INVITATION WITH “S” FOR THE SYNODAL PATH

My friends:

I have been thinking for several days about some suggestions for the Synodal path and after passing them through my heart before the Lord, I decide to share them with all of you, in case they help us in this “journey together” that we are beginning.

I have already written in another area (Somos Confer n. 28, Revista Vida Nueva, pp 8-9) how it hurts me that we have in the church groups on the margins. That we do not assume them as part of that great family that we form united by baptism:  people, groups, collectives, communities, who seek to live their faith with their eyes on Jesus and his gospel and being an active part of his church.

I felt in my prayer that it is not a matter of voluntary efforts and much less of imposing burdens that do not help us to live, but of discerned options in the light of the Spirit. Of proposals for the present and the future so that our beloved church may look more and more like God’s dream that welcomes everyone without discrimination.

We need conversion because perhaps we have introjected, with greater or lesser awareness, the “different” as a threat, danger, exclusion; perhaps it will help us to look at the person, as the center, without adjectives, because we are all different; to move from considering diversity -whatever it is- as a threat to live it as a gift.

It seems to me that the Synodal path, which speaks to us of participation, communion, mission, is a great opportunity to listen to one another and therefore to make our voice heard, which can have various spheres:

  • Parishes in each Diocese, integrating ourselves in the spaces that are being created from October 17 when the process opens in all of them.
  • Diocesan phase (October 2021-April 2022) for the consultation of the People of God so that the synodal process is carried out in listening to the totality of the baptized.
  • This will culminate in a pre-synodal meeting as the end of the diocesan discernment process.

And successively other stages will be developed, which we already know, no doubt.

If, for whatever reason, we see that these channels are not possible, we have others: the secretariat of the Synod is open to receive as many suggestions as we wish to give; for my part, from the Spirituality Commission, one of the central points is discernment and also the inclusion of the diverse spiritualities that exist in the Church.

My invitation is not to remain silent, to present proposals much better as communities, collectives, associations, at national level and also networking if possible with the international, always from a prayerful process that gives us freedom and courage to overcome fears and prejudices, with critical lucidity, aware of resistance and possible conflicts, but asking the Lord what he wants us to do.

I would like to remind you that it will be very helpful to know the documents that have already appeared and others that may arise:

  1. Itinerary of the various stages
  2. Preparatory Document
  3. Vademecum
  4. Bulletins of the Synod’s Secretariat
  5. Synod Web: www.synod.va where you can find many different materials and tools. It is important to know the explanation of the Logo that accompanies us.

Thank you for your time. I am addressing this letter to people whose address I have, including brother bishops and cardinals, but it can be spread in your environments, always looking for what will help us most.

We remain united in prayer and action for a truly synodal Church.

A strong embrace from Rome

Maria Luisa Berzosa fi
October 2, 2021

For more resources on the Synodal path for the LGBTIQ Catholic community visit: