The Vatican this week released a Q&A in which Pope Leo XIV shared his thoughts on how Catholic laypeople, religious, and leaders can expect to participate in the ongoing synod.
In the wide-ranging conversation, the Holy Father encouraged all Catholics to approach the synod with the idea of “mission, and being missionary” in mind. He also weighed the challenges and opportunities affecting the Church in Africa and Asia and addressed resistance from some members of the clergy in Canada and the U.S.
The synod process is meant to “help the Church fulfill her primary role in the world,” he said, “which is to be missionary: to announce the Gospel and to give witness to the Person of Jesus Christ in every part of the world, and ‘to the ends of the earth,’ in the words of the Gospel.”
The Church in Africa, youth, and family
Asked to address how the Church in Africa specifically might participate, Pope Leo noted that African Catholics have “much to offer” when it comes to the synod helping people “understand how the Church can be a bridge, especially in cultures where Christians are not the majority and often live alongside members of other religions,” such as Islam. The Church in Africa “reminds us that such contexts pose challenges, but at the same time also offer great opportunities,” the Holy Father said.
The synod is “not a campaign” but a “way of being” that “starts with listening,” Pope Leo said. Listening is a “gift” of great value, he said, “beginning with listening to the Word of God, to one another, and to the wisdom that we find in men and women, in members of the Church and also in those who are searching for the truth, even if they are not yet – or may never become – members of the Church.”
The Holy Father also pointed out that the African Church is “filled with new life, youth, and great vitality for the Church,” while the European continent “continues to grow older.”
“There is also the gift of family, which is so important,” he added in reference to Africa. “The Church must reach out to people through young people and families, becoming an instrument of peacebuilding and offering models both in Africa – among African countries – and in different countries and continents, on issues such as promotion of peace and care for creation, among others.”
Pope Leo emphasized that “we are not looking for a uniform model, and we will not present a template that dictates to every country” but rather “conversion to a spirit of being Church by being missionary and building up the family of God.”
Will groupings of churches formed for synod continue to play a role in the Church?
Asked whether groupings of churches such as the Continental Bishops’ Conference and other bishops’ conferences will “continue to grow in the life of the Church,” Pope Leo answered in the affirmative.
“I do expect, and I hope, that the different groupings of Churches will continue to grow as expressions of communion in the Church, drawing on the gifts we are all receiving through this exercise – this ‘life of synodality,’ the Holy Father said.
He gave the example of a bishop who recently told him “the issue of climate change is so urgent that, if current trends continue, his country will disappear in less than 50 years.”
“Meanwhile, we often find ourselves enjoying the luxury of sitting in very comfortable spaces and reflecting on topics that may at times seem theoretical,” the Pope said. “But when we listen to the urgent cry of people in different parts of the world – whether due to poverty, injustice, climate change, or a number of other causes – we realize that we are not merely reflecting on theoretical matters but that an urgent response is needed.”
“This is a concrete situation that I hope we all take very seriously,” he said, referencing Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ to argue that “responding to the cry of the earth is part of our faith commitment. We cannot be passive.”
“Therefore, I certainly hope that through Bishops’ Conferences, Ecclesiastical Provinces, and Continental Conferences, we can address some of these very specific issues and make a difference,” he said.
Does synodality threaten the authority of local pastors and bishops in the US and Canada?
Addressing “the concern among some pastors or bishops that their authority may be diminished,” Pope Leo called on Catholics “to reflect upon what synodality is about, and to invite the priests, particularly even more so than the bishops, I think, to somehow open their hearts and take part in these processes.”
Due to “fear and lack of knowledge,” some may resist, he said, adding that “formation” is an important aspect of preparing clerics for more fruitful participation in the process.
“Without proper formation on every level – whether in schools, seminaries, ongoing formation programs, adult formation for the laity, etc. – there are going to be resistances and a lack of understanding,” he said.
Not all people “run at the same speed,” he explained.
“We have to be patient with one another,” the Pontiff said. “Rather than having only a few people running ahead and leaving many others behind – which could even cause a rift in the ecclesial experience – we must seek ways, sometimes very concrete ones, to understand what is happening in each place, what the resistances are or where they come from, and what we can do to increasingly encourage the experience of communion in this Church, which is synodal.”
“Many structures” already exist in the culture of the U.S. that “have great potential for being synodal,” the Holy Father added. “We must find ways of continuing to transform them into more inclusive kinds of experiences. Whether on pastoral councils, or in other diocesan structures or gatherings, the inclusion of people – men and women, laity and clergy, women and men religious, etc. – can help all to take part and feel a deep co-responsible sense of belonging, leadership and accountability in the life of the Church.”
The Church in the Middle East
Pope Leo said that if “there is a place in the world today that really needs signs of hope, it is in the Middle East,” adding “I think that we all wish to be that sign of hope.”
One sign of hope “is the gift of enthusiasm,” which he also called an indication of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
“We find this in the Churches of the Middle East and also among those Christians in the diaspora” who have “unfortunately had to leave their homes and emigrate to other parts of the world.”
In these Middle-Eastern Christians “we find that the gift of faith gives them the strength, endurance, courage they need to continue to go forward, even after many times having lost everything,” the Holy Father said.
Catholics in the West need to better understand the challenges in the Middle East, Pope Leo said. He also called for greater “respect” for the “significant differences” in Eastern churches vs. the Latin Church.
“If we do not respect one another, we will never begin to know one another, and therefore never truly come to know one another,” he said.
The Pope again mentioned formation as a needed salve to some of the problems that may arise in connection with the Middle Eastern Church’s participation in the synod. He emphasized again that the Church Herself is by nature synodal, arguing that “conversation in the Spirit” means coming “to understand that taking part in a synodal process is taking part in the Church.”
