Building A Synodal Church: With Communication Theology
By Frances Forde Plude
The open and friendly communication style of Pope Francis has stirred interest globally, especially among communication-study specialists. And when the Pope urged candid discussions at the recent Catholic Synod of Bishops, it was interesting to see how this worked, or did not work, among church leaders.
There were two types of challenges visible in this Synod: negotiating the content divisions and dealing with the processes set up to facilitate healthy dialogue. While the Synod content got most of the global media analysis, as a communication specialist I have chosen here to focus on the process of fomenting dialogue more widely throughout the Church. These process issues are basic to facilitating fruitful dialogue. Much valuable theory and practice already exist to aid the institution in establishing authentic dialogue. But the system resists.
The issue is this: how does a tradition of centralized hierarchy interact with, and communicate effectively in, a decentralized digital world? This devolution of power is a current challenge for many centralized organizations and power structures globally. This has been discussed expertly by Moisés Naím in The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States. However, the Catholic Church and other religions have a dedicated and valued mission – to support human individuals and communities globally with a gospel message. This is a challenge as churches struggle to dialogue effectively past their own internal divisions. This was evident in the recent Synod.
In other words, how does a top-down structure allow dialogue within a global decentralized talk-back culture? The answer is: with great difficulty.
When he spoke to the US bishops on his trip to America, Pope Francis spoke of “a culture of encounter” in which “dialogue is our method”. He showed patience with the squabbling – even name-calling – that occurred among bishops at Synod sessions.
The Pope has said the church needs a “sound decentralization” of authority, adding that the church should not be run like a top-down organization; he said it should be an “inverted pyramid” in which the pope is at the bottom in service to “the people of God”. In his address marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, the Pope made clear the Church should not just hold synods; it should become synodal. The Pope added “the spirit of collegiality has not yet been fully realized” and he urged a “healthy decentralization” away from Rome.
Over thirty years ago, while attending a conference on communication and theology, I had a lovely lunch in a quaint Italian village with three respected theologians, one each from France, Germany and the US. Fueled by Italian wine, I asked them “what is the key challenge facing the Catholic Church today?” They answered virtually in unison: “truly listening to the local church”. Within the Church a valuable resource has been developing over these three decades. Here is a trail of some communication and theology events that can facilitate a synodal church:
Eight international meetings have been held linking communication studies to moral theology, ecclesiology, and other areas of theology.
For a decade, an annual seminar was held at the convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) so theologians and communication specialists could interact and think together.
European Catholic funding supported a small international ecumenical commission to meet annually for a decade on various continents to think together with local leaders and scholars of media, religion, and culture.
For many years the US bishops conference and the Vatican have sponsored seminars at Santa Clara University allowing theology and communication experts to push these ideas further.
One output has been a document called A Communication and Theology Resource Kit with author bibliographies of their key writings on communication and theology.
The challenge, however, is to implement these ideas at the parish and diocesan level, so both content and processes can be enriched by more people, stirring in the gifts of women and other laity. This has already been demonstrated in Europe where workshops held have been attracting hundreds of church members. Their Communicative Theology project is, according to one participant, “experimenting with, and reflecting on, group processes that promote personal and collective discernment and decision-making in the church… they have developed a theologically integrated approach to group communicative practices” (Hinze). Similar workshops could be organized regionally in the US.
One insight emerging from all this work is that churches, for centuries, have used various communication channels as instruments to convert. Now, however, communication and computer technologies have merged into global dialogic networks. Individuals, groups, and cultures have become mediated – totally suffused by a global media ecosystem. Churches have found their one-way messages are not being heard or valued either internally or externally, especially by youth. Desperate individuals and leaders have not been listening appreciatively to each other; gridlock has spread. One specialist says that in most dialogues “we don’t listen; we just reload”. Pope Francis has spoken out against “a hermeneutic of suspicion” or “hostile rigidity”. In Laudato Si he used the word “dialogue” 25 times.
Communication theory and practice are keys to the Church’s future success. Digital communication technologies are an essential part of the infrastructure of connection. This is especially important as talk proceeds about decentralization. It is also critical if “the people of God,” that is predominant in local churches, are to be deeply involved in this renewal. The Pope reminded the Synod bishops: “I cannot ever tire of encouraging you to dialogue fearlessly.”