Dialogue within the Church
Some two and a half years ago a group of lay people and clergy came together to discuss how to encourage dialogue within the Church as a means of helping to prepare for future challenges. From that has grown a group of some 1500-2000 lay, religious and clergy across most of the dioceses of England. The movement towards increased dialogue between different groups within the Church echoes the call in Lumen Gentium ‘this familiar dialogue between the laity and their pastors’ (LG, 37), suggesting that dialogue of this kind ought to be happening and to be fairly habitual. It is also consistent with the call of Pope Francis during his visit to Brazil for ”dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. ”
The Synod held in Rome in October 2014 considered the responses from lay, religious and clergy from around the world to their survey on attitudes towards marriage and family life. They have published a summary of these discussions including those areas where there was limited agreement.
The concluding paragraph includes the following: ‘These proposed reflections, the fruit of the synodal work which took place in great freedom and with a spirit of reciprocal listening, are intended to raise questions and indicate points of view which will later be developed and clarified through reflection in the local Churches in the intervening year leading to the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for October, 2015, to treat The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and in the Contemporary World.’
The Family Life Commission within our archdiocese will be publishing further information in the ‘Catholic People’ at the end of January.
ACTA is currently active in most dioceses in England and is helping to facilitate these discussions in a number of them. An ACTA group in the Archdiocese of Cardiff is holding its inaugural meeting at 7.00pm on Monday 2nd February 2015 in St Brigid’s Hall. All are welcome
Further information is available from Frank Callus (Jnr!) of St Peter’s parish – fbcallus@aol.com or Mobile: 07956 005459