Spain: CEE, “synodal process strengthened our ecclesial consciousness and served to illuminate our reality”

“The general feeling emerging from the documents received is that the synodal process involved a community effort that has strengthened our ecclesial consciousness and has served both to illuminate our reality - as parish communities, groups and movements - and to foster our desire to grow in synodality and discernment”. This is stated in the introduction to the 20-page  Document summarizing “the diocesan phase of the Synod” of the Church in Spain, published on the website of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE). The journey has involved 215,000 people in 14 synodal groups across 70 dioceses, as well as religious congregations, 215 cloistered monasteries, Caritas offices, and 37 lay movements and associations: mostly “people who were already involved in the life of the Church, especially women”, the introduction reads. There was a low response rate among young people and families as well as among those who are distant from the Church and among non-believers, “but those who participated said they were surprised that the Church was interested in knowing their opinion”. Synodal processes also took place in 19 prisons, in nursing homes, and, thanks to religious teachers, in the courses of higher institutes of religious sciences. The Spanish reflection builds on the results of the Lay Congress (February 2020) and on the synodal paths that are underway or have just concluded in the dioceses. Following the “large participation of the faithful in the listening and discernment processes”, concerns were also raised over the usefulness of this synodal phase with doubts on two aspects - the fruits that may arise, “in light of previous negative experiences”, and whether the “contributions will actually been listened to, reflected upon and incorporated” in the final report.
Valentina Bombelli