Global Synod Letter Writing Campaign workbook

INTERCOMMUNITY PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER

Global Synod Letter Writing Campaign WORKBOOK

A Note from the Editor

In 2021, Pope Francis opened the Global Synod of the Catholic Church. Synodality means “journey together as the People of God.” Pope Francis opened the Global Synod as an invitation for the universal Church to learn the art of encounter and to encourage the People of God to deeply encounter one another through intentional listening. This invitation to participate in synodality is not surprising. Prior to the Global Synod, Pope Francis wrote three encyclicals: Lumen Fidei, Fratelli Tutti, and Laudato Si’. Each emphasized the importance of encounter: encountering God, our kin, and creation. Pope Francis seems to believe that it is only through deep encounter of all three that we will come to notice the movement of the Spirit and begin working towards a Church that represents the entire People of God.

The synod began in October 2021 with local synodal sessions where people were encouraged to share their joys, laments and hopes for a synodal Church. As a result of these listening sessions globally, a document called The Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) was produced by the vatican in October 2022 to synthesize the major themes, concerns and hopes revealed through the reports from these gatherings. The Church then entered the second phase of the Global Synod, which consisted of 7 continental synodal gatherings from January 2023 through March 2023. Out of the second phase, another working document, Instrumentum Laboris (IL), was released in June of 2023. This document, much like the DCS, illuminates the movement of the Spirit within the People of God. At the end of the IL are a number of questions for discernment about how the church ought to proceed knowing the issues and desires of the People of God. Questions range from discernment about inclusivity to what structural changes need to be made in the Church. During the Summer of 2023, the Pope invited the People of God to write letters to him. He urges the People of God to participate in the larger discernment of the Church by engaging both the DCS and IL and prayerfully discerning the questions at the end of the IL, then write the him letter. That is correct, the Pope wants to hear from you! The Pope urges people to submit letters during the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will include lay people (even women!), in October 2023. These letters along with IL, will shape the discussion and discernment during the gathering of voting delegates in Rome. While there is a sense of urgency to complete these letters, the Pope affirmed that the discernment process for the third phase of the Global Synod will be carried out from October 2023 to October 2024. So, for those individuals who need more time to discern, the Pope will receive letters throughout the next year. The People of God from Seattle are in a unique position because our Archbishop Etienne was nominated as a voting delegate for the Global Synod. We have a particular responsibility to not only let the Pope but also our Archbishop know how we have discerned the Spirit to be moving in our community.

When IPJC heard of this unique opportunity to write to the Pope, we were inspired and decided to meaningfully engage our communities in this letter writing process through a letter writing campaign. This workbook is a byproduct of our enthusiasm and hopefully a meaningful resources for the community to utilize to write letters that engage the documents produced by the Global Synod, learn the needs of those on the periphery of Seattle, and also to activate your own theological

imagination. Within the pages of this workbook you will find reflections, or letters, written to the Pope that offer stories from our community partners in response to passages from synodal documents and the discernment questions offered from the IL. The intention of this workbook is for the user to read these letters, to be inspired in their own discernment, and to prophetically express to the Pope the needs of our unique community. This workbook is not intended to tell you what to write, but to bring awareness to the issues concerning the Seattle community and invite you into your own discernment. We, along with the Pope, invite you to join in the discernment and letter writing process! All of your letters will be submitted to both the Pope and Seattle’s Archbishop Etienne through the QR code at the end of this book. IPJCs faith communities organizer, Sarah PericichLopez, will also hand deliver your letters to the Archbishop when she travels to Rome as part of her work with the Global Synod.

HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK

1. Pope Francis encourages letter writers to begin the letter writing process with prayer. Please find the prayer for the Global Synod on the following page. This is an excellent prayer for discernment, but feel free to practice any forms of spirituality that bring awareness to the Spirit existing within you.

2. Prayerfully read through the different passages, questions and reflections found throughout these pages. Allow the words of each page to deeply impact you.

3. Flip to the back of this workbook where you will find questions from the IL to aid in your discernment and letter writing process. Please note, the Pope asks that every letter be in response to one of the discernment questions posed in the IL.

4. Discern a story from your own life that accurately address the discernment question you have selected. The Pope and Archbishop will be prioritizing storytelling in their discussions at the General Assembly in Rome. Issues and hopes that have stories attached to them are more likely be discussed and discerned by voting delegates.

5. Scan the QR Code at the back of this workbook.

6. Write your letter and press submit!

Prayer for the Global Synod

ADSUMUS SANCTE SPIRITUS

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.

Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.

