GLOBAL GOENKAR SPEAKS
Filomena Saraswati Giese along with Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.
CALIFORNIA
On April 4, I participated in an all-day International Conference on ‘Synod and Mission’ with keynote speaker, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.
Cardinal Grech is Pope Francis’ top agent for shaping, leading the Synod of Bishops and is now writing the final summary document. Like many other students, alumni and supporters of the Jesuit School of Theology (JST), I got to register for this historic Conference at Santa Clara University (SCU) titled ‘Together At the Table’, to share Pope Francis’ own vision for the evolving Church of the future.
THE CONFERENCE
Cardinal Grech was introduced by Dr Julie Sullivan, President of the Jesuit Santa Clara University and first woman President of a Jesuit University, as the lead organiser of the Synod, and as a pastoral and singularly approachable Churchman after the heart of Pope Francis.
She described him as someone who is dedicated to opening up the Church to change with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Cardinal Grech then spoke about how he had been a diocesan bishop in Malta for 15 years when he got a call from the Vatican and a voice said that Pope Francis was on the line and wished to speak to him.
He said he fell to the ground in shock when he heard Pope Francis ask him to lead this 4-year Synod project and run the Synod. As the Synod has now concluded, he is summarising what the bishops discussed and voted on. He’s taking the findings around the world so that the local bishops and laity can discuss Pope Francis’ synodal vision.
MAIN THEMES
The main themes discussed at the International Conference on ‘Synod and Mission’ were as follows:
1. The Holy Spirit is not the prerogative of a few. What is the Holy Spirit conveying to each and every baptised Christian? When we were baptised, we all equally receive the Holy Spirit. Then why are we “pouring water” on anyone’s ideas?
2. The Church is a Synodal Church. Therefore, it’s a listening Church.
3. Importance of local churches. In the whole Church, the Synod is about a network of local churches which have their own history and particularity.
4. The important Role of Women in the Future Church based on early Christian inclusion of women.
4. The role of technology in the present Church and the important role of the digital platform in spreading the Gospel.
5. The communitarian role of the “People of God,” and the equality of all the baptized who have a full right to be heard.
Cardinal Grech and the Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology, Fr Agbonkhianmeghe Orabator, S.J. led a concluding session during which questions were projected. We then shared our opinions about the above aspects of the Synod.
ST JOSEPH VAZ AS SYNODAL MISSIONARY MODEL
I got a chance to speak to the topmost Vatican representative of the Synod about our hope that the diaspora laity would be heard as participants in the synodal process. I explained that we also are interested in the missionary method of lay participation that St Joseph Vaz used. He was only able to re-found the Church of Sri Lanka because he trained the Sri Lankan Laity to be active participants in running his underground Church, which happens to be an important theme of the Synod.
I asked whether St Joseph Vaz could perhaps be included as a model of "Synod and Mission." He gave a very encouraging response. He said he knew our Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrao of Goa. It is a strong possibility that he would wish to speak with him and with the Sri Lankan bishops.
His Eminence promised us devotees of St Joseph (Naik) Vaz, that he would give our thanks to Pope Francis personally for giving us the first canonized Saint of Goa, Kanara (Mangalore), and Sri Lanka.
A Mass was later celebrated with a wonderful homily from Cardinal Grech at the historic Mission Church of Santa Clara de Asîs.
[The writer is President of the Joseph Naik Vaz Institute, Berkeley, California, which now has a Petition before Pope Francis to make St. Joseph Vaz Patron Saint of his multiple contributions to humanity and the Church. If interested, please contact us at josephnaik.vaz@gmail.com]
