The synodal team of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference has issued a new reflection tool entitled “The Renewal of the Instruments of Participation in the Church”.
Through this booklet, the synodal team reminds us that the synodal conversion of our local communities requires the need to review, strengthen and renew the instruments and bodies that enable the effective participation of the whole People of God in the discernment and decisions of the Church (cf. DF 89; 92; especially 103-108). The central conviction is that participation is not merely an organisational mechanism, but a spiritual and communal dimension based on listening to the Spirit and on the shared responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel in deeply transformed social, cultural and ecclesial contexts (cf. DF 43-44).
The document we present today offers a structured reflection on the renewal of participatory bodies in the Church, drawing inspiration from the insights, guidelines and challenges that have emerged in recent years within the synodal journey. It aims to describe the theological meaning of participation, diagnose the current situation, define the existing bodies and propose paths of pastoral renewal and conversion that will enable progress towards a truly synodal Church.
After the introduction, the booklet contains reflections on:
- Theological foundations of participation in the Church
- Diagnosis of the current situation: progress, limitations and challenges
- Current instruments of participation in the Church
- Criteria for the renewal of instruments of participation
- Conclusion: towards a truly synodal Church
- And concludes with some questions for the reflection of local communities
Download the booklet in Spanish
Visit also: https://www.conferenciaepiscopal.es/interesa/sinodo/