All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

A Reflection on Engaging Youth in the Church

Lived in a diversity of contexts and cultures, synodality proves to be a constitutive dimension of the Church since its origin, even if it is still in the process of being realised. Indeed, it presses to be implemented ever more fully, expressing a radical call to conversion, change, prayer and action that is for all. In this sense, a synodal Church is open, welcoming and embraces all. There is no border that this movement of the Spirit does not feel compelled to cross, to draw all into its dynamism. The radical nature of Christianity is not the prerogative of a few specific vocations, but the call to build a community that lives and bears witness to a different way of understanding the relationship between the daughters and sons of God, one that embodies the truth of love, one that is based on gift and gratuitousness. The radical call is, therefore, to build together, synodally, an attractive and concrete Church: an outgoing Church, in which all feel welcome.

In the spirit of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, how can we walk together with young people? How can a “preferential option for young people” be at the centre of our pastoral strategies and synodal life?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

As a current young person, I believe a good way to walk together is by treating each other with the respect expected for oneself and seeing all as equals. IL Section 26 seeks to “build a community with a different way of understanding relationships between the daughters and sons of God in a way that greater embodies a truth of love”. Section 26 serves as a reminder that we are all sons and daughters regardless of age. This means that all ideas and comments should be seen as important and valuable, regardless of the age of the speaker. I experienced a positive example of this last year when I participated in IPJC’s Youth Action Team Internship (YATI). I initially thought that this internship would be more

IPJC’s Youth Action Team Internship (YATI 2022-23 IN)

— Instrumentum Laboris, Section 26

like a boring class taught by the 2 adult leaders. Therefore, I was shocked on the first day when they introduced themselves on a first- name basis. During the duration of YATI, I was pleased to find it more as a group collaboration guided by the leaders rather than a lecture on what to do. In order to help encourage young people to take a more active role that strengthens the Church’s community, I suggest working on shifting the way we view leaders within the Church. Keeping in mind that God is the parent, and we are all daughters and sons, we should only view God as the teacher, and the rest of us as students who can guide other students. I think this would help in changing youth’s perception of the church from seeming strict and pressuring to being seen open and welcoming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

GABBY HIPOLITO is a current senior at Holy Names Academy in Seattle. She is a returning and active member of the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center’s Youth Action Team Internship. Gabby dedicates her time to participating in her school’s Taylor Swift Club, French Club, and the Robotics and Tennis Teams.

A Reflection on Engaging Youth in the Church

Widespread appreciation was given to the method of spiritual conversation which allowed many to look honestly at the reality of Church life and name the lights and shadows. This honest appraisal bore immediate missionary fruits. “There is a strong mobilization of the People of God, the joy of coming together, of walking together and of speaking freely. Some Christians who felt hurt and who had distanced themselves from the Church came back during this consultation phase” (EC Central African Republic). Many emphasised that this was the first time the Church had asked for their opinion and they wish to continue this journey: “Meetings in the spirit of the synodal method, in which all members of the congregation or community can openly and honestly express their opinion, as well as meetings with various groups outside the Church, should continue. This kind of cooperation should become one of the ‘unwritten laws’ of the Church culture, so as to foster rapprochement between Church members and groups in society, thus creating a readiness of people for deeper dialogue” (EC Latvia).

— Document for the Continental Stage, Section 17

Along the synodal path, what efforts have been made to welcome the voice of the poorest and to integrate their contribution? What have we learned about how to support the belonging and participation of the most marginalised? What needs to happen to enable their greater involvement in our walking together and how do we let their voices question our way of doing things when it is insufficiently inclusive of them?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

During my two years as a Youth Action Team Intern (YATI) at IPJC, I was given invaluable opportunities to actively engage in and contribute to my communities. The most impactful project my fellow interns and I worked on was the initiation and execution of the “Break the Norm” campaign. This collaborative effort brought together students from various Seattle Catholic high schools. Our movement was guided by a fundamental principle shared with the Synod — the importance of amplifying authentic voices and implementing changes based on constructive critique. Just as the Synod encourages Church members to engage in open and honest conversations, we established a platform where students and teachers collaborate on generating positive transformations within our schools. The Worldwide Synod’s aspiration for deeper dialogue, stronger relationships, and a receptive ear for its members’ voices resonates closely with the goals of the YATI campaign. Both seek to foster meaningful connections and open conversations, which allow for more profound change.

I, along with many other interns, was a Holy Names Academy (HNA) student. In this common home, we implemented many solutions we cultivated as part of our campaign. The renovation we ignited within our school community was built upon the foundation of effective communication. Instead of merely pointing fingers, our movement embraced a philosophy that aimed to nurture understanding and collaboration between students and teachers. This shift in perspective yielded tangible outcomes such as establishing mental health resources, cultural sensitivity programs, and a more accommodating school schedule.

