Michael W. Higgins, Toronto

The Dominican friar Timothy Radcliffe is a treasure of the Catholic Church. His gifts as a writer, spiritual master, and retreat-giver are considerable. One of the many reasons why Pope Francis chose him and Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini to lead the synod delegates in prayer and reflection prior to the Synod proper last October. They are both wise and discerning.

Radcliffe’s meditations and conferences from that First Session of the Synod—the Second Session is this October—have just been published as Listening Together, and it serves as an insightful companion along the synodal way.

Now, to be sure, there is a goodly measure of anger, frustration, disappointment and more than a dollop of fury over the results of the First Session.

Why does the ministry of deacons remain closed to women? Why does progress on LGBTQ issues appear to be languishing? Why have many bishops shelved the synodal process, or downplayed it, arguing that they are keen on their national Eucharistic Congress (the USA) or preparing for the Jubilee Year of 2025 (Canadian episcopate).

Has the whole process of engagement been, in the end, an ecclesial charade?

It is easy to despair; it takes courage to hope.

I will be in Rome for Paulist Press of New York City, covering the Second Session—and I will keep you up to date with the weekly blog. I have been around structures of all kinds—professionally and personally—for years, and entertain little trust in their capacity to actually innovate, break out of their “autoreferentiality” as Pope Francis calls it, and lead in a time of crisis—existential or more modest.

But I do believe profoundly in prophets, saints, thinkers and artists who do the heavy lifting and thereby usher us into a new era of understanding.

Radcliffe is one of these. Following are a few snippets drawn from his new book:

Religious orders have something to teach the Church about the art of conversation. St. Benedict teaches us to seek consensus, St. Dominic to love debate, St. Catherine of Siena to delight in conversation, and St. Ignatius of Loyola the art of discernment. St. Philip Neri teaches us the role of laughter, and St. Francis of Assisi teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously.

The most popular novel of the twentieth century was The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is a deeply Catholic novel. He claimed it was the romance of the Eucharist, the adventure of faith…. Are we afraid to present the dangerous challenge of our faith? Herbert McCabe OP said that “if you love, you will be hurt, perhaps killed. If you do not love, you are dead already.” Young people are not attracted to our faith if we domesticate it, but they may be excited if we are unafraid to present it as the risky embrace of life.

A synod is like an orchestra, with different instruments having their own music. This is why the Jesuit tradition of discernment is so fruitful. Truth is not arrived at by majority vote, any more than orchestra or a football team are led by voting.

Above my office in Santa Sabina, every year kestrels built their nest. The time came when their parents kicked the young birds out of their nest, so that they had to fly or perish. Sitting at my desk, I could see them struggling to stay in the air! The Holy Spirit sometimes kicks us out of the nest and bids us fly! We flap in panic but fly we will! This synod is an invitation to fly!

And fly we MUST.

Timothy Radcliffe Op’s book Listening Together: Meditations on Synodality can be purchased via Garratt Publishing https://www.garrattpublishing.com.au/product/9780814688823/

Dr. Higgins is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto.