Why the Buck Stops with Catholic Bishops in Realizing “effectively missionary”, Synodal Church in Africa

“Without the bishops consciously engaging in spreading the synodal spirit in their local Churches by first of all practicing the synodal style of governance and inviting and forming their clergy and lay faithful on the new way, the three years synodal process would be like ploughing the sand. It will bear no fruit in the life of the Church,” Fr. Anaehobi, who serves as the Secretary General of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) further says.

He makes reference to Jesus’ warning about putting “new wine into old wineskins”, saying, “New wine needs a new wine skin. The new wine is here. The Bishops must provide the new wine skin. It is only when this is done that the priests, the religious and the lay faithful will fully join the journey.”

Credit: Fr. Vitalis Anaehobi

According to the Nigerian Catholic Priest, the Synod on Synodality presents Mary as the model of synodality “because she listens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides, and acts”

“Like the true sons of Mary, the Bishops with their people should now imitate Mary and engage in the synodal way of life for the growth of the missionary synodal Church,” he says. 

In his reflection, Fr. Anaehobi describes Synodality as being a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the Church to be more participatory and missionary.

This way, he goes on to say, the Church can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ that, in the light of the Synod on Synodality, has become the better way of understanding the Church as the People of God.

Credit: Fr. Vitalis Anaehobi

In 2021, Pope Francis officially inaugurated the Synod on Synodality as a multi-year journey to be realized under the theme, “For a synodal Church: Communion, participation and mission.”

The first session of the Synod on Synodality, which Pope Francis extended to 2024, took place from 4-29 October 2023, concluding with a 42-page summary report.

In his reflection on the Final Document following the October 2-27 session, which Pope Francis chose to directly implement instead of the usual practice of issuing a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Fr. Anaehobi says that end goal of the synodal journey has been “to make the Church more effective at evangelization by making it more participatory and inclusive.”

The official of RECOWA says that the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality “is built upon the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his apostles.”

He notes that proposals in the Document, such as issues to do with the Diocesan and Parish pastoral and finance Councils, are already being practiced in Africa.

“However, there are some points that, though not new, need more attention from an African point of view,” the Nigerian Catholic Priest says.  

He says that issues such as synodal life style, new ministries, space for women, place for people with disability, as well as the digital environment as a prophetic space and formation of all on synodality need more attention from an African viewpoint.

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On new ministries within the Catholic Church, the Final Document recommends that certain ministries of service in the community be officially recognized and entrusted to some people for promoting the mission of the Church. 

Credit: Fr. Vitalis Anaehobi

According to Fr. Anaehobi, the call to “creativity and courage” is a call to those in authority to invent ways of increasing the participation of the people of God in the life of the local churches. 

This, he says, will involve discerning which services, already done by ordained ministers, and do not necessarily need the sacrament in order to carry them out, can be assigned to the Laity. “This will be a way of easing the tasks of priests and encouraging differentiated co-responsibility,” he says. 

On the place of women in the Church, Fr. Anaehobi notes that giving more space to women will require increasing their competence in order to enable them to do well what they are expected to do. 

This, he says, will involve encouraging women to invest in areas that will improve their competence and in creating learning experiences for them.

Credit: Fr. Vitalis Anaehobi

On the digital environment as “a prophetic space”, the Nigerian Catholic Priest says, “The Synod recognized the rapid revolution that is taking place in the digital environment and its impact in the life of people, especially the youth.”

“There is need for official engagement and investment of each African local Church in this domain which is fast becoming the privilege area for encountering the people of God,” Fr. Anaehobi says in his 10-page reflection shared with ACI Africa on November 8.