In his opening remarks to the bishops at Vatican II, Pope John XXIII indicated that while one of the bishops’ primary tasks is to “guard the precious treasures” of the church’s doctrine, a council would not be necessary were they to simply repeat the church’s teaching in the formulas of the previous council. He invited them to a “deeper penetration and formation of conscience” and to express the riches of the Gospel by using the best methods of research available and the “literary forms of modern thought” so that its message might be communicated more effectively to men and women of the day. In Christus Dominus, it stated: “Bishops should present Christ’s teaching in a manner relevant to the needs of the times, providing a response to those difficulties and problems which people find especially distressing and burdensome” (CD 13).

Over the course of history the bishops’ relationship to the pope and the other bishops has been developed into what we call an “episcopal collegiality.” That spirit of episcopal collegiality is expressed in synods, meetings in which bishops walk together toward common agreement as they reflect on the pastoral concerns of the church (Gaillardez and Clifford, Keys to the Council, 121). Pope Francis spoke of the synod as the church on a journey. Bishops are journeying with each other and the laity as they try to hear the Spirit of God speaking through one another in the context of the present moment. In the decades since Vatican II, episcopal collegiality has grown in importance, but, how it operates as a body is still in development.

The Extraordinary Synod on the Family of 2014 promised an infusion of grace, hope, and knowledge for the worldwide church. While this meeting of bishops may have been an infusion of grace and encouragement for some, it certainly was a disappointment for many in the worldwide church. This synod lacked a real pastoral and dialogical approach. The bishops seemed to fear that if you change one thing, all will collapse, so nothing changed. According to Cardinal Kasper, there was “an ideological understanding of the Gospel that the Gospel is like a penal code” (Gerard O’Connell, America, October 20, 2014, 20).

If a synod is to be successful in addressing the concerns of its people, then it must approach its work as teacher and listener. A bishop’s role as teacher is to educate his people in the tradition of the Catholic faith in a joyful and confident manner. But, in passing on that tradition, he must incarnate himself in the lived experience of his people, listen to them, and allow the gospel to unfold itself.  Moreover, the bishops must recognize that all baptized Christians live in the sensus fidelium. Pope Francis stated that two qualities are needed for the synod: courage to speak and the humility to listen. There are bound to be differences, but the differences must be spoken and dealt with in dialogue.

With the upcoming Extraordinary Synod on the Family, the forecast is that it will look no different than the Synod of 2014. I want to hope for something more for the Synod of 2015 and for the many more synods to follow in the course of history. What road(s) will the bishops take? Of course, that remains to be seen. But, as I look at the next fifty years in our church, I would like to pave the way by strongly recommending the following:

1. All Catholics, not just bishops, must be involved in all stages of the preparations for a synod. This means that all questionnaires/surveys must reach all Catholic homes. Unfortunately, for the Synod of 2014, some bishops did not distribute materials to their people. Therefore, these voices were missing from the summary report that served in the development of the working document for the synod. A better check and balance system on all bishops is needed in the synod, so that no bishop deviates from any process of the synod.  
2. If we truly believe that the sensus fidelium is working among us all, but expressed in many different ways, then we must widen the circle of people invited to the synod. Case in point, the Synod of 2015 is on the family. Then, we must hear the voices of those who represent all types of families, even those outside customary models. So, the synod must hear from (a) divorced and remarried, (b) cohabitating couples, (c) interfaith families, (d) impoverish families, (e) single parents, (f) families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, and (g) families torn by the violence of war and abuse. These people can share their lives and stories in a way that create greater understanding among the bishops. Without these voices, the present story of God’s creation is incomplete and the solutions provided are inadequate.
3. The bishops must reach out on a daily basis and not just at synodal time to those on the periphery, those who have not felt welcomed in our church. Every member of the church has gifts and charisms for the renewal and building up of the church, and they have the right to be heard and taken seriously. Synods must empower people rather than isolate or condemn them. When we omit one member from our community, our whole church is impoverished.

The above recommendations, if implemented, will truly illustrate a collegial church in operation as envisioned by Vatican II. From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis called for a “culture of encounter” whereby God’s work is recognized in all people. Should not every synod be a culture of encounter, where there is a place at the table for all, no matter what one’s life style?