INFORMATION FOR PARISHIONERS
On October 9th 2021, Pope Francis launched a Global Synod: a two year process, unprecedented in the history of the Catholic Church.
A synodal church is a community of equals who walk together, guided by the Holy Spirit, where everyone feels they belong, are listened to and can offer opinions freely without being judged.
Popes often hold synods to consult their bishops when making important church decisions.
Pope Francis recognises that it is now time to consult us all, so that the Church goes back to the original way of being Church; where all members were consulted about its future.
We must honour what is holy and enduring in our Church, build on the values of what is good and think deeply about what the Church needs to be in our time.
And so, every baptised member of the Catholic Church throughout the world, is being asked take part in a unique opportunity, to have a stake in the future of the Church we love, and to dream about the kind of Church we want to have.
So what is being asked of us: Three things.
1. Firstly: to pray about, reflect and respond as best we can to a simple, anonymous questionnaire about our parish experiences.
2. Secondly: to reach out to those whose voices are missing in our parishes, those who rarely or never practise their faith, who feel left out, judged, or are on the margins of society, those of different religions or no religions at all and offer them an opportunity to speak out.
3. Finally to come together in small parish groups during Lent to discuss issues that concern us, to listen to each other, learn from each other, build bridges and open minds to discern what the Spirit is asking the Church to be.
The questionnaire is offered in paper form as you leave the church, or preferably, it can be accessed and submitted online at: www.dunkelddiocese.co.uk/questionnaire
All responses must be submitted online or paper copies returned to the parish by Sunday 18 February 2021
AÂ Â Diocesan Core Group will collate them and present them to Bishop Stephen who will compile a report , share it with us and submit it to Rome in August 2022.
Pope Francis asks us not to adopt the attitude of ‘we have always done things this way’.
If we do we will make the mistake of not taking seriously the times in which we are living.
We are all here in this holy place today, because we love our Church and we want to see it thrive in the third millennium but it takes all of us to step up, to honour the responsibilities bestowed on us at our baptism, and not to leave it to the few.
Let our journey together begin today.
Thank you