The reflective nature of the Synod profoundly influenced our collective efforts. Witnessing the positive impact of the Church’s self-reflection, the teachers we met with were inspired to foster a similar spirit of openness and adaptability within Seattle Catholic schools. We aspired to cultivate an environment where growth could occur collectively and constructively, much like the Synod seeks to achieve on a larger apostolic scale.

As stated by the EC Central African Republic in the Document for the Continental Stage Section 17,“‘There is a strong mobilization of the People of God, the joy of coming together, of walking together, and of speaking freely.’” This quote captures the essence of my experience. Leading a resilient student movement and collaborating closely with teachers to drive change was joyful and deeply enriching, echoing the spirit of the Synod. The Synod and YATI Campaign converged people in a shared purpose for change, revealing how such unity nurtures profound, caring relationships.

The Worldwide Synod seeks to discern how the Church aligns with the Holy Spirit in its beliefs and practices, showcasing admirable self-reflection that sets an exemplary standard for other organizations. A tangible impact of this openness is evident within my school community, HNA, an all-girls Catholic high school with a steadfast foundation. Despite the school’s reluctance toward quick change, the Church’s vulnerability and authenticity emphasize the impact of constructive change and the role of open-minded leaders in strengthening a community.

IPJC’s Youth Action Team Interns and Organizers

With gratitude, I appreciate the Church’s commitment through the Worldwide Synod. As I conclude this chapter of my journey, both as a high school graduate and a former YATI intern, I remain hopeful that the positive transformations I’ve witnessed will continue to ripple outward, shaping both the Church and Seattle Catholic high schools in ways that reflect the Synod’s spirit — a spirit of unity, dialogue, and enduring change.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ERIN MONDA is a first-year student at Western Washington University, a 2023 Holy Names Academy graduate, and a former youth intern for IPJC. She is devoted to social justice with specific interests in gender, environmental, and racial justice. Erin was the first recipient of IPJC’s Saint Thérèse of Lisieux 2023 Young Activist Award.

A Reflection on Inclusivity and Belonging in the Church

The vision of a Church capable of radical inclusion, shared belonging, and deep hospitality according to the teachings of Jesus is at the heart of the synodal process: “Instead of behaving like gatekeepers trying to exclude others from the table, we need to do more to make sure that people know that everyone can find a place and a home here” (remark by a parish group from the USA). We are called to go to every place, especially outside the more familiar territories, “leaving the comfortable position of those who give hospitality to allow ourselves to be welcomed into the existence of those who are our companions on the journey of humanity” (EC Germany).

— Document for the Continental Stage, Section 31

How can we create spaces where those who feel hurt by the Church and unwelcomed by the community feel recognised, received, free to ask questions and not judged? In the light of the PostSynodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, what concrete steps are needed to welcome those who feel excluded from the Church because of their status or sexuality (for example, remarried divorcees, people in polygamous marriages, LGBTQ+ people, etc.)?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

How can we be more open and welcoming towards migrants and refugees, ethnic and cultural minorities, and indigenous communities who have long been part of the Church but are often on the margins? How can the Church better embrace their presence as a gift?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

Reading through the excerpts presented from the DCS and IL, I was drawn to a combination of passages that speak to the need for the church to increase involvement of community members who have not felt welcome in the past. In particular, migrants and refugees, ethnic and cultural minorities and indigenous communities as well as those ostracized through church doctrine and dogma.

DCS Section 31 speaks to the vision of a church capable of radical inclusion, shared belonging and deep hospitality according to the teachings of Jesus “instead of behaving like gatekeepers trying to exclude others from the table…” In my personal experience, I have often felt excluded as a result of the gatekeeping that is a result of what I consider a rigid dogma that has its origins outside of the Gospel. It is difficult for me to understand how excluding community members from the sacraments is in line with the teachings of Jesus. I was married to a man who married his first wife in the Catholic Church. As a result of that, the sacrament of Communion was not an option to him and the sacrament of marriage was not an option for us without going through the process of an annulment. This feeling of being ostracized by the church resulted in my husband no longer participating in anything associated with church except for minimal activities such as the baptisms of our children. Although

I have been and am still involved in various ministries within the church, there are certain ones where I should not have participated because I was not married in the church. It is ludicrous to me that we, as a church body that is supposed to be the body of Christ, are not utilizing the full gifts of the Holy Spirit that each member brings because of these rigid rules. Taking a look at others such as myself who are caught up and limited by these rules is essential if the church wishes to increase participation and increase the number of people interested in becoming church members. When people are hurt by the church, they share that pain with many inside and outside the church community. Therefore, it is imperative that the church look at ways to reconcile the damage caused by these rules.

The first image reminds me of the path that I, as a follower of Christ, have chosen to travel if I do the work that Jesus did in fighting the systems of oppression that caused so much suffering. The second image reflects the sentiments that I expressed in reference to the hierarchy of the church. It appears to reflect the image of the priests and other ordained men as superior to the people in the pews and community. If we are to bring others to our work, then we must remember that our work entails our carrying the cross of Jesus in doing His work and that there should be no hierarchical divisions that separate us from the work that Jesus calls us to do.

empowermentpsychology.com/guatemala-2/ Photos ©Douglas Holwerda

Addressing the hurt and wounds that the church has caused not only those such as myself injured through the implementation of rigid rules but those in marginalized communities such as migrants, refugees, ethnic and cultural minorities and indigenous communities is essential to opening up a more welcoming church. It is essential that the Catholic Church not only look at the historical harm and destruction it has and continues to cause communities, especially in the indigenous communities through the Doctrine of Discovery, but that it acts to undo and heal the deep wounds inflicted through a violent system of oppression. We are called to be disciples of Christ in continuing His work of healing through works of justice and mercy. We cannot expect people to follow us if our actions do not reflect the sentiments of the words that we speak. It is past time for Catholic Church leadership to model the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus, in fighting for the oppressed especially in the areas where they are the contributors to that oppression. Unless we are courageous and willing to assess and then act to change these harmful acts, we will not be the welcoming church that we say that we want to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

EVONNE GONZALES MARTINEZ identifies as Chicana and Indigenous, though she has been unable to trace her specific tribal affiliation due to the systemic oppression that destroyed indigenous communities. In her life, she acknowledges she has been subjected to racism and that motivates her commitment to bringing awareness and change to dismantling racism and other oppressive systems in this country. Evonne is a Christian who identifies as a disciple of Jesus and who feels called to continue the work that He started around mercy, justice and healing. She has been involved with the Catholic Charismatic Movement and participated in healing ministries for several years. She is also involved in social justice ministries especially in healing the sin of racism through the Archdiocese of Seattle through participation in the Racial Solidarity group and in Our Lady of Guadalupe HEART in West Seattle. In addition, she is very involved with Just Faith Ministries in participating and contributing to their national social justice programs. Outside of the Catholic community, Evonne dedicates her time to community building and social justice work in different arenas such as soccer, art, physical and mental health, etc.

A Reflection on Human Rights and International Solidarity

The journey so far, especially the continental stage, has made it possible to identify and share the particular situations experienced by the Church in different regions of the world. These include the reality of too many wars that stain our world with blood leading to a call for a renewed commitment to building a just peace, the threat represented by climate change that implies a necessary priority of caring for the common home, the cry to oppose an economic system that produces exploitation, inequality and a throwaway culture, and the desire to resist the homogenising pressure of cultural colonialism that crushes minorities.

— Instrumentum Laboris, Section 4

Works of justice and mercy are a form of participation in Christ’s mission. Every Baptised person is therefore called to engage in this area. How can this awareness be awakened, cultivated and strengthened in Christian communities?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

In February 2023, I went to the Philippines to participate in an Interfaith Fellowship and Learning Tour with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). I was excited to finally visit my homeland for the first time, and I also held a sense of dread for what I would experience while there. Our delegation was tasked to document experiences of community members under the worsening human rights crisis in the Philippines under the Marcos-Duterte administration, a heavy responsibility in light of ongoing state repression and militarization across the archipelago.

My team met with community members in Cagayan Valley in the northernmost region of the Philippines. We took an eleven-hour overnight bus ride from Manila to Tuguegarao, where we met with peasant organizers who served as our local guides and arranged our meetings with the community. Every interviewee we met with had experienced at least one type of human rights violation at the hands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the local police, or government agencies such as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) – including destruction of their property, surveillance, forced entry into homes without proper warrants, arbitrary arrests based on trumped up charges, and harassment and intimidation of community members for organizing activities to address basic needs. In one area that has been occupied by the military since 2020, the AFP forces would coerce the entire village to gather at night to drink with them, and after getting the villagers drunk, they would interrogate the villagers, sexually harass and assault the women, and force everyone to sign documents in surrender as supporters of the New People’s Army (i.e. as revolutionaries engaging in the ongoing civil war in the Philippines). Another area had four of their elementary schools occupied by both Filipino

and American troops during annual joint exercises last April 2022 and was subject to community mapping and surveillance as part of the military’s training.

