ArchKL Synod

https://archdioceseklsynod.org/

Chit-Chat with the Diocese of Penang

Synod on Synodality

Dear People of God in the Diocese of Penang,
Pope Francis is reaching out to you. He wants to listen to your feedback which is important for the growth of the Church.

We encourage you to participate in this process.

📌English: https://bit.ly/chit-chat-with-Diocese-of-Penang-English

📌Bahasa: https://bit.ly/chit-chat-with-Diocese-of-Penang-Bahasa

📌Tamil: https://bit.ly/chit-chat-with-Diocese-of-Penang-Tamil

📌Mandarin: https://bit.ly/chit-chat-with-Diocese-of-Penang-Mandarin

Penang Diocese Pre-Synod Team

Synodality: What Is That? 
by Bishop Sebastian Francis

NEWS

Synod Resources

Visit the Penang Diocese Links to Resources for the Synod to download the latest resources, videos and materials.

Click to view the videos on the Message for the Synod of Bishops in four languages  (BM, English, Mandarin, Tamil)

A conversation with Professor Christina Kheng on how we can journey together during the Synodal Process. Christina Kheng is a Singaporean layperson who teaches Pastoral Leadership at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila. She’s been named by Pope Francis to be part of the Commission on Methodology supporting the Synod’s General Secretariat.

Spotify
https://spoti.fi/3oqdiac

CatholicSG Radio Podcast Player
https://bit.ly/3c2TlAL

Apple Podcasts
https://apple.co/3okj0ud

You may stay tuned to the channel on participation of this Synod and visit https://www.catholic.sg/synod/ for more information.

Visit the Brunei Synod Webpage for updates.

Sunday, 17 October 2021, 7.30am
Recorded Mass from the Apostolic Vicariate in Brunei Darussalam

No.1   |   No. 2   |   No.3   |   No.4   |   No.5   |   No.6   |   No.7   |   No.8   |   No.9   |   No.10   |   No.11   |   No.12   |   Press Release Jan 2022

Pray for unity, pray for the synod

For the forthcoming 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Cardinal Mario Grech and Cardinal Kurt Koch invite all Christians to pray for unity and to continue to journey together.
 
In a joint letter sent on 28 October 2021 to all bishops responsible for ecumenism, Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Cardinal Grech, General Secretary of the Synod of the Bishops, offered suggestions aimed at implementing the ecumenical dimension of the synodal process in the local churches. The two Cardinals wrote: “Both synodality and ecumenism are processes of walking together,” the two Cardinals wrote.
 
The 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the theme “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt 2: 2) prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches, offers a propitious occasion to pray with all Christians that the Synod will proceed in an ecumenical spirit.
 
Reflecting on the theme, both Cardinals affirm “Like the Magi, Christians too journey together (synodos) guided by the same heavenly light and encountering the same worldly darkness. They too are called to worship Jesus together and open their treasures. Conscious of our need for the accompaniment and the many gifts of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we call on them to journey with us during these two years and we sincerely pray that Christ will lead us closer to Him and so to one another.”
 
The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity are therefore pleased to offer this prayer inspired by the theme, which could be added to the other intentions of the Week of Prayer:
 
Heavenly Father,
as the Magi journeyed towards Bethlehem led by the star,
so by your heavenly light,
guide the Catholic Church to walk together with all Christians during this time of synod.
As the Magi were united in their worship of Christ,
lead us closer to your Son and so to one another,
so that we become a sign of the unity that you desire for your Church and the whole creation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Download the press release in PDF

The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops wishes all its readers a Holy Christmas.

Women and Synodality

Serving the Synod: Launching a cohort of synod animators

This initiative is sponsored by Discerning Deacons, an organization that seeks to promote active discernment about women and the diaconate.
Read more… 

Returning to …

We present the final documents or interventions in their respective languages from two important meetings that have just concluded.

Ecclesial Assembly of Latin America and the Caribbean

The documents (in Spanish only) are available here.

The 96th USG Assembly

The document are available here.

From our peripheries …

We are starting a new section in which we will present from time to time the contribution that comes to us from our ecclesial “peripheries”. 

Children of a Lesser God?

New Ways Ministries Webinar
“From the Margins to the Center: LGBTQ Catholics and Synodality.”

The keynote speaker was Robert Choiniere, D.Min, professor of theology at Fordham University and director of adult formation at St. Francis Xavier Church, Manhattan.

Special ‘Advent Season’

Christmas card available now!
The logo is available on the shared drive in various editable formats.

Adeste fideles

Two stories, two ideas to prepare us to welcome the Lord who comes! Click on the image and discover the two stories.

