'Interesting time' for Catholic church as synod winds down, Sudbury theologian says

Theologian Christopher Duncanson-Hales said Pope Francis' apology to residential school survivors was the "high point" of a recent visit, but there is still more work to be done in the journey towards reconciliation with Indigenous people. 

And part of that work will come in the form of a synod, which could signal a sharp turn in the direction of the church, Duncanson-Hales said. In 2021, the pope called for the synod – a Catholic council or gathering usually to determine an item of doctrine. 

The goal is to lay the groundwork for a more grassroots, or ground-up approach to setting church doctrine than was done in the past, Duncanson-Hales said.

"We all have to look deeply and see what it means to be a Catholic in a church, what it means to be Christian in a church, what it means to even be Canadian in how we treat Indigenous people," Duncanson-Hales said. 

"We really have to wrestle with that. And that's what it means to be a synodal church."

As part of the synod process, dioceses will be issuing their own reports and thoughts about the church's path, which Duncanson-Hales will compile to get a sense of what direction churches are hoping to take.

As those reports from Catholic dioceses trickle in, Duncanson-Hales said he's been intrigued by what they contain.

"As a lay Catholic, I don't just sit in the pews. I'm always looking and thinking about what it means to be a church within my own area of research, that sort of thing," Duncanson-Hales said. "Any good academic project starts with a curiosity."

"But you can see some patterns that are emerging here, I'm seeing patterns," he said. "But again, I don't want to prejudge it. I want to see what comes in first and I want the whole process."

"With a pilgrimage, the whole process kind of has to unfold before you can see where you're going to put those little pieces." 

According to the Vatican's web site, one of the goals if the 2021-23 synod is: 

"The ability to imagine a different future for the Church and her institutions, in keeping with the mission she has received, depends largely on the decision to initiate processes of listening, dialogue, and community discernment, in which each and every person can participate and contribute."

Also expected to emerge from these reports is a recognition of the church's role in sexual abuse scandals and the horrors of residential schools, he said. 

"You're seeing that, and in large part by the Canadian bishops, because of the discovery of the unmarked graves and the outrage that came from ordinary Catholics."