Our interviewees traveled hours from their villages to meet with our delegation, sacrificing their work day and risking their safety to name the injustices they faced. Under Executive Order 70, it is very dangerous for anyone – whether Filipino citizen or foreigner – to raise concerns pertaining to basic rights and survival, especially if they are framed as criticisms toward the Philippine government, military, or police. Expressing such concerns is seen as justified grounds for harsher degrees of intimidation, harassment, or violence. My team also had to be careful to conduct our interviews in spaces that would not further endanger our interviewees or local guides (such as private meeting rooms of hotels and restaurants), and we often had to adjust our appointments and take long detours while traveling to ensure we were not being followed.

The fear and weariness of those we interviewed was palpable in every conversation, but what was most inspiring to witness was the deeper sense of hope for justice and genuine peace that drove them to speak their truth. This is something I think about all the time since returning from the Philippines: As people of faith, how are we honoring the courage of the oppressed to continue hoping for change?

Let us reflect on our role within the world today in living our common calling to love and serve others as we love and serve our Lord. Let us truly hold each other accountable to this calling – including our own siblings in faith in the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines, who announced just this September 2023 that they will partner with the very same NTF-ELCAC responsible for escalating human rights violations.

Let us pray for and hold our own U.S. leadership accountable for wise stewardship of our resources to show care for each other rather than harm each other – including examining and questioning the ongoing flow of U.S. taxpayer dollars to support the Philippine military and police, the continued arms and weapons deals with U.S. manufacturers that equip the government armed forces that violate Filipino people’s rights, and the dubious necessity of U.S. military bases in the Philippines.

Let us be bold, just as the interviewees in the Philippines were, in actively engaging in works of justice and mercy for our communities locally and around the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JESSICA VALDEZ (she/her) is a Japanese-Filipina community organizer based in Seattle, WA. She currently serves as a local coordinator for the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines-US (ICHRP-US), a solidarity network of concerned organizations and individuals campaigning for human rights and just and lasting peace in the Philippines. Jessica is also a board member with Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC), a member of Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle, and a cultural worker in constant reflection on themes of faith in action, collective struggle, resilience, and mixed identity in diaspora.

A Reflection on Women’s Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate

In every area of their lives, women ask the Church to be their ally. This includes addressing the social realities of impoverishment, violence and diminishment faced by women across the globe. They call for a Church at their side, and grater [sic] understanding and support in combating these forces of destruction and exclusion. Women participating in the synodal processes desire both Church and society to be a place of flourishing, active participation and healthy belonging. Some reports note that the cultures of their countries have made progress in the inclusion and participation of women, progress that could serve as a model for the Church. “This lack of equality for women within the Church is seen as a stumbling block for the Church in the modern world” (EC New Zealand).

— Document for the Continental Stage, Section 62

Most of the Continental Assemblies and the syntheses of several Episcopal Conferences call for the question of women’s inclusion in the diaconate to be considered. Is it possible to envisage this, and in what way?

— Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

Ciria Mees performs a baptism in the Brazilian Amazon. She is one of a handful of women who, with the permission of their bishop, perform certain functions of deacons such as baptizing. Photo courtesy of the author

“Women ask the Church to be their ally.”

And have we not been asking since the beginning? Since the hemorrhaging woman, as low on the social rung as one could be, dared to reach for Jesus’ cloak, believing herself worthy of healing, despite what her culture said about her? Since the widow, left especially vulnerable upon the death of her only son, asked Jesus to raise him from the dead? Since the Syrophoenician woman challenged Jesus to see her, a woman from a despised people, as an equal, and he showed that even he could change his mind? And yet, two thousand years later we must still ask: will the Church be our ally?

Growing up in a Catholic bubble, I learned at an early age to be wary of the Church’s purported allyship. I watched as an unmarried female employee of a local Catholic school was fired when she became pregnant, left without income when she needed it most. I listened as a divorced and remarried woman close to me wondered aloud if she would be permitted to have her baby baptized, having so internalized the Church’s stigma against the likes of her. In religion class, when I found myself doubting whether the Church truly believed I was made in God’s image, my religion teacher dismissed the question and hurried on to the next topic. What I learned as a girl coming of age in the Catholic Church was that women were routinely thrown under the bus. And yet, if I were without hope, would I bother asking the question: will the Church be my ally?