The crib of the parish unit Marcel Callo de Flers (France)

Pastoral Dynamics for a Synodal Christmas in the Parish of Our Lady of the Hour (Porto, Portugal)

#IamChurch: voices of our brothers and sisters with disabilities
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is launching the #IamChurch campaign: 5 videos in which persons with disabilities, from different parts of the world, recount their experience of faith and affirm, “I am Church!”
Starting on December 6, the videos will be available on the YouTube channels of Vatican News and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and will be published weekly.

Baptism makes each one of us a fully-fledged member of the ecclesial community and gives each one, without exclusion or discrimination, the possibility of exclaiming, “I am Church!” The Church, indeed, is your home! We, all together, are Church because Jesus has chosen to be our friend. 
(Pope Francis, Message on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – 3 December 2021)

#WhileWalkingTOGETHERweLearn

From the Archdiocese of Newark (US), a series of recommendations and resources to facilitate the synodal journey of brothers and sisters with disabilities. Thank you, dear friends of Newark!
Document in English – Site available in several languages.

Share your story!

COVID-19 & synodality: the Auckland Champions

An example of good practice – In the Diocese of Auckland, the synodal process is taking place in close isolation. More than 200 people have participated in information sessions with zoom to become Synod Champions. Two young adults made this simple video in a style that speaks to both young people and adults to encourage participation.

Are you witnessing or living a particular synodal experience? Do you think you have experienced a good practice and want to share it? Fill in the attached form and send it to media@synod.va.
If your story appears to be original or considered a good practice, we will publish it in our next newsletter and who knows… maybe even in VaticanNews!

The Synod in the world: a new site

We continue to receive from all over the world photos, videos, … showing the great creativity of our communities.
Be inspired by visiting the new site: sharingresources.org

Share your story!

Are you witnessing or living a particular synodal experience? Do you think you have experienced a good practice and want to share it? Fill in the attached form and send it to media@synod.va.
If your story appears to be original or considered a good practice, we will publish it in our next newsletter and who knows… maybe even in VaticanNews!

We are all in the one boat!

The Synodal Pathway launch in Dublin: a diocesan story
 
Taking the image of the boat as mentioned in the official preparatory documents the liturgical space within the Cathedral was shaped in the form of a boat. The bow of the boat  faced towards the Cathedral door emphasising mission and outreach to the peripheries.
Read the full story.

Synodal spirituality

We continue our journey to discover the spirituality of the different religious families, associations and ecclesial movements. Today we invite you to discover the Franciscan spirituality. 

“The process of discernment never starts from abstract questions (at the table), but from concrete provocations of life, from inspirations and thoughts that arise in the encounter between the needs and provocations of life and the sincere and deep desire to be pleasing to God and to do his will.”.
(From the Franciscan Spirituality by fr. Giulio Cesareo, OFM Conv)

The Synod in the world

We continue to receive pictures, videos, … from all over the world showing the great creativity of our communities.

Be inspired: come and see!

For a synodal Church:

the contribution of Consecrated Life

From 24 to 26 November, the Union of Superiors General (USG) – the international organisation of Superiors General of men’s Religious Institutes or Societies of Apostolic Life – will hold its 96th General Assembly focusing mainly on Consecrated Life and Synodality (see programme).

As we await the results of their discussions, let us invoke the Spirit of the Lord to enlighten their work. Have a good synodal meeting!

Synodal spirituality

We continue our journey to discover the spirituality of the different religious families, associations and ecclesial movements. Today we invite you to discover the Salesian spirituality.

“Listening, sincere and open dialogue, discernment in the Holy Spirit, prayer, planning and shared formation can foster a journey “together” and the construction of an inclusive “we” in view of the mission.“

The Synod in the world

We continue to receive pictures, videos, … from all over the world showing the great creativity of our communities.

Be inspired: come and see!

“To ensure that the synodal church is not a mirage, but rather a dream to be realized, it is necessary to dream together, to pray together, and to work together ”.

(From the letter of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, 23 July 2021)

Synod on Synodality – All You Need to Know

Directly from our brothers and sisters in India a nice video (only in English) which explain what is the Synod on Synodality. 

The Goose Game: a teamwork

Finally, the English version of the Goose Game proposed by the diocese of Palencia (Spain) is now available in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch too thanks to all who have collaborated. Click here to download the game.

Press Communiqué of the Secretariat General for the Synod of Bishops

Vatican City, 18 November 2021

On the occasion of the USCCB Fall General Assembly, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General for the Synod of Bishops sent a video-message to the US bishops gathering in these day in Baltimore.

