by Margaux Salcedo
Sister Nathalie Becquart is in Manila as the guest of honor for the National Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod from July 29 to August 1, 2024 organized by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in collaboration with the Office of the Promotion for New Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Manila.
Sr. Nathalie is an Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops—the first woman to hold this post. She was appointed in 2021 by Pope Francis.
In this exclusive with Dominus Est, she explains what the Synod is and what makes this current one extra special.
"The Synod is a process of mutual listening, to listen to the Holy Spirit," she shared.
The current Synod—the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, popularly called the Synod on Synodality—is both special and historical. "The Synod is a regular gathering of bishops, especially since the Second Vatican Council. (But) this time ... it's the first time in history that a Synod is for the whole church, for everybody. All the baptized are invited to come on board, to give their voice," Sr. Nathalie stressed.
"Pope Francis wants to listen to everybody. All the baptized. All the people of goodwill who want to help the Church become a more synodal Church."
A synodal church, Sr. Nathalie explained further, is "a church that can better serve the people of today and better fulfill our mission". She also emphasized that our mission is the same from the beginning: "to serve the people and to be signs and instruments of the union with God and the unity of the human family".
It's a listening process. "This synod is a big listening process happening everywhere in the world—like here in the Philippines—so that we can listen better to the Holy Spirit and find concrete ways to become more and more a synodal church in mission: a church in which everybody has a voice."
"Everybody is called to participate," she shared. "Everybody is called to carry on the mission of the Church."
Comentarii