Catholics also “need to understand that our hearts can remain open to the Holy Spirit only if we recognize, live and experience the importance of prayer – the importance of a spiritual life, both individually and in community, in our parish communities, our religious communities and in different kinds of gathering. In that way, we can continue to grow in the ability to listen to one another and to discern the best ways to move forward,” he said.
Speaking directly to Middle Eastern Christians, Pope Leo said Catholics need to pray for what is needed to find the “strength to accompany you and your people; to truly witness to Jesus Christ … in the land where he was born, lived, martyred and rose from the dead – the ultimate sign of all of our hope; to be true promoters of pardon and reconciliation, which are so necessary; and to learn that in pardoning and working towards reconciliation, we can indeed build greater unity among all peoples.”
Latin America and inspiring peace
Speaking to the Church in Latin America, Pope Leo praised the “faith, the enthusiasm, the spirit of communion that in many cases is part of the very culture of peoples who traditionally—truly—are very united and who have—let’s say—transformed that gift—of communion, of fraternity, of brothers and sisters—into an experience that is expressed very well in the Church and that teaches many of us to continue on a truly synodal path.”
When asked how the synodal process might inspire Latin-American participants to lead others to peace, the Holy Father quipped, “I have rarely in my life felt inspired by a process.”
“I feel inspired,” he explained, “by the people who live the faith with enthusiasm.”
“I believe it is very important to understand that the Jubilee is an invitation to conversion, to reconciliation, and to the new life that we receive from Jesus Christ,” he said. “And to live this spirit – and we speak of the spirituality of synodality – but it is the spirituality of the Gospel, of communion, of wanting to be Church.”
“These are aspects that can truly inspire us to continue being Church and building paths of inclusion, inviting many more – all – to accompany us, to walk with us,” he said. “And then, I believe that it is very fundamental in all this that we all live an authentic conversion and that we discover in our hearts, through all the elements we have spoken about, an authentic spirituality that begins with listening to the Word of God, that discernment of the presence of the Spirit, where the Holy Spirit is calling us, and sharing this experience with methods such as conversation in the Spirit.”
“Living that closeness with Christ himself” is the way to inspiration, he said. “When we live with that enthusiasm, this conviction, we will see that, in fact, many more will want to join us and be builders of peace and communion.”
Women in the Church
Asked about the role of women in a synodal Church and the Church’s attitude toward women’s equality, Pope Leo began by recalling that both his father and his mother were active in their parish when he was growing up.
Amid widespread debates about women’s equality in the U.S. during the 1970s, the Holy Father said, he once asked his mother: “But do you want to be equal to men?”
“No,” she replied, “because we are already better!”
She “didn’t say it jokingly,” Pope Leo said.
“There are so many gifts that women have, that they could offer already then in many senses, in the life of the family, of the parish,” he said. “Not only my mom, but many women.”
He offered another anecdote, about a Peruvian congregation of religious sisters “whose charism is to work where there are no priests.”
“They have the faculty to baptize, to witness marriages,” he said. “They do a stupendous missionary work, which truly is a testimony also for many priests. This is the courage that is needed to announce the Gospel, and they are women who do it!”
Regarding the broader question about women’s roles in the Church, Pope Leo said, “I think that the problem is not that possibilities do not exist, but that there are cultural obstacles. And this must be recognized, because not all bishops or priests want to allow women to exercise what could very well be their role.”
In some cultures, women are still treated “as if they were second-class citizens, so to speak,” he said. “So there is a challenge for the Church and for all of us, to see how we can together promote respect for the rights of all; how we can promote a culture where these things become not only possible, but reality, in a co-participation of all, each according to their own vocation, where all can exercise—let’s say—a role of responsibility in the Church.”
Not all nations are “at the same point as Europe or the United States,” he explained. He also warned against thinking that an appointment here and there of a woman will result in her being respected.
The Gospel calls on those who receive it “to reflect on the differences that exist and not only between man and woman,” he added, pointing out that there are also prejudices that create arbitrary differences in status between castes and classes of people.
He said, however, that he believes the Church has all She needs to witness to cultures that harbor such prejudices, so that “they can become communities in which the gifts, the charism of each person are truly respected and valued.”
The Church in Asia
Pope Leo said “thank you” to the Church in Asia, stating directly to Catholics there: “If anyone faces challenges – because of language and cultural differences, geographical distance, poverty, and many other realities that you confront – yet has worked as hard as you have and has arrived where you are today in living this process not only of synodality but also of promoting communion and conversion, then I think we all should say thank you and congratulations to you.”
With the possible exception of the Philippines, he said, “Christianity is a minority everywhere” in Asia. “I think there are many things before which we all need to bow down and respect the holy ground that Asia is for the present and future of the Church.”
“There is a sense of mystery and an understanding of the divine that is, I think, part of many of the religions in Asia,” he continued, addressing the non-Christian traditions of the continent, “and this certainly opens the door to different kinds of interreligious dialogue.”
The cultural heritage of Asia “is a treasure for the whole Church: Eastern and Western. I also believe it is something that is valued by many cultures in Asia, and something from which we also, I think, could learn,” he said.
“Because of this, when we talk about the spirit, about the spirit of synodality and about ‘conversation in the Spirit,’ there is, if you will, a mystical or contemplative element to it that perhaps we can continue to discover,” he explained. “I do not say ‘understand,’ because I think it goes far beyond understanding. But there is a contact with the divine from which we can all learn, including from many in Asia and in the East.”
Pope Leo also acknowledged the “great challenges” posed by “structural and economic realities” in the East, and also “the limitations within the local Churches.”
The “people of Asia can offer much hope,” he concluded. “I hope that all of us together can be a sign of hope for the Church in Asia. With that, I simply express gratitude and great reverence for all those who are walking together in the Church in Asia.”