Major Archbishop Mar George Cardinal Alencherry in a published circular reflects on the ongoing Synod on synodality in Rome. The circular highlights the synodal nature of the Church, focusing on co-responsibility, unity, and a prayerful life. Full contends of the Circular follows:

Dear bishops, priests, religious, brothers and sisters,

Praise be to Jesus Christ!

It is two weeks since the Synod of Bishops began in Rome on October 4. I am thinking, hence, of sharing some thoughts with you about the Synod. At the outset, let me speak about the word, 'Synod'. It has come into the Church from the Greek language. Etymologically, it is a combination of two Greek words, syn (together) and hodos (way) meaning "together on the way". Jesus has referred to himself as "I am the Way". In Greek Bible the word used in this instance is "hodos."

The synodal nature of the Church has begun from Jesus Christ himself. After his Ascension, Jesus appointed not a single person to lead the Church, but a group of twelve people. He decided that the Church should be guided through their fraternity of love. This has turned later into the college of bishops. The power of the Holy Spirit was given to the group of Twelve Apostles. The same power was given to those who received the baptism on the day of the Pentecost.

This gift is now given to all the people who received baptism through their faith in Jesus Christ. Also this gift is given to the bishops, the successors of the Apostles and also to the priests in a special way. It was his intention that all those who are guided by the Holy Spirit in the way of Jesus Christ and are gathered in the fraternity of love and truth to witness to his love and to preach the Gospel. This mission is being continued through the Church from the time of the Council of Jerusalem.

You may be thinking that the Eastern Churches are working through a synodal process. It is right and the Syro-Malabar Church is also a synodal Church. But the synodality planned by Pope Francis in 2023-24 is much wider than the synodality of the Eastern Churches. All the discussions in this Synod are being carried out on the basis of the co-responsibility of all the faithful who have received the baptism.

Everyone who has received the baptism has the same dignity in the Church. The Synodality that is being formed now is based on the co-responsibility of all the faithful in a fraternal spirit according to their special vocations. What is happening in these synodal gatherings is the acceptance of these discussions in spirit of prayerfulness. It was this style that was accepted at the diocesan level and in the synodal assemblies held at the auspices of the Episcopal Conferences and of the Eastern Churches. This spirit of synodality is being followed very successfully at the present Synodal meeting in Rome.

Synodal Church consists of people who listen to the Word of God, live in a prayer-filled life, receive the sacraments and get involved in the affairs of the world in a spirit of fraternity with one another. This life style that keeps in constant contact with God and with one another engenders peace, unity and joy in the Church. The redemptive work started by Jesus Christ through the establishment of the Kingdom of God takes place in the world when this style of synodality becomes implemented in the local Churches, in the particular Churches and in the Universal Church.

In short, this synodal style has to grow and develop in all the organizational activities of the Church. This new way of life has to be realized slowly and methodically in the Church. The Church can witness to truth, justice, love and mercy only when this new style of ecclesiastical life envisioned by Jesus is put into practice.

Jesus in his public life has adopted a synodal way of life. He was in constant contact with God the Father. He did everything by strengthening himself in the Holy Spirit. It was through a Trinitarian relationship that he established his contact with the people. He had 12 Apostles and 72 disciples. He made these twelve and seventy two people participants in his ministry. Apart from that, he had also contacts with people individually. He met families too. He met big crowds of people on shores and valleys. He sent his merciful and healing blessings abundantly to the poor, the sick and the suffering. He was thus in constant contact with God and the people. It is this way of life that is needed for all the members of the Church.

In the early Church, the Apostles practiced this synodal way of life. The ministry entrusted by Jesus was discharged by them under the guidance of the Spirit for the good of the Church. "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common" (Acts.2:42-44).

In the Latin Church, after the early centuries, each diocese was doing its administration under the leadership of its bishop, as per the canon law of the Church, with the advice of the consultative bodies of the laity and the clergy under the overall supervision of the Holy Father. After the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI gave the direction in the document of the Vatican Council on the Church to establish presbyteral and pastoral councils. Also Synods of Bishops were formed to meet every four years for the Universal Church as a continuation of the Vatican Council II. Holy Father Pope Francis has begun the practice of inviting more members of the laity, the clergy and the religious. In this current Synod, the number of such representatives has increased on a greater scale. Of the 446 participants, 363 of them have voting rights.

Although representatives from Protestant and Orthodox Churches are attending the Synod, they don't enjoy voting rights in matters connected with the Faith as explained by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General. Only 266 are Bishops and the rest 46 are lay representatives.

Synodality in its totality is functioning in the Oriental Churches. As part of the Synodality, General Assemblies are being held every five years consisting of representatives of Bishops, of the clergy, the religious and the laity. For example, preparations for the Fifth Major Archiepiscopal Assembly to be held in August 2024 have already begun in the Syro-Malabar Church. Such Synodal Assemblies are also being held at the eparchial level as per the law.

Every Eastern Church has to decide how this baptismal right of synodality has to be raised to its fullness through their decisions taken in a prayerful spirit and how to implement them.

Dearly beloved, I will share more thoughts on these matters after the end of the Synod.

Yours cordially in Christ,

Cardinal George Alencherry

Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church