Is there a connection between Ignatian spirituality and the Synod on Synodality? If so, what is it?
Yes! Ignatian discernment. Pope Francis’ experience as a Jesuit and his deep grasp of Ignatian Spirituality have clearly influenced his ways of thinking about what it is to be a synodal Church, probably as much as his experience working as a priest in Argentina in service to the poor, and leading the Society of Jesus as Provincial there during times of intense crisis. One of the key areas of focus for shifting the Church toward a more synodal way of proceeding (which is itself, a somewhat Jesuit style of attending to the purposeful manner in which things are done) is the attention to the exercise of authority and the relationship between hierarchy and participation. While helping the Church restore the early Christian community’s method of making decisions in a more conciliar style, Pope Francis has emphasized how synodality must involve the whole People of God in the process of making decisions about matters that will impact everyone. In particular, he has brought attention to the role of discernment, by both individuals and the community.
How is discernment different from good decision making?
Discernment, understood from an Ignatian perspective, is not just exercising good judgment or doing what is most efficient or practical. It specifically calls for prayer over the important matters in question, orienting the decision makers toward the greater good, toward outcomes that will not only include all those involved and their interests, but also the good of the whole discerning body. What is God calling forth from the Church today in response to the signs of the times? How do we meet the challenges faced by local churches as they face the erosion of trust after the sexual abuse crisis and its aftermath, or issues of polarization and nationalism? How do we work more effectively across our differences to promote peace and foster collaboration on matters of human rights, or the crisis of our common home? Discernment is a way of learning and leading our way forward with God directing us, rather than simply trying to repeat the past or follow some playbook that is already written. It allows us to proceed in a way that is both faithful to the example of Jesus and the tradition and teaching of the Church, yet which is also creative and emergent, obedient to the dynamic reality of the Holy Spirit acting right now.
And what special contribution does this kind of collective discernment make to the Synod?
It helps us to move beyond top-down decision making, which often has so many limits, blind spots, and unintended consequences. No one person, or even an expert few, can perceive and make sense of what many can sense and understand together. And because discernment that involves the whole body of the Church includes more perspectives, it can include more diversity, hold more complexity, and lead us to decisions that are better for the entire community. Not only that, but through this kind of broad based and mature engagement, people who are part of a discernment-based approach to decision making are also more invested and accountable for follow-up. This is why discernment is so critical for a Church at this time. We face major challenges that we cannot attend to alone, but we need one another’s gifts to meet, match, and overcome them. We need people willing to take active responsibility for the Church’s mission to proclaim the Good News with hope and in real forms of service and commitment. Discernment in common helps us all become more than bystanders, but as Pope Francis says, “protagonists” acting in concert with one another.
How does this approach to discernment as a body differ from democratic decision making?
The practice of discernment as a whole Church requires harmony and union without sacrificing our diversity. It depends on developing a moral consensus instead of majority rule. Majority rule usually leaves some group or party feeling like they’ve lost. But the synodal approach, based on discernment in common, means that everyone who wants to speak is heard, that there is a trustworthy process, and clarity about who will take the final decision and how, and that once the final decision is made, the good of the whole includes and even transcends the good of the parts. This emphasis on the union of the whole body of the Church is one of the greatest creative challenges within this global process of the Synod on Synodality, and wouldn’t be possible without a style of discernment that can hold differences, complexity, and even paradoxes.
How does the Discerning Leadership Program support this synodal unfolding of the Church?
Through the formation and accompaniment we offer, Church leaders discover new ways of exercising authority that include and engage their people more actively, that feel more congruent with their commitment to follow Jesus’ example of authority in relationship and for service, and which are ultimately more creative and effective. We have learned so much over the past five years about how powerfully a spirituality of discernment and the practice of leadership go hand in hand. And we have discovered how demanding this is as we try to practice this ourselves- how much we are constantly called to conversion from our own egocentrism, or to leave our comfort zones behind to try new things, or to embrace the demands of working with people very different from ourselves. But this is what Jesus calls us to as his disciples and we are trying to offer our best in service to him and his Kingdom at this moment of such profound change in the Church and in the world.
If you are interested to read more articles about synodality and leadership, please visit https://www.jesuits.global/2024/10/29/ignatian-spirituality-synodality-and-leadership/
