades at graduation; he is not interested in our wealth or talents, or awards, but in how our knowledge, wealth, and talents bear fruit in the lives of others.