Synodality – A culture of sharing

Joe O’Shea, retired priest, Archdiocese of Melbourne, discusses the importance of sharing of resources and ideas in creating a synodal church that fosters biblical spirituality.

Basically synodality is walking together on the same road discovering what the Lord expects of us (The Swag Vol.29, No.3 p15, Synodality high on the agenda of Pope Francis by Nihal Abeyasingha). I would contend that, in the Catholic Church at the moment, we are not ‘walking together’ but rather standing apart. I propose that we need to promote a culture of sharing in all we do. The Catholic Church needs to become a community of sharers. We can’t just turn on sharing for the purpose of a Synod or a Plenary Council or a renewal of Parish Structures, it must be the foundation of who we are.