Here is the Synod Report for the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, which will be submitted to the Bishops' Conference of Scotland. It can also be read here.

Synod Report - Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh

The Holy Father’s desire to embark upon a synodal process was announced at a time when the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh was involved in a process of renewal and deeper reflection on the sources of our identity as a Church.

The Holy Father’s initiative has enriched this already ongoing and necessary process and has given it a decisive focus around the themes of communion, participation, and mission. For this I am immensely grateful, and I am confident that the work done in preparation for the 2023 Synod will, in due course, bear fruit in this Archdiocese.

I take this opportunity to thank the clergy and laity who collaborated in facilitating and implementing the synodal process in our Archdiocese. In particular, I should like to single out Sr Anna Marie McGuan RSM, and Frs John Deighan, Samuel Burke OP, William McQuillan, Andrew Kingham, and Michael John Galbraith.

Moreover, I extend my thanks to Derek Buglass, Shelley McAinsh, Martin Cassels, Agatha Kai Kai, and Sarah Schuler, all of whom gave generously of their time and talents. Finally, I am indebted to the parishes of St Francis Xavier, Falkirk, St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh, St Mary’s, Bathgate, St David’s, Dalkeith, and St Margaret’s, Dunfermline for hosting synodal deanery meetings. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the people and the serving priests of those communities.

The Synodal process has brought to the fore many challenges and opportunities for this Archdiocese. Three immediate avenues of response present themselves. First, this Archdiocese has already done much to promote an authentic participation of the laity in the Church. One important way has been in the expansion of the board of trustees, which runs the Archdiocese civilly, and which now enjoys a substantial majority of professional and high qualified lay men and women.

There is however more to be done, and what has been achieved needs to be properly communicated to our people. This, I hope and pray, will foster a greater confidence between the laity and clergy and enable them both to discern how best to offer their gifts and talents in the service of the Lord and His Church.

Secondly, anxieties were expressed by some of those who participated in the synodal process about historical safeguarding issues in the Archdiocese. In recent years the Archdiocese has invested intensively in training personnel to the highest and best standards.

The most stringent and up-to-date protocols and procedures have been adopted and applied. There is much good to communicate in this regard, and our people should be made more aware of this, and of this Archdiocese’s commitment to ongoing vigilance in these matters where the highest of standards is a duty, not an option.

Finally, though many issues were raised in the synodal process, I am encouraged by the desire for prayer and a deeper spiritual life among our faithful. Indeed, given the weighty concerns expressed by the people and clergy of the Archdiocese, which do not admit of easy or instant answers, I am convinced that prayer must be the core of our response. Arising from the synodal process in this Archdiocese, there is, I believe, a real need to deepen the prayer life, the spirituality, and discernment of every individual in this Archdiocese. In these days following the feast of Corpus Christi I feel we may have made a start on this process this year by reinvigorating the Forty Hours’ devotion in the Archdiocese, but much remains to be done.

To this end, I will institute a monthly Holy Hour at the Gillis Centre to which I invite all the faithful to come and pray with me before Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. As it says in the very motto of the City of Edinburgh, Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Ps 127:1). Together let us ask the Lord to bless our endeavours and raise up committed disciples in this Archdiocese.

Let us pray for insight, courage, and joy in our mission as His followers. Let us be confident that He is with us and He will hear us.

+Leo Cushley
Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh

Introduction

In accordance with the Holy Father’s wishes, it has been our privilege in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh to embark upon a synodal journey in preparation for the Synod on Synodality to be held in October 2023 at the Vatican.

This initiative, following upon the Covid-19 crisis and its impact on public and communal religious practice, has provided a chance for those within the Archdiocese, clergy and laity alike, to reflect, to talk together, and to try to discern a way forward. What follows is a brief description of how the Archdiocese went about engaging in the process of synodality and a synthesis of the issues that emerged from this rich process.

Measures taken

In St Andrews & Edinburgh the diocesan phase of the synodal process was articulated through certain existing structures, but it also required the creation of new initiatives in order to ensure as wide a participation as possible in the time which we had available.

• Materials were created that could be adapted for parish meetings and used as resources for other groups. Given the understandable hesitancy among many of the faithful about meeting in person, this necessarily required that these materials be appropriate for both in-person and online meetings.
• Conscious of the importance of prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit in this process, and responding to an expressed desire among the clergy and laity for shared times of prayer, various prayer services were held. To summarise, Holy Hours and synodal meetings were held in each deanery. Parish meetings were also held throughout the Archdiocese.
• Some parishes chose to feedback the results of their meetings at the deanery meetings, while other parishes made individual submissions.
• School lesson plans were distributed to the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, both primary and secondary, so that children could contribute.
• Individual responses, online and via post, were encouraged and welcomed.
• The Archdiocese hosted a national online Colloquium on Synodality, organised by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, to which various internationally recognised scholars contributed.

