Booking: ACTA National Conference on Synodality

Oct 12th, 2021

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The theme of the next ACTA (A Call to Action) National Conference on 16 October, is: Synodality: A Path for Renewing both the Church and Society.

Pope Francis has asked bishops around the world to hold consultations with the laity and clergy in every diocese over the next two years, in preparation for the Synod which is due to take place in October 2023 and will be on the issue of Synodality itself.

Under Pope Francis, the Synod ( 'journeying together') has become a means to define issues of concern to the Church at large. Synods on the Family, on Young People and the state of the Church in Amazonia have all reflected a need to consult and discuss in identifying the way that the Church moves forward on key matters. Increasing use of the principles of subsidiarity- in which National Conferences define areas for development in response to local (i.e. national) need- move responsibility away from the centre.

The Pope delayed the process for this Synod by a year, in order to give national churches more time prepare. In England and Wales, the Archdiocese of Liverpool has just completed a Synod - a process that has taken some eighteen months and was obviously affected by the pandemic. Elsewhere while some bishops have reached out to their dioceses, many so far have not.

ACTA's National Conference this year will be delivered via Zoom. The Conference brings together a range of speakers with a clear and deep understanding of the issues raised by synodality and a capacity to shape the thinking of the Church in England and Wales in the years ahead. Speakers include:

Sr Dr Gemma Simmonds is a theologian and writer. As a member of the Company of Jesus her religious formation is within the Jesuit tradition. For a number of years, she worked in South America when Cardinal Bergoglio led the South American Conference of Bishops. Her insights into Ignatian spirituality and perceptions of the issues that have shaped Pope Francis' vision for the Church will be a key foundation.

Dr Peter Coughlan was Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from 1980 to 1991. During this period, he was also a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and a member of the Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (headquartered in Geneva). In recent years Peter has taught ecclesiology, ecumenism and ethics at Heythrop College, University of London. His presentation will focus on the development of the Synod under successive Popes.

Dr Pat Jones was the Assistant General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. She played a key role in the development of the National Pastoral Congress in Liverpool in 1980 and acted as an adviser to other diocesan Pastoral Congresses including the Archdiocese of Cardiff under Archbishop Ward. Her reflection will be on lessons learnt from previous consultative processes. Her presentation will involve some reports of work currently being undertaken in some dioceses in England and Wales in preparation for a synodal process.

Fr Philip Inch is, with Fr Matthew Nunes, Joint Moderator of the Liverpool Synod 2020. A consultation started by Archbishop McMahon OP before the pandemic has continued via online discussions and involved some 500 Catholics across the Archdiocese. They have recently endorsed a series of Proposals which will now form the basis of a Pastoral Plan. Fr Inch will speak of the planning and the process that have led to this point in Liverpool.

Zoom Conference £5. Free for everyone under 25 and those on benefits.