Knowing how to recognize and come to a realization of the manifestations of God was and will be one of the greatest graces that one can have, since being aware that the Lord is acting in our life is an absolutely special gift that the Lord gives us. If in other times, the sacred writers were able to interpret and transmit what the Lord inspired, today we are living one of those moments that will mark the history of the Church, because the manner in which we act  is changing and thus reflects a new awareness regarding the way we allow the Lord to manifest himself among us and in turn, manifest a new way of living as Church.

As we saw in other writings, the Message of Pope Francis, on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops (10/15/2015), marked a style that he is implementing and in this way is changing the modus operandi of the Church, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean, on the occasion of the Ecclesial Assembly.

One of the central aspects of Synodality is LISTENING. Reciprocal listening among all, where each one has something to contribute and much to receive, because all seek to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to his Church today. This listening to the People of God finds its point of convergence in the Synod of Bishops, where the voice of the whole Church reverberates: “… the synodal journey begins by listening to the people, who ‘also participate in the prophetic function of Christ, according to a very esteemed principle in the Church of the first millennium: «Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari debet» – (what affects everyone must be discussed by all). The path of the Synod continues listening to the Pastors. … Let us first of all ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of listening: listening to God, until we hear with Him the cry of the people; he listens to the people, until he breathes in them the will to which God calls us ”. Furthermore, the synodal journey culminates in listening to the Bishop of Rome,… as the supreme witness of the fides totius Ecclesiae, guarantor of the Church’s obedience and conformity to the will of God… ”.

This dynamism of LISTENING, at its different levels, with the different protagonists, has the purpose of LISTENING to the Spirit, who speaks through the people of God, where the Bishops exercise their ministry as custodians and guarantors of the faith, so that together with the Successor of Peter, they give the guarantee of unity and communion. This dynamism of LISTENING implies a whole learning process, because  while we must listen carefully (something that has always been promoted and hinted at), now we should learn to speak, to express an opinion, to express what we feel, which itself requires a certain maturity to filter ideologies and tendencies and allow the Spirit to manifest its will in each one. The fact that the Church now grants us the opportunity to give our opinion, which is a gift, requires humility to do so with total simplicity and sincerity, being aware that it is a search among everyone, where we can all have an opinion and we must listen to each other with the heart, seeking to discern what the Lord is saying to us, so that as Saint Paul exhorts us: “… Examine everything and stay with the good…” (Th. 5,21), we would want  to listen to the Holy Spirit who speaks through each one of us.

Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari debet (what affects everyone must be discussed by all) … Without consultation, without participation, without synodal spirit, in the search for God’s will, WE RUN THE RISK OF LISTENING TO OURSELVES, in a self-referential attitude, which only guarantees disinterest and apathy, and leads to failure and ruin, because what we are engaged in is not only our work, but we are instruments of the Lord, to carry out his project and manifest his will, where He necessarily has all the threads, although mediated by our response and participation. Hence the need to have the synodal attitude to search among all the paths that will lead to the FEBIC LAC being a living expression of the Father’s will.   This will only be possible if each of the members feels involved in the task of building among everyone a participatory FEBIC LAC, where each one has a voice and time to share experiences and concerns, where we all listen to each other and where we all have the obligation to make our voice heard, for the benefit of all (l Cor 12.6).

That is why this issue of SYNODALITY, challenges us and questions us, to see if today the FEBIC LAC and by extension, the CBF,  is being what God dreamed for the FEBIC LAC in our continent, since each one has received the invitation to participate in this gift and this grace which is his written word, but which, by gathering together in a Federation, requires on our part participation in dialogue in view of communion. At the same time, synodality encourages us, and impels us to continue seeking among everyone areas of listening and participation, in such a way that we allow ourselves to be enlightened by the Spirit in order to be valid and useful instruments to allow the Lord to lead us in this task that is directly related to the explicit announcement of the Lord, where, although we can place all our talent, ultimately, the fruitfulness of our task, is also the direct action of the Lord.

Hopefully the meeting scheduled for September 30, at the end of the month of the Bible, is the opportunity to begin a new time within FEBIC LAC and in turn throughout the CBF, so that our membership enriches everyone, since we all have a place and a space to share and express what we feel and thus seek with the biblical work that we do. As the starting point to this new way of relating and getting involved, there is this invitation to participate in that meeting and thus continue to build a SINODAL FEBIC LAC, increasingly participatory, in communion and participation, feeling involved and committed to the mission that we have.

Pbro. Lic. Jesús Antonio Weisensee H.

 Coordinator of FEBIC LAC

September.  Month of the Bible, 2021

SINODALITY – Listening, by all and among all.

INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION

SPEECH BY HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

LETTER FROM THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

SINODALITE – Ecoutez, de tous et entre tous.

LETTRE DU SAINT-PÈRE FRANÇOIS

DISCOURS DU SAINT-PÈRE FRANÇOIS

COMMISSION THÉOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE

SINODALIDAD – Escucha, de todos y entre todos.

COMISIÓN TEOLÓGICA INTERNACIONAL

30Sept. Francisco17oct15

30Sept. Chile

SINODALIDAD – Ascolta, di tutti e tra tutti.