Beginning the synodal process

The main question posed in the synod preparatory document (par. 26) is: A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together:” How is this “journeying together” happening today in your particular Church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”?

Beyond this fundamental question, ten themes in the synod preparatory document were employed to help local churches “articulate different facets of ‘lived synodality’” (par. 30). Each of the ten themes included many points for reflection.

In preparatory discussions with representative groups, it became apparent, however, that the lack of a clear focus on Christ was a stumbling block for many of the faithful. Some wondered what the Synod was about and what its purpose was, and others distrusted the process entirely because it did not seem centred on Jesus Christ.

Consequently, as part of the preparatory phase, focused questions that both incorporated the themes of the synod preparatory document and made explicit the Christological presuppositions underlying the synodal process were drawn up and circulated as a starting point for dialogue and discussion.

Therefore, arising from the desire and faith of the lay faithful in the Archdiocese, the movement of the People of God on our synodal journey was, from the beginning, purposefully focused on Jesus Christ, not as an imposition, but as an opportunity for deeper knowledge and love of Him as a local church.

Time and time again, people expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak about their faith and share their experiences of the Church.

Listening to other people’s perspectives and opinions challenged everyone—first, to be open; second, to listen patiently; third, to withhold judgement; fourth, to be changed.

For some participants, the synodality experienced at the parish and deanery meetings was a new way of gathering together. The language of “journeying together” was also new, but the experience of it was welcomed.

Discussing ideas, sharing opinions, and praying to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit were all encouraged and enabled at the meetings.

As a Church, the movement towards synodality (listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another in order to journey together) has been a welcome one

While many people have already had the experience of synodal fellowship with other Catholics—although they may not have called it that before—it was generally agreed that this should be encouraged. Several themes came forward through the discussions that need more reflection and discussion.

Other themes demonstrate that the Church’s teaching is not well understood or is deemed unacceptable to people’s current sensibilities. There are also possible steps to be taken as we continue this journey together. In some instances, these overlap.

Issues emerging

Sincere engagement in the synodal process involved touching upon controversial issues and, of course, tensions and differences emerged. Specific issues will be dealt with below as they arise. Nonetheless, two very clear trends emerged that characterised almost all these tensions.

First, those who expressed disagreement or reservations about some of the Church’s teachings very often were not engaging with the Church’s actual teaching. They were, instead, engaging with negative stereotypes or even caricatures of the Church’s teaching.

This made finding a starting point for dialogue difficult. It further shows the shortcomings of the Church’s present methods of evangelisation and catechesis. Secular narratives play a disproportionate role in forming the mindset and understanding of the faithful.

Secondly, a generation gap emerged. This is perhaps most succinctly articulated by Dr Sara Parvis of the University of Edinburgh speaking at the Archdiocesan-hosted national conference, Synodality in the Life & Mission of the Church: “The young and the Vatican II generation…see things very differently…the necessary task of telling their stories to each other is going to be painful…The sheer difference of what the young think the Church is, the generation for who to be Christian at all is to be effectively an everyday martyr…what the world looks like to young students is so different from what it looked like to my parent’s generation where Christianity was normal…”

As predicted, this second tension emerged again and again in discussions. Dr Parvis herself expressed the hope that the synodal process might be a moment of healing and rapprochement. In doing so she articulated the implicit desire of so many involved in the synodal process.

Liturgy

There is a desire for the liturgy to be better understood in order to foster participation and a fruitful reception of the Sacraments.

While many individuals expressed their own particular liturgical preferences, nonetheless, it emerged that there was a real willingness to be open to how others might find it useful to pray.

The consensus seemed to be that there should be a place for a variety of forms of worship, both traditional and contemporary, and in particular that both the Traditional Latin Mass (extraordinary form) and the Novus Ordo should be reverently celebrated and warmly embraced.

Young People

A strong, recurring theme was a concern about the number of young people leaving the Church. Like people of all ages, the primary human need of young adults is for meaningful and life-giving relationships.

Beyond this first and irreplaceable exigency, a life lived generously with a clear purpose (and not necessarily without sacrifice) is universally desired, especially by young people. The Church has not always communicated well about the importance of good friendships, nor how to meet the need for a life filled with meaning and intentional, generous love.

The Catholic schools and chaplaincies could be an opportunity to begin these conversations and to reach younger people and families.

Strengthening the connection between the parish and the school could also be a way to hear what the needs of young people are, especially having priests visit the schools and speak with the children and young people, to listen to their questions and understand their persepectives.