In the year since I began working as a community organizer at Discerning Deacons, a project that seeks to connect Catholics with the Church’s active discernment about women and the diaconate, I’ve heard countless stories of women left vulnerable by the Church’s failure to be their ally. In many U.S. prisons, Catholic chaplains must be ordained, meaning that Catholic women often cannot accompany their incarcerated sisters beyond a volunteer role (and during COVID, this meant not being able to visit at all). The same is true in the military in the United States, where women are especially vulnerable to sexual assault. People of all genders are left with inadequate pastoral and sacramental care in rural areas—and, increasingly, urban ones—where the impacts of priest shortages could be mitigated by an influx of women deacons or the expansion of lay leadership roles such as pastoral coordinators.

Yet in this last year I’ve also gained an appreciation for the fact that the Church can change; church leaders are capable of making the risky decisions that constitute allyship with women. They did so when the bishops of the Amazon called for women’s ordination to the diaconate in 2019, or when the Australian bishops announced that, should the diaconate be opened to women, they would welcome them as deacons. They did so when CEAMA, the ecclesial conference in the Amazon region, changed its bylaws to henceforth require that two of the vice president roles in the conference always be filled by an indigenous woman and a woman religious. At this October’s General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, delegates will deliberate whether it is “possible to envisage…women’s inclusion in the diaconate.” The fact that the question is being asked at all is a step toward allyship on the part of the Church—as well as the fact that, for the first time ever, women and other laypersons will vote alongside bishops at the synod.

As to whether we can envisage women’s inclusion in the diaconate, we need only look to church history, where women served as deacons throughout the first millennium; to the Amazon region, where women perform sacramental functions of deacons with the blessing of their bishops; or to

Chiapas, where deacon couples function as a team, with wives given responsibilities that are both liturgical and pastoral. Nothing in church doctrine prohibits ordaining women to the diaconate, so why would it be impossible to envisage?

If it is possible to envisage women’s inclusion in the diaconate, the question becomes whether the Church’s Gospel mission will be better realized in the world today with women serving as ordained deacons. I don’t claim to know the will of the Holy Spirit on the matter, but, when I consider the signs of the times and listen to the voices of the global church, I can’t help but have a hunch that the Spirit just might be calling the Church to ordain women as deacons. It is my earnest hope that that question is meaningfully engaged at October’s synod, so that we might all better understand the Spirit’s will for the Church. What I know for sure is that the Holy Spirit is a steadfast ally to women, and to all those relegated to the margins in the Church and society, and that She joins women in asking the Church to be our ally, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ANNA ROBERTSON worked as Director of Youth and Young Adult Mobilization at Catholic Climate Covenant and Campus Minister for Retreats at Seattle University, along with various experiences supporting families of women experiencing incarceration, serving as a hospital chaplain, conducting research on collective memory in El Salvador, and accompanying students on international immersions at the intersection of faith and justice in Latin America. The common thread running through her work has been a passion for helping people articulate their stories and step into their power as protagonists of transformation toward a more just world.

Anna is a cradle Catholic with an eye toward the threads of mysticism that cut across faith traditions. She has a Master’s of Theological Studies from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Xavier University in Ohio. In her free time, Anna enjoys practicing yoga, playing music, riding her electric bike around Seattle, jumping into bodies of water, cooking, reading, and having heart-to-hearts with friends.

A Reflection on LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Church

“Enlarge the space of your tent!” This tent is a space of communion, a place of participation, and a foundation for mission.

– Document for the Continental Stage, Section 11

How does the service of charity and commitment to justice and care for our common home nourish communion in a synodal Church?

– Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

How can we, as Christians, say God loves you to the oppressed? Those excluded from the church’s tent, or from the security and belonging that some enjoy in our society? What meaning does this assurance have when so many of us live lives shaped by the realities of “exclusion and nonlove, of being forgotten, of having no social rights?” 1 What does the active work of realizing God’s love look like, within our churches and in our church’s relationship to a wider world of both joy and brutality, solidarity and social atomization, inclusion and humiliation?

Communion across lines of identity isn’t a simple question, both because living together is always hard and because our own personal identities aren’t simple. I’m an LGBTQ+ person, a queer beloved by God, who’s had my own experiences of “exclusion and nonlove,” alienation and threats and shame, in and out of church. I’m also a white middle-class–raised masculinesocialized person in a society that lifts up, and even falsely sacralizes, those identities. At different times I’ve been left out; at times I’ve been included and valorized at the expense of others.

While communion isn’t simple, Isaiah’s call to “enlarge the space of our tent” is a reminder that inclusion and welcome are a conscious choices; a church has to choose to extend the range of those it considers worthy of belonging. Oppression is not fate, but a system created by people; the degradation and violence it forces onto the lives of the oppressed is “against the meaning” of God’s free, gratuitously beautiful gift of life. How then might an outward-facing sense charity, a commitment to justice, and care for our common home nourish a synodal spirit—a spirit of participation, welcome, dynamism, and belonging—within our churches?

