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Document Details : Title: Weighing and Assessing Diocesan Syntheses Subtitle: A Study of the 2021-2022 Synodal Consultation of the People of God in Belgium Author(s): VAN ROMPAEY, Jens Journal: Louvain Studies Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Date: 2022 Pages: 345-369 DOI: 10.2143/LS.45.4.3292262 Abstract : The Catholic Church worldwide is on a synodal journey because Pope Francis convoked a Synod of Bishops on synodality to be held in 2023 and 2024. The preparation for the synod was first organized locally, then continentally, and finally there will be a discussion on the universal level of the Church. The entire process includes a plethora of documents: diocesan consultation reports, interdiocesan summaries, a document for discussion on the continental stage, continental reports, and finally an Instrumentum laboris that will be discussed by bishops in 2023 and 2024. However, how can one judge the quality or representativity of such a local consultation? Are these different documents comparable? Especially for the local phase, do the diocesan consultations reflect the voice of the entire People of God and what indications are there whether it does so? This article looks at the Belgian diocesan summaries as a case study to find criteria to compare and evaluate this specific kind of ecclesial documents. In other words, it is a comparative and critical study of the synodal process in action as celebrated in one country on the local level. The first part of the article looks at the Vatican framework for the local consultation, the second part presents and compares the local syntheses and, finally, part three shows four focal points that give an indication of the synodal quality of this type of documents. |
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