The synod begins on Oct. 4 in Rome. Ten years ago, Pope Francis released his first major papal document, the apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” (“Evangelii Gaudium”), on the feast of Christ the King in November 2013. On my eight-day retreat this summer, I reread that apostolic exhortation. I believe that it holds the key to understanding Pope Francis’ hopes for the synod. And that is why I’m hopeful about the synod.
The inaugural address of a political leader typically holds keys to his plan of action for the years ahead. The same holds true for popes, especially in their first encyclicals or apostolic letters. The first 25 paragraphs of “The Joy of the Gospel” are most essential for outlining Francis’ vision. We see a strong focus on evangelization and renewal in Christ as the key to renewal in the church. He writes, in “today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience.... I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ” (No. 2).
In a nutshell, that is the message of “The Joy of the Gospel” and the mission of Pope Francis. Yes, we all see the problems in the world today; and renewal starts with us, by renewing our relationship with Jesus. Evangelization starts in my heart and in the church and spreads outward to a wounded world. The synod’s efforts at church renewal likewise start there.
I believe that the apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” holds the key to understanding Pope Francis’ hopes for the synod. And that is why I’m hopeful about the synod.
Francis launches a first volley in his exhortation on several key themes of his papacy. Regarding mercy, he writes, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy”; and the church as an evangelizing community “has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father’s infinite mercy” (Nos. 3, 24).
Highlighting the heroic work of pastoral ministers, he writes that “many Christians are giving their lives in love. They help so many people to be healed or to die in peace in makeshift hospitals” (No. 76). He has developed this image of “Church as field hospital” in his talks and writings.
Pope Francis uses the phrase “throwaway culture” multiple times in his encyclical “Laudato Si’” (2015), but he first used it in “The Joy of the Gospel.” “Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded,” he wrote. “We have created a ‘throw away’ culture which is now spreading” (No. 53).
As I reflected on “J.G.” during my retreat, I found a strong resonance with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, which Jorge Bergolio, S.J., prayed with on his own eight-day Jesuit retreats. As in the apostolic exhortation, the focus of the Exercises is on living the mission of Christ, which hinges on the proper understanding of two words: attachment and indifference. St. Ignatius calls us to rid ourselves “of all inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God” (Spiritual Exercises, No. 1). We should not prefer health or wealth or honor, but rather “make ourselves indifferent to all created things” so that we can focus on the goal of life: love and service of God (No. 23).
Francis calls us to “detach” from our own preferences, which are so often shaped by our consumer culture. Some ministers have an “attachment to financial security, or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost” (“J.G.,” No. 80). Instead of these inordinate attachments, we ought to “attach” or commit ourselves completely to Christ and his mission in the church. The church must “constantly go out from herself, keeping her mission focused on Jesus Christ, and her commitment to the poor” (No. 97).
We should not be “indifferent” to the call of Christ nor the sufferings of others. “To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed” (No. 54). Yet we should be “indifferent” to the manner in which we serve Christ; this may be publicly successful or humbly hidden. We should let God choose the way in which we serve. Francis often uses Mary as a model of obedience and openness to God’s will. “Mary, Virgin and Mother, you who, moved by the Holy Spirit, welcomed the word of life in the depths of your humble faith: as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One, help us to say our own ‘yes’ to the urgent call, as pressing as ever, to proclaim the good news of Jesus” (No. 288).
The synod is not about rearranging the deck chairs on the great yacht of the church. Rereading the pope’s first major document, we see that he is focused on mission, recentering our lives in Christ and trusting that Jesus wants his message of good news to affect every aspect of a wounded and wounding world.
One more example. I write this essay as I am returning from a weeklong conference in Germany with the European directors of the Pope’s Prayer Network, the Apostleship of Prayer. Founded by young Jesuits in France in 1844, we are a 175-year-old mission promoting a life of prayer for all people through devotion to the heart of Jesus and the pope’s monthly prayer intentions. I serve as national director of this network in the United States.
Our meeting had a number of parallels to spiritual elements that I pray will guide the synod.
We were meeting to reflect on the ongoing re-creation of our mission. In particular, we focused on a spiritual program called “The Way of the Heart,” which unites Ignatian spirituality with devotion to the Sacred Heart—leading, we hope, to deeper prayer and service for all who participate.
We began each day with prayer, took time for discussion, prayed again and reflected on our discussion. After celebrating Mass in the evening, we summarized the key graces from the day. The language barriers were challenging but not insurmountable. Spanish and English were our main languages, with translations into Italian and French. My “Spanglish” helped me to understand conversations and even to aid translating. Europe is a snapshot of the larger church—with different contexts and cultures—from postmodern Sweden to the embedded Catholicism of Poland, from the poverty of Romania to the war in Ukraine. One of our evenings was fully silent from Mass, through dinner, into eucharistic adoration, overnight until breakfast. We needed to recall what we had said and bring this before Christ for light and understanding.
It was a powerful week, a prayerful week, a challenging week. It was about mission and discernment. “What is working? What is not? How is Christ at work? What is he calling us to?” At no point were we debating changes in morality or church doctrine. Rather, life in the church keeps us traveling on the way of the heart up the high mountain of faith—drawing others with us into a deeper encounter with Jesus.
I’m praying for the synod. I’m hopeful that the synod is guided by the Holy Spirit and inspired by the opening paragraphs of Pope Francis’ inaugural document, “The Joy of the Gospel.” The synod is an opportunity for renewing the mission of the church through “a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ” (No. 3).