“Do not be afraid to tell us frankly what you have gathered from listening to your people about what the Spirit is saying to the Church: to your Church and to the whole Church” Cardinal Grech told the US Bishops. “In this logic of the exchange of gifts among the Churches, every contribution to the understanding of the Synodal Church is important. Contrary to what many assume, there are no written conclusions; there is no desire to impose a line of thinking. There is a willingness to listen to the Spirit in listening to one another. Nor do we think that there are positions that are worth more than others. The will of the Secretariat is to encourage listening at all levels of the life of the Church and to itself engage in this process of listening in order to discover the voice of the Living God”

After deepening the meaning of sinodality which needs “an authentic ethic of listening” and “demands a willingness on the part of all to give up strongly held positions and goals, and to adopt a culture of dialogue and collective decision making”, the Secretary General for the Synod focused on the theological category of the People of God stressing the importance of the “reciprocity of relationship.”

Card. Grech concluded his video message by mentioning the five nationwide Encuentro experiences as a best practice. The primary objective the Encuentro was “to discern pastoral practices and priorities in order to improve the quality of ministry among Hispanic/Latino Catholics, under the leadership of the U.S. Bishops”

See the Video (ENGLISH ONLY)
Transcription of the Video-Message of Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General for the Synod of Bishops to the Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gathering in Baltimore for their General Assembly (English Version – Italian Version – Spanish Version)

The ecumenical dimension

of the synodal process

In a joint letter of 28 October 2021, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, addressed the Bishops responsible for ecumenism in their Episcopal Conferences and Synods of the Oriental Catholic Churches.

The two Cardinals trust that the “ecumenical dimension of the synodal process will promote both synodality and Christian unity so that ‘all may believe’ (John 17,21)”.

“Indeed, both synodality and ecumenism are processes of ‘walking together’ ”. In fact, “as ecumenism can be understood as an ‘exchange of gifts’, one of the gifts Catholics can receive from the other Christians is precisely their experience and understanding of synodality”.
(From the letter of cardinals Grech and Koch)

The Synod in the world

We continue to receive pictures, videos, … from all over the world showing the great creativity of our communities. Be inspired: come and see!

RESOURCES

Synod and Synodality: Theological Approaches New Course at the Pontifical Gregorian University

The synodal process also challenges theology to deepen what is a “constitutively synodal Church”, in order to integrate visions and skills, experiences and concerns, tradition and readings to the “signs of the times”. 

The Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Gregorian University is launching a course on “synod” and “synodality”. In 12 meetings, the professors will address the topic from different angles. 

The aim  is to create a wide space for listening and sharing among the participants, both in the classroom and online, thus implementing the synodal process and developing a truly synodal style in theology.
Programme (ONLY IN ITALIAN)

Synodal spirituality

We continue our journey to discover the spirituality of the different religious families, associations and ecclesial movements. Today we invite you to discover the Benedictine spirituality. 

“The practice of listening “with the ear of the heart” sets in motion a pathway to authentic discernment of the will of God.”

Press Communiqué of the Secretariat General for the Synod of Bishops

 
Vatican, 29 October 2021
 
The numerous communications we have received in these first weeks of the synodal process from the Episcopal Conferences, dioceses and eparchies are truly an encouraging confirmation of those in the Church who are committed to celebrating the first phase of the synodal process — the theme of which is For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission — constituted by the consultation of the People of God. For all this we are truly grateful.
 
 During this period, we have heard, over and over again and from many quarters, the request to extend the duration of the first phase of the synodal process in order to provide a greater opportunity for the people of God to have an authentic experience of listening and dialogue.
 
Aware that a synodal Church is a Church that listens, considering that this first phase is essential for this synodal path and evaluating these requests, and always seeking the good of the Church, the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops has decided to extend until August 15, 2022 the deadline for the presentation of the summaries of the consultations by the Episcopal Conferences, the Oriental Catholic Churches sui iuris and other ecclesial bodies.

As we walk together,

together we learn…

Consultation of the People of God
In addition to the official documents of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (Preparatory Document and Vademecum) now available in several other languages, there are several episcopal conferences, dioceses and ecclesial bodies that have developed their own tools and methodologies to promote an authentic participatory and inclusive listening time. 

This is the case of the Leadership Roundtable (United States), the PastaTalk of the diocese of Lucerne (Switzerland) or the tools developed by the diocese of Palencia (Spain) to teach synodality among children. More examples are available here.

Pray for the Synod

The Synod is first and foremost a spiritual experience. In order to support the synodal journey and ask for the Spirit’s assistance, together with the World Network of Prayers of the Pope, we have set up a website in 5 languages: Church on the Way. Pray for the Synod. From 2 November, you too can send your prayer. See how to do it... 

Synodal Spirituality

We continue our journey to discover the spirituality of the different religious families, associations and ecclesial movements. Today we invite you to discover Augustinian and Dominican spirituality. 

The Synod in the world

We continue to receive pictures, videos, … from all over the world showing the great creativity of our communities.
Be inspired: come and see!

