Townsville Priests called up for 2023 synod

IN May, Pope Francis announced that the Church will gather in October 2023 for a Synod of Bishops.

To prepare for this important gathering, several committees have been formed to assist the Holy Father and the Universal Church to prepare for the meeting. Townsville’s own Fr Orm Rush (pictured) was announced as one of two Australians to be part of these committees.

“On the 21st of May this year I received a letter of appointment from Cardinal Mario Grech, who heads the ‘Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops’ in the Vatican,” Fr Orm said.

“On that same day, a new approach was announced for how the Synod will be prepared, with a worldwide listening and dialogue process, much like what we have done in Australia over the last few years preparing for our forthcoming Plenary Council.”

Fr Orm will be one of 25 theologians from around the world who have been appointed to the ‘Commission of Theologians’ for the Synod.

The synod on synodality will open with a “diocesan phase” in October and conclude with the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican in October 2023.

Pope Francis will “inaugurate the synodal path” over the weekend of October 9-10 with an opening session and Mass. Fr Orm said he was invited to attend the opening session in October in Rome, but due to travel restrictions he is unable to attend. After the official opening the commission of theologians will meet for two days which Fr Orm will participate online.

“Along with the other members of the Commission of Theologians, I will assist in the preparation of documents leading up to the Synod, as well as responding to other requests from the Secretariat,” Fr Orm said. “We have already had one online meeting and exchanges of emails. Our main task at that first meeting was to review a draft text of what’s called the “Preparatory Document”, which will be sent out to all dioceses around the world. It explains the notion of “synodality”, a term that Pope Francis has been using to summarise the kind of church envisioned by the Second Vatican Council.”

Fr Orm has also been an integral member of the Executive Committee for the Bishops Commission.

“Perhaps my greatest learning from that experience was how a group can often come to a whole new perspective on an issue that each individual within the group failed to see.”

“We Christians attribute that to the Holy Spirit at work in the church, helping us to see beyond the horizon and see things as God would see them.”