To the bishops responsible for ecumenism in the Bishops' Conferences and Synods
Your Eminence,
Excellence,
On 9 October 2021, the Catholic Church launched an unprecedented synodal process entitled «For a synodal Church: communion, participation, mission». This process, which began in all dioceses on 17 October, will conclude in October 2023 with the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. With this letter, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (GSSB) are pleased to offer some practical suggestions for ensuring the ecumenical dimension of the synodal journey, which begins with an initial phase in each local church. «Dialogue between Christians of different confessions, united by one baptism, occupies a special place in the synodal journey» (Vademecum of the Synod 5.3.7). In fact, both synodality and ecumenism are processes that invite us to «walk together». Firstly, if «a synodal Church is a listening Church» (Pope Francis, 17 October 2015), this listening should involve the totality of those who bear the name of Christian, since all the baptised participate to some degree in the sensus fidei (cf. International Theological Commission, The sensus fidei in the life of the Church, 2014, 56). Secondly,
In an understanding of ecumenism as an «exchange of gifts», one of the gifts that Catholics can receive from other Christians is precisely their experience and understanding of synodality (cf. Evangelii Gaudium 246). Thirdly, the synodal organisation of the Catholic Church at all levels has significant ecumenical implications as it makes it a more credible partner in dialogue. Finally, the synodal process itself is an opportunity to foster ecumenical relations at all levels of the Church, since the participation of ecumenical delegates has become a regular practice, not only at the Synod of Bishops but also in diocesan synods...