The Fear of the Coming Synod.

 I have just read about 'A Thousand Voices', a Survey which took place in the Diocese at the beginning of 2021.   I wonder how many people like myself never heard about it at the time, and this could well have been why there was a very small response.   But credit to the Bishop for trying to get to know his people and what they thought.   The answers were what is called 'all over the place', and you could not detect whether answers were objective or just 'self opinion', that is someone just giving a reason from the top of their head for not attending Church.    

In the light of the coming parish participations in the Synod this greatly worries me.   We have already had one diocese jumping the gun and well known people standing up to state their views on the Church, but how did the Bishop quantify how many opinions of the speakers are shared by his Catholic people, or indeed how man actually oppose the speakers and their views?   It is far from an easy task. 

Another factor is knowledge of the Catholic Faith.   It was noticeable in 'A Thousand Voices' that what I would cal 'celebrating the Sacrifice of Calvary and receiving what the early church called 'the flesh of Jesus', was so low a priority that it was never mentioned, yet if I did not go along with the teachings of the Early Church, I would not go to Mass at all.   This above all is the greatest drawing point to the Catholic Church, we do not just run a Church Service, where we can get bored or restless, we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus.   I have commented on other blogs about how this teaching disappeared from Catholic Schools, so it is not surprising there is confusion on why we attend Church.

So now we have two ways we could improve the Faith.   Good teaching in Catholic Schools, and a proper preparation of children for Holy Communion, with a constant reminder from the pulpit as to what we are receiving.

So how do we go about arranging a Parish Synod.   First of all we pray, pray, pray.   Then we organise a committee of volunteers to form a programme for the occasion, not based on Tom, Dick and Harriet standing up to dictate to the parish, but covering each item that parishioners bring to their notice.   So I would start with the Eucharist and its meaning and how we could share this with those who never were taught about it, or as a teaching document for those not of the Catholic Faith.    We could go on to talk about Catholic Schools.  Then Marriage as taught by Jesus, or marriage as taught by the Secular State and how the lack of marriage is affecting the stability of society.  As you can see there is a system emerging.  We can then have a box for parishioners to fill in on what they think after each item.  

Well that is my first thoughts on the matter.   I do not want picked people running the show, not do I want laity dictatorship.    I want my voice heard, and so do many other Catholics, forced into a system with which they have many difficulties.

 

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