Reading the Final Synod Document

Part 3: The Conversion of Processes

Part 3: The Conversion of Processes:

Discernment, decision-making and accountability 

 Avril Baigent and Dr Estela discussed the transformative capacity of healthy discernment, seeing how contextual approaches helps the gospel enter daily life as an “energy of hope”, and how synodal decision-making is “not based in a power structure, but a mission structure”. Her experiences of synodality in the Philippines highlighted new perspectives on how we can approach this chapter, called the ‘Conversion of Processes’. Dr Estela spoke about a number of practical tools during her talk, including Bible Mirroring, Asian Integral Pastoral Approach, Theory U 3D mapping, and Two Loop Theory of Change with the Berkana Institute.

This event is the third in a series of conversations hosted by the School for Synodality and synod experts to reflect on the Final Synod Document in more depth. For 6 weeks, the School for Synodality’s Director Dr Avril Baigent unpacks with guest speakers a different section, reflecting on its theological and practical implications, with time for questions afterwards. 

Watch Part 3: ‘The Conversion of Processes’ with Dr Estela Padilla below:

The Conversion of Processes: reflection questions:

  • Estela described the role of a ‘synodal practitioner’ as someone who journeys with people and recognises the spirituality in their daily lives, not just in church and Christian settings. What signs of faith do you see in the people around you? 

  • The capital of the Philippines, Manila has the largest fishing port with many poor communities. In responding to this context, the diocese used fishing terminology - ‘Going Deep and Rising Up’ – to describe the fishing communities involvement in the synodal process. How can we use symbolic language to describe our spiritual contexts and communities?

  • Manila-based theologian Estela Padilla describes how one diocese in the Philippines paid a day's wages to manual labourers so that they could take part in discernment processes.  What do we need to do in our context to engage all the voices?

  • What does it mean if synodal decision-making is “not based in a power structure, but a mission structure”? Where does power and mission play out in your current context, and what would you like to see evolve in the near future?

  • Our relationship to power is a key theme in Dr Estela’s session, and understanding this on a personal, local and national level is key to making healthy decisions. Reflect on the overt and covert ways you use power when discerning with others. How could you approach this differently?