A few years ago, it was not possible to walk past a large nearby property without stopping to marvel at the garden. It was truly magnificent – the seasons were marked by pots of colour that lined the pathway to the front door, Spring would see masses of bulbs turning their faces to the sun until the hydrangeas and roses revealed their summer splendour. But it was the Winter garden I appreciated the most. The bareness of Winter revealed the art of a thoughtful landscape architect.

And now, the house is abandoned. Surrounded by cyclone fencing and bare earth, it is in a fallow time of preparation for whatever the new build might bring. And I can’t help but think with some longing about its previous beauty and wonder if the new will be able to match it!

I was wondering if we are going through a similar process in Church. Not the completely abandoned part – but certainly the part where there is a sense of hopeful expectation for what the future may bring. And being in the waiting, praying, discerning time is part of it.

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has embarked on a profound transformation process. Over these last years people of faith throughout the world have been invited to a new way of being. There has been a gradual learning about ‘synodality’ (from the Greek syn–odos which means walking together). And through an emphasis on prayer and reflection there has been a growing appreciation about how we are to walk together as a people of faith. In Australia we had a bit of a jump start with the process that led to the Plenary Council, commencing with the ‘Listening and Dialogue’ phase. The Pope sees the synodal way as contributing not just to the Church but to humanity. It is predicated on the understanding that in our walking we will disagree and that from this disagreement new insights, inspired by the Holy Spirit, will be emerge. He describes this as the ‘art of civic dialogue’ and observes:

This synodal approach is something our world now needs badly. Rather than seeking confrontation, declaring war, with each side hoping to defeat the other, we need processes that allow differences to be expressed, heard and left to mature in such a way that we can walk together without needing to destroy anyone. This is hard work; it needs patience and commitment – above all to each other. Lasting peace is about creating and maintaining processes of mutual listening. (Let us Dream, p.68)

And it is hard work, this process of mutual listening. We are all straining to hear the Spirit at work in our midst and are discovering, perhaps, that some of us have more of a heart for it than others.

The Pope is modelling the way – every speech, every action becomes another opportunity to provide more insights into how we are to be together. The work of synodality has also revealed the push and pull of the longings we carry for the Church – those who long for a return to past, happier times and those who are itching for change and renewal. The process leading to the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops has laid bare deep divisions amongst the faithful and now these hopes have been spoken out loud they will not go away.

Interestingly the Instrumentum Laboris for the first session (October) reveals a world-wide church landscape raising similar questions to those discerned at the Australian Plenary Council. Questions such as those that surround inclusion, formation, co-responsibility and governance. The choice of attendees to the Assembly have also been announced – the Pope encourages a spectrum of views and is not fearful of disagreement of ‘contrapositions’ as he calls them. Through dialogue and humility it is possible to reach a new imagination. And this gives me hope. It is a deep sign, I think, of the trust the Pope has both in the process and in the power of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts and minds of all.

There will be much handwringing about the Synod from both sides of the theological divide – criticisms about the content and the selected attendees – but this is the process we have. This is a new way of dreaming about the world of the Church. A world where people disagree respectfully but with eyes that see that no matter how entrenched their view there is always more to consider. That we all have something to learn from the other so that we can reach a new understanding about how to be a people of God. A world where people have the ears to hear and take into their hearts the hopes of those around them and the wisdom to discern the path. But most of all, this dream is guided by the whisper of the Spirit as it blows in the hearts of the faithful throughout the world. May this Plenary time in the Church be rich in learnings for us all!

By Cathy Jenkins