Contributions of the UISG-USG to the Synod on Synodality

The General Secretariat of the Synod specifically asked for the experience and wisdom of religious women and men on “How to be a Church in mission”. In response to this request, the UISG (International Union of Superiors General) and the USG (Union of Superiors General) joined together to provide a process through which religious institutes would offer their input¹.

They posed the following questions to the general governments:

1. Co-responsibility for mission is an important aspect of a synodal Church. What has been your experience of growing in co-responsibility for mission?
   • in your congregation
   • with the lay people with whom they work
   • within the diocesan structures
2. What specific suggestions would you offer for greater co-responsibility for mission within diocesan and/or local Church structures?
3. What is your congregation’s community discernment and decision-making process ? Is community discernment part of your congregational tradition or is it something new?
4. In light of participation, authority and governance,
   • What has worked well for your congregation?
   • What are still growth edges or continuous learning spaces?
5. How do their structures and different roles,
   • facilitate co-responsibility for the mission?
   • impede co-responsibility for the mission?
6. The Synod Synthesis Report considers it urgent for the Church to address women’s participation in the Church. What particular wisdom and experience about women’s participation in the Church would you specifically offer to the Synod?
7. Are there any examples of how the richness of cultural, racial and/or ethnic diversity influenced your congregation’ s path of stewardship for mission?
8. What ministries and participatory bodies of the Church can be renewed or introduced to better express this co-responsibility.

The Commission has synthesized the responses received into five key themes:

I. Stewardship for the mission.

II. Authority, governance and participation.

III. Unity in diversity.

IV. Women’s participation.

V. Renewal and strengthening of ministries.

You can read the contributions in this link of the UISG website.

1. From the Introduction of “Synod on Synodality”. Contributions UISG – USG. ↩︎