Since 2021, Pope Francis has asked Catholics to consider “synodality” as a fundamental characteristic of our Church. Synodality and “synod” derive from two words, syn (“together”) and hodos (for “door,” or “journey”). The Holy Father says our journey together toward the Kingdom of God also includes a mission of mercy and justice.
The Synod on Synodality began with parishes, schools, religious orders, and other Catholic institutions being asked to listen to each other and those on the margins. Many of the guidelines suggested questions such as, “What do you love about the Catholic Church?” and, “What breaks your heart about the Church?” and, “What would you change if you could?” The responses were summarized in parish, diocesan, national, continental, and, finally, global reports. The results were discussed in Rome over two months, October 2023 and 2024, by over 360 delegates from around the world—including bishops, priests, laymen, laywomen, consecrated religious, students, and others. Prayer, listening and dialogue were critical in the deliberations and the final votes. The final document was approved by the voting delegates and Pope Francis included it in the Church’s magisterium, or official body of teaching.
As an African-American Catholic, I have grappled with whether the synod and final document have any relevance to racial justice, inclusion, and Black spirituality. This question is even more pronounced given the current state of the U.S. government. We are witnessing a frightening level of racism, implied violence, disdain for the poor, and heartlessness toward the sick and dying of the world. Further, it can be safely said that White Catholics on the whole bear a large responsibility, as some 60% of them voted for Donald Trump last fall.
Given that context, what does the Synod’s final document offer Catholics in general, and Black Catholics in particular, as a way forward in both faith and practice? I believe a close reading of the document highlights the need for a vibrant Black Catholic presence in our Church and in society at large. I also believe that Catholics of all races would benefit from a close reading and practice of what the document teaches.
Paragraph 19 talks of God’s heart having a special place for the poor, marginalized, and excluded, further identifying them as “the heart of the Church.” It says the excluded are to be heard and the Church must recognize their charisms and role as agents of evangelization. I believe this empowers Black Catholics to stand boldly and share their gifts with the world. This would continue the mission of Servant of God Thea Bowman, Daniel Rudd, Bishop Fernand Cheri III, and the countless Black Catholic faithful who have gone before us.
Paragraph 20 reminds the Church that we are to receive from Christ the “light of the nations”, the gift of building bonds with the human family. It further reminds us that this responsibility is heightened in the current age, where we often do not feel we are participants in a “common destiny.” We, the Church, of which Black Catholics are a vital part, are to take seriously our role in God’s plan to unite all of humanity “to Himself in freedom and communion.” We are also urged to be fully committed to “justice, peace, human dignity and the common good.” This paragraph empowers us to be not victims or passive bystanders, but to represent the light and love of Christ to the world. This we are to do amid the virulent hostility and racism emanating even from the White House. We are to follow Christ, the “light of the nations”, not the darkness of Trump, JD Vance, Elon Musk, and others.
Paragraph 39 indicates that synodality enables “different cultures… to grasp the unity that underlies their plurality and become open to the prospect of an exchange of gifts.” It further notes that the “unity of the Church is not uniformity, but the organized blending of legitimate diversities.” This is a bold recognition of the gift of Black Catholics to the larger Church. I have long believed that African Americans who remain loyal to the Catholic Church display—through prayer, song, and witness—a profound faithfulness. Our history shows we have remained faithful despite centuries of neglect, indifference, and sometimes outright racism and ignorance. Our continued presence in the Church is a gift that must be recognized. We, in truth, make the Church “catholic.”
Paragraph 42 tells the Church that synodality, authentic presence, and listening are “an invitation to each person to confront his or her own unconscious bias, resist the temptation of being at the center, and open oneself to the acceptance of other perspectives.” The document then boldly says everyone is indispensable to this “common task.” Imagine if our Church, in all its present diversity, took seriously this official teaching? This section closes with the assertion such work would reveal the harmony made real by the Holy Spirit.
I consider paragraphs 47 and 48 the most applicable to our current environment. The former begins:
“Practiced with humility, the synodal style enables the Church to be a prophetic voice in today’s world… We live in an age marked by ever increasing inequalities; growing disillusionment with traditional models of governance; disenchantment with the functioning of democracy; increasing autocratic and dictatorial tendencies; and the predominance of the market model without regard for the vulnerability of people and of creation… Authentic practices of synodality enable Christians to be a critical and prophetic voice over against the prevailing culture. In this way, we can offer a distinctive contribution to the search for answers to many challenges faced by our contemporary societies in building the common good.”
We are to be humble, and balance that humility with a “critical and prophetic voice against the prevailing culture.” Further, the document asserts that as Catholics we have “a distinctive contribution to the search for answers… in building the common good.” Thus, we are called to be part of the solution, not with rigid pre-determined answers but with openness to possibilities we are to “search” out with others.
Paragraph 48 tells us that synodality calls us to “mutual care, interdependence and co-responsibility for the common good.” Further, such work “stands in sharp contrast to a world in which the concentration of power tends to disregard those who are poor, marginalized, minorities, and the earth, our common home.” We are called to build and sustain relationships and bonds that are diametrically opposed to the prevailing culture. Hannah Arendt’s book “The Origins of Totalitarianism” notes that authoritarian regimes benefit from isolation and loneliness. The extent to which we can sustain healthy relationships and community is the extent to which we begin to resist, on behalf of God’s reign, policies that divide and harm.
Finally, paragraph 58 calls us to respond to human needs right where we are. It also asserts that synodal listening enables us to “discover new forms of commitment and new ways to fulfill their mission.” This highlights that the Good News of God is ever new, that the Spirit continues to speak anew, and that we should be open to new methods, practices, and ministries.
Those are the sections I have found most meaningful in this important document. However, each of us may find items relevant to our particular situation. I would encourage parishes, small groups, schools, and other ministries to read, discern, and implement the document in their own contexts. Synodality is not for others to do. It is for each of us. Each of us, empowered by our baptism, can take the initiative to see “what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev. 2:7). This responsibility is perhaps more urgent now than ever.
I believe the synod’s final document highlights, in its own way, the gift of Black Catholics. Our struggles for dignity, our credibility in the community, our faithfulness to the Church, and our transformation through the Eucharist are greatly needed in these times.
Daryl Grigsby is the author of “In Their Footsteps: Inspirational Reflections on Black History For Every Day of the Year.” He is on the board of directors for Color Me Human and has a Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry.