First, I believe that Catholics must acknowledge that the suffering of the oppressed and excluded—the denial of affirming care to trans youth, the criminalization and state murder of young black men, the abandonment of the poor, the prohibitions against immigration even for those fleeing violence and poverty—is not merely a backdrop to their lives or ours, but a call to solidarity. As Christians, we find our fullest humanity in the love of our neighbor, and we affirm that we touch “the suffering flesh of Christ” himself when we minister to the most oppressed, when we strive to build their power and center their concerns. A church that recognizes a mission of solidarity amid the injustice in the world is one closer to deep listening within its own community.

1. Quote from Peruvian liberation theologian, Gustavo Gutiérrez

Second, I believe the work of charity, justice work, and creation care means following Jesus’s message toward social, not just individual, transformation. In the words of Pope Francis, “God, through Christ, redeems not only the individual person, but also the social relations existing” between all people. I believe that Jesus—by his words, actions, and life—teaches us that another set of human and political relationships is possible, one that refuses the “structural sin” (quoting Pope St. John Paul II) in which those of us with privilege participate. When, as Pope Francis writes, “the categories of the marketplace” are made into absolutes, “God can only be seen as uncontrollable, unmanageable, even dangerous, since he calls human beings to their full realization and to freedom from all forms of enslavement.” This is a God I am glad to love, and it’s a God who calls us to love the dignity, autonomy, and freedom of our neighbors in synodal community.

Authentic faith, Pope Francis writes, “is never comfortable or completely personal.... [It] always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values.” Living together is never easy, but I believe a synodal church is one ready to embrace solidarity and a vision of social change both within its tent and in the society of a whole. The labor won’t be a private one, and it won’t be easy, but I believe it’s possible for our faith and the synod process shows us one way it may happen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JAY AQUINAS THOMPSON is a poet, parent, and Catholic living in Seattle, where they teach creative writing to public school students and to women incarcerated in King County Jail.

A Reflection on Care for Creation

The People of God express a deep desire to hear the cry of the poor and that of the earth. In particular, the reports invite us to recognize the interconnectedness of social and environmental challenges and to respond to them by collaborating and forming alliances with other Christian confessions, believers of other religions and all people of good will. This call for renewed ecumenism and interfaith engagement is particularly strong in regions marked by greater vulnerability to socioenvironmental damage and more pronounced inequalities. For example, many African and Pacific Rim reports call on Churches around the world to recognize that addressing socio-environmental challenges is no longer optional: “It is our desire to protect this part of God’s creation, as the wellbeing of our people depends on the ocean in so many ways. In some of our countries the major threat is the ocean as changes in climate have drastic outcomes for the actual survival of these countries.

– Document for the Continental Stage, Section 45

What experience do we have of walking together with others beyond the Catholic Church (individuals, groups and movements) in care for our common home? What have we learnt? What progress is being made to coordinate the different levels of action necessary for effective care of our common home?

– Instrumentum Laboris, Questions for Discernment

Left to right: Green Buildings Now leadership team (Author is third from the right) Neighbors watch workers installing solar panels on the roof of the Bethany United Church of Christ sanctuary. Capital improvement funds raised by Green Buildings Now.

Lutheran and Episcopal Bishops present letters of support from Christian religious leaders to an elder of the Lummi nation at an Earth Ministry event. Photos courtesy of the author

Avery Dulles’ Models of the Church holds up the institutional hierarchy of the Catholic Church as a sacred structure through which the Holy Spirit acts. If this is true, then why do so many persons within the Church ignore the teachings of Pope Francis, particularly his call to respond to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. The words of his office have reached the ears of many people of good will, but it is embarrassing to have other Christians ask why the Catholic Church is not showing up to act on behalf of the Earth and all life on it.

My ministry in the Church allows me to live the words of DCS section 45, as I develop collaborations with many people of good will. One inter-faith collective, Green Buildings Now, “aims to address two related moral imperatives: curbing greenhouse gas emissions and bringing justice to communities that have suffered disproportionate harm from the use of fossil fuels”. We advocate with our local government, raise funds, and provide education on the climate-crisis, all on behalf of those whose voices are frequently ignored because of their social status. Our grass-roots work has focused on assisting impoverished communities that particularly lack the resources to enact climateconscious practices to be able to make capital improvements that will provide for a healthier planet and a healthier lived community.

