The chair of Ireland’s National Synodal Team said the Church in Ireland must “to take the next step” and “sharpen its focus” on the National Synodal Pathway.
Addressing members of commissions, councils, agencies, and volunteers of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, Fr Declan Hurley said the bishops had asked his team to prepare a synodal process on the theme of hope to culminate in a synodal-style assembly in October 2025.
These preparations correspond to the themes of 2025’s Jubilee Year, for which Pope Francis has asked the faithful to reflect on their mission as Pilgrims of Hope.
“Over the next twelve months, we will – all of us! – dare to hope! Each of us, in our dioceses, parishes, faith communities, movements and associations, in our religious orders, in our ministries, and in our commissions, departments, councils, and agencies – we will all dare to hope!” Fr Hurley said.
He emphasised that there is “a place in the boat” of this synodal journey for everyone who “longs for a new springtime in our Church, and for all who wish for their baptismal identity to flourish and bear fruit”.
He said that the synodal pathway must be able to sit with and listen to those who echo Job’s painful question of “Why?”, including those who ask why the Church failed so terribly to protect children and vulnerable people, those who have been made to carry a terrible burden of trauma in the Church, those asking why so many people believe that they do not belong in the Church, and parents whose children and grandchildren have wandered far from the Church.
“The ‘why?’ of faithful generous priests and religious who wonder if their life of ministry has been fruitful, young people who ask why they cannot find community, friendship, and joy, and women who ask why their contribution to the life of the Church is not valued,” Fr Hurley said.
Meanwhile, after the female diaconate was excluded from discussions at the assembly of the Synod on Synodality, Dr Phyllis Zagano wrote in Theological Studies: “The modern debate about women in the diaconate has not ended.”
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