The Synod in the world
We continue to receive pictures, videos, … from all over the world showing the great creativity of our communities.
Be inspired: come and see!

I want to say again that the Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit.
If the Spirit is not present, there will be no Synod.
(Pope Francis, Address of 09.10.2021) 

Pray for the Synod
The Synod is first and foremost a spiritual experience. Without the support of the Holy Spirit, discernment risks falling into ideology, at the mercy of emotions or passing trends. It is the Spirit who ensures the goodness of community discernment at the basis of the Sensus Fidei.

In order to support the synodal journey and ask for the Spirit’s assistance, together with the World Network of Prayers of the Pope, we have set up a website in 5 languages: Church on the Way. Pray for the Synod

Help us support the synod with prayer by contacting your local monastic community and handing them the Second Letter of Cardinal Mario Grech to the monastic communities.
Of course you are all invited to send your prayer intentions. Thanks to the RSS feed, you will be able to integrate Prayforthesynod into your site. See how to do it… 

Listening, you say?
We continue our in-depth study of listening in monastic communities. Today we present the video of the Carmelite sisters of the Monastery of Our Lady of Brazzaville (Democratic Republic of Congo). Three generations tell us how to pray and listen in a community.

Suggestions for the synodal path: Synodal Spirituality

On 1 July 2021, the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops organised an international study day on the theme of Spiritualities for Synodality. Representatives of different religious families and lay movements were invited to share experiences and reflections of their own spirituality and to gather their views and practices for a spirituality of synodality and community discernment.
The aim was also to initiate a process to elaborate a vision of a spirituality of synodality and best practices that could help the synodal process for the synod.

We will periodically publish contributions from this day’s work.
We begin today with a small contribution from James Grummer SJ, of the Department of Spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

The ‘synodal process’ has started. What now?

https://www.licas.news/2021/10/18/the-synodal-process-has-started-what-now/

To all of you who participated, in presence or from a distance, in the events of the Opening of the Synodal Process, the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops wishes a joyful and festive opening of this synodal time in your dioceses.

To the continental, national and diocesan contact persons, we wish strength for you work and assure you the support of our prayers. Send us your videos, photos, … of the opening to at media@synod.va or via whatsapp at +39 351 9348474.
And don’t forget to use the following tags
#synod #listeningchurch #walkingtogether

To the members of the commissions of the General Secretariat goes our heartfelt thanks for your hard work.
Although the path is long and hidden, it will also be full of beautiful surprises. Thank you for your service!

Sunday, 10 October 2021
Recorded Mass

Click to read – Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis – Opening of the Synodal Path

Click to read – Pope on Synod: The participation of everyone, guided by the Holy Spirit

DOWNLOAD all the information concerning the opening of the synodal process (9-10 October 2021)

Pope Francis will officially open the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican with the celebration of the Eucharist at St Peter’s Basilica (Sunday 10 October), preceded by a moment of reflection in the Synod’s New Hall (Saturday 9 October).

Click to read the programme for the Moment of Reflection on Saturday 9 October.

Saturday’s plenary session and Sunday’s Holy Mass will be broadcast live by Vatican Media.

TOOLKIT

Communication Toolkit

The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops provides a series of elements to promote participation and communication around the Synodal Journey of the Church.

Through this Google Drive link it will be possible to download a series of templates for posters, leaflets, prayer, presentation powerpoints….

Special Social Media Toolkit

The “Young Social Network Facilitators”, a project of the Media Commission in cooperation with the Dicastery for Communication, have developed a colourful Social Media Toolkit.
 
We recommend that you read their “Official Guide to Content Creation and Digital Accompaniment” carefully before jumping straight into templates. Happy reading.
 

And use #synod #listeningchurch #walkingchurch

We offer some clarifications on the objectives of the Liturgical Celebration to open the diocesan phase of the synodal journey together with some ideas and general suggestions for its implementation and animation.

We present some suggestions on the role of the Bishops’ Conference in the diocesan phase; its objectives in the synodal process; the synodal meeting of the Bishops’ Conference and much more – Resource for Episcopal Conferences.

On Saturday, 18 September, Pope Francis met and gave a memorable address to the faithful of the diocese of Rome on synodality and the meaning of the synodal path. Full speech available only in Italian or Read the VaticanNews article

YOUR FELLOW TRAVELLERS

Roadmap for the diocesan phase

Synod of Bishops will begin in the local Churches

In October, Pope Francis will open a three-year synodal journey with three phases (diocesan, continental, universal) of consultations and discernment, culminating with the assembly in October 2023 in Rome.

For further information, visit: 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-05/synod-of-bishops-will-begin-in-the-local-churches.html 

RESOURCES

Ceremony Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops

Synodal Process Presentation of Programme

Synodal Process 2021–2023

Synod Infographic