As vice-chairperson for Earth Ministry/ Washington Interfaith Power and Light, I promote close connections with the indigenous peoples of this land. In partnership, we work together to honor the Earth for the sacred land that it is, and to restore it and the lives that have called this place home. Echoing the beliefs attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, the indigenous peoples live in kinship with all life, recognizing all creatures as sisters and brothers. By recognizing the indigenous peoples of this land as sisters and brothers, Earth Ministry asserts that relationships based on mutuality and respect are essential to the promotion of integral ecology. Theologian Elizabeth Johnson goes further as she shares that “we are meant to live in relationships of mutual responsibility with the natural world, sharing together in one community embraced by the love of God”.

The Church can certainly do more to care for Creation. At least the bishops of this region recognize this in The Columbia River Watershed: Caring for Creation and the Common Good. They conclude this document: “Our prayer for the successful fulfillment of the vision for the Columbia River Watershed is simply: Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the minds and hearts of the people of the region so that, being renewed, they may cooperate with your Spirit and together renew the face of the earth.” May the entire Catholic Church receive the Spirit, so that in partnership, we may work to truly renew the face of the Earth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PATRICK BARREDO was born in New Jersey to Filipino immigrants. After earning his Master of Divinity at the University of Notre Dame, he began ministering in Catholic parishes in Seattle, WA, USA. He currently serves as the Director of Social Outreach and Advocacy at St. James Cathedral, Seattle, WA. He and his wife Christina are parents to Joseph (15), Alex (13) and Ella (11).

QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR DISCERNMENT AND LETTER WRITING

1. Walking together means not leaving anyone behind and remaining alongside those who struggle the most. How are we building a synodal Church capable of promoting the belonging and participation of the least within the Church and in society?

2. Along the synodal path, what efforts have been made to welcome the voice of the poorest and to integrate their contribution? What have we learned about how to support the belonging and participation of the most marginalised? What needs to happen to enable their greater involvement in our walking together and how do we let their voices question our way of doing things when it is insufficiently inclusive of them?

3. How can welcoming migrants become an opportunity to walk with people from another culture, especially when we share the same faith? What provision is made for migrant communities in local pastoral care?

4. What experience do we have of walking together with others beyond the Catholic Church (individuals, groups and movements) in care for our common home? What have we learnt? What progress is being made to coordinate the different levels of action necessary for effective care of our common home?

5. How can we speak in a prophetic voice to expose what is evil without further fragmenting our communities? How can we become a Church that deals honestly with its conflicts and is not afraid to safeguard spaces for disagreement?

6. In the spirit of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, how can we walk together with young people? How can a “preferential option for young people” be at the centre of our pastoral strategies and synodal life?

7. How can we be more open and welcoming towards migrants and refugees, ethnic and cultural minorities, and indigenous communities who have long been part of the Church but are often on the margins? How can the Church better embrace their presence as a gift?

8. What tools do local Churches use to read the cultures in which they are embedded? How can they, in the light of the Gospel, respect and value the cultures of the different local contexts? What opportunities can they create to re-read the teachings of the Church in the light of local cultures?

9. How can we move towards a meaningful and effective co-responsibility in the Church, in which there is a fuller realisation of the vocations, charisms and ministries of all the Baptised in a missionary key?

10. How can the Church of our time better fulfil its mission through greater recognition and promotion of the baptismal dignity of women?

11. What concrete steps can the Church take to renew and reform its procedures, institutional arrangements and structures to enable greater recognition and participation of women, including in governance, decision-making processes and in the taking of decisions, in a spirit of communion and with a view to mission?

12. Most of the Continental Assemblies and the syntheses of several Episcopal Conferences call for the question of women’s inclusion in the diaconate to be considered. Is it possible to envisage this, and in what way?

13. What elements are necessary in forming Church leaders for the exercise of authority? How can formation in the method of authentic and insightful conversation in the Spirit be encouraged?

14. What forms of clericalism persist in the Christian community? A perception of distance between the lay Faithful and their Pastors persists: what can help to overcome it? What forms of exercising authority and responsibility should be superseded as they are not appropriate for a properly constituted synodal Church?

Please note that the above discernment questions come from a larger list of questions found in the Instrumentum Laboris. These questions were selected by the editor of this workbook as they most appropriately reflect the work of the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center. If these questions do not spark inspiration for your letter writing, we encourage you to reference the additional questions at the end of the Instrumentum Laboris. To access more information about the Global Synod and read both the Document for the Continental Stage and the Instrumentum Laboris, visit: https://www.synod.va/en.html

Submit Your Letter!

Please reference the letter writing instructions on page 2, scan the QR Code and submit your letter to Pope Francis and Archbishop Etienne.

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