Meeting of Local Ministers - Portugal Region

Synodality, more than a set of events, is a style of being Church!

The meeting of local women ministers took place in Gondomar and the theme chosen for reflection was synodality. Father Sérgio Leal, who in his academic studies in Pastoral Theology has reflected on synodality in Pope Francis' magisterium and pastoral ministry, was the guest speaker to help us reflect.

This reflection was very challenging and helped us realize that the path Pope Francis invites us to on convoking this Synod is a path of change, a path of conversion. Synodality, more than a set of events, is a style of being Church!

Father Sergio presented us the pericope of the Disciples of Emmaus (Cf. Lk 24, 13-35), as the synodal passage par excellence. For the Church to respond to the present times, we have to be permanently like Jesus, on the way to Emmaus. We know and we know the reality and the life of people, because we live in the world, but still, Jesus asked them "what are you going to talk about on the way?" Jesus wants to hear from their mouths what they feel, and offers them an answer that makes them change the direction of their journey. In the same way, the Church is called to walk with the people of this world, to know how to question them and to offer them the Gospel as light for their lives. This is the Mission of the Church; this is our Mission!

Synodality recovers the identity of the Church, recovers a Church which is the people of God, recovers the evangelizing dynamism of Jesus.