The Justice and Peace Commission of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries and the Preparatory Commission of the Holy Land for Synod 2021-2023 encourage us, during the synod process, to be more aware of the lives of those in our ecclesial communities, neighborhoods, and society who are affected by the lack of justice, inequality and permanent violence in all its forms. That is why it is necessary to listen with these keys: to know people’s lives better, to promote community solidarity, to understand justice-inequality-peace as a right for all, and to promote integration and participation in society.
Let us look at some of the four clues provided for listening during the synod process:
1. Get to know the lives of our people better.
Our bishops, priests, religious, and community leaders are encouraged to get out of their churches and monasteries to visit and listen to the faithful.
2. Promoting community solidarity
One challenge is to develop greater community solidarity so that we also help each other, the more fortunate helping the less fortunate within our communities. It is a good time to promote and develop new forms of self-help in parishes and Christian communities.
3. Justice, equality, and peace are everyone’s business.
Resources on these issues are numerous:
The Society of St Yves of the Latin Patriarchate is an active Catholic presence in the fight for human rights.
The Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre is another Christian organisation that closely follows what is going on around us.
4. Promoting integration and participation in society
The synod encourages us to go out, beyond our comfort zones, and this also means promoting the participation of qualified lay people who are involved in the life of civil society at all levels.
You can read the full reflection here (pdf).