The Synodal Journey in Cattolica

In October 2021, the Holy Father Francis officially opened the path of the Universal Church for the celebration of the XVI Synodal Assembly on the theme "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission" which will develop in a very articulated way with different stages until October 2023. Then there is the opening of the synodal journey in all the Dioceses of the World: In this perspective, the Italian Church is also beginning its own synodal journey, which in the first year will substantially follow the path of the universal Church.

Although the synodal subjects of reference are certainly in the first place the Dioceses, all ecclesial realities are called to participate and make their contribution. In light of this, the process of reflection of our university community in the context of the Synodal Journey of the Churches in Italy has also been initiated.

The path is marked by three stages: the first will be "narrative", i.e. dedicated to listening to and telling the story of the lives of people, territories, communities, and will take place from October 2021 to May 2023; the second dedicated to "sapiential discernment" will continue until May 2024 and will require a cultural and spiritual interpretation of the narratives that emerged in the previous two years; the third and final stage is the "prophetic" one that will take place from June 2024 to May 2025, the year in which the Jubilee will also be celebrated.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore therefore also participates in this common journey, as ecclesia, that is, communities of people who, in different roles, are called to share every day with a "synodal spirit" an educational and cultural project. Therefore, a process of listening and dialogue has also been initiated in our university context, which will certainly be useful for strengthening the bonds of ecclesial communion within us and will be able to offer a special contribution to synodal reflection.

In the spirit of mutual listening, therefore, an interesting journey of reflection, sharing, participation and growth is also being undertaken at Università Cattolica, which testifies once again to the multifaceted and dynamic character of a university community that knows how to "walk together" in harmony with the ecclesial community.

The University Pastoral Council met again to define the paths and concrete methods of implementation of the synodal path, accompanied in this first phase of the project by Prof. Pierpaolo Triani, Professor of General Pedagogy and member of the C.E.I. group for the synodal path. Further work has been done in the various offices in Milan, Brescia, Piacenza, Cremona and Rome, to define the modalities for the activation of the process that provides for the establishment of small synodal groups which,  on the basis of forms prepared by the C.EI. meet over the next few months.