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A New Pope Committed to Synodality
On 8 May, the Church welcomed Pope Leo XIV, whose Urbi et Orbi message from the balcony of St Peter's made an immediate and moving call to journey forward together. In his very first public words as pontiff, he declared:
“We want to be a synodal Church, a Church that moves forward, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close above all to those who are suffering.”
It was a clear commitment to lead the Church in the spirit of communion, participation, and mission — the very pillars of a synodal Church.
Just two days later, in his address to the College of Cardinals on 10 May, Pope Leo reaffirmed this vision by calling the Church to a renewed dedication to the journey already begun:
“I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council… Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, from which I would like to highlight several fundamental points [including]… growth in collegiality and synodality…”
These words offer a strong and clear signal that the synodal journey is not a temporary phase, but the enduring way the Church is called to be in the modern world — listening, discerning, and walking forward as the one people of God.
Pope Leo’s emphasis on a synodal Church that moves forward provides great encouragement for the Irish Synodal Pathway as we continue this journey with fresh hope and deep communion with the universal Church.
Welcome to the Synodal Pathway
Synodality expresses how the Spirit shapes the Church...
In his recent homily for the Vigil of Pentecost, Pope Leo renewed his heartfelt commitment to synodality, our call to walk together as one people, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Pope Leo reminded us that the Spirit of the Lord, who descended upon Jesus and set his mission in motion, is the same Spirit who gathers and guides us today. As the Pope powerfully proclaimed:​
“On the evening of my election, moved as I looked out at the people of God gathered here, I spoke of ‘synodality,’ a word that aptly expresses how the Spirit shapes the Church.”
The Holy Father reminds us that the Church is not a collection of separate paths but a single journey united in Christ. He said, “God created the world so that we might all live as one.'Synodality' is the ecclesial name for this.
Calling us to live this vision in every parish, community, and meeting, Pope Leo said, "We are a people on the move. This does not set us apart but unites us to humanity like the yeast in a mass of dough, which causes it to rise. The year of the Lord’s grace, reflected in the current Jubilee, has this fermentation within it. In a divided and troubled world, the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk together in unity. The earth will rest, justice will prevail, the poor will rejoice and peace will return, once we no longer act as predators but as pilgrims. No longer each of us for ourselves, but walking alongside one another."
Let us respond to this invitation with open hearts!
You can read the full homily from the Holy Father at https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250607-veglia-pentecoste.html
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Diocese Completes Series of Training Workshops in the 'Conversation in the Spirit'
During the month of June 180 members of Parish Pastoral Councils across the Diocese of Meath registered for training workshops in the Conversation in the Spirit method of listening and discernment in order to arrive at decisions to promote the Church’s mission in the Parish.
As a method, it promotes a prayerful discernment of questions that must be considered to build consensus and to ensure that the process of decision making is guided by the Holy Spirit.
Training took place in four centres across the Diocese: Dunshaughlin, Kinnegad, Tullamore, and Drogheda. The training workshops were offered by members of the Diocesan Synodal Team. The 2-hour session introduced the method and equipped participants to conduct a Conversation in the Spirit in their Parish Pastoral Council. A specially produced resource for this purpose was prepared by members of the Diocesan Synodal Team and is available from the Diocesan Office.
Quoting Bishop Deenihan, he said, "As the Church comes to a greater awareness of its synodal nature, whereby we journey together as the People of God seeking to grow in faith, hope and love, and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, Conversation in the Spirit methodology has become a primary tool on our journey.' He went on, 'In terms of the shaping of the Church in the
Diocese of Meath into the future, the Parish
Pastoral Councils play a key role.
Therefore, it is necessary that the members
of the Councils are constantly discerning
the voice of the Holy Spirit so that we can
ensure that the main protagonist in all that
we do is the Risen Lord who is present in
the Church through the Holy Spirit."
Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod
Click on image to download the Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod document.
On Thursday 27 June 2025, members of the XVI Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod approved the 'Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod' – a tool designed to accompany the final phase of the synodal process. The text serves as a means of fostering dialogue between local Churches and the General Secretariat of the Synod and promoting the exchange of experiences among the Churches.
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Referencing the 'Final Document', the text, structured around four chapters, aims first and foremost to provide an interpretive key for understanding the implementation phase of the synodal process: “the synodal form of the Church is at the service of its mission, and any change in the life of the Church is intended to make it more capable of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and bearing witness to the Gospel of the Lord to the men and women of our time” (from the Introductory Letter). The text then focuses on the intended recipients of the outlines: primarily the diocesan bishop and the synodal teams. The third chapter offers a set of fundamental criteria to help ensure that local implementation remains in harmony with that of the universal Church. The final chapter addresses the question of methodology and tools.
'Synodality Explored: Facing the Future Together’
International Conference at Knock Shrine
in association with Notre Dame University, Australia
Prof. Eamonn Conway, Fr Eugene, Nicola Mitchell, Cardinal Mario Grech, Julieann Moran, Fr Declan Hurley and Fr Richard Gibbons at the Synodality Conference, Knock Shrine
Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary-General of the synod, delivered the keynote address at the April 19-20 conference: "Synodality Explored: Facing the Future Together" at Knock Shrine.
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Click above to watch Cardinal Grech’s full keynote address.
Documents from the Synodal Process
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Final Document 2024
National Phase
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Instrumentum Laboris 2023
Pope Francis' Homily at the
Conclusion of the Synod
Diocesan Submission to National Synodal Team
April 2024
Synod - October 2023
Diocesan Phase
Resources
Fr. Declan Hurley's Conference Paper
19-20 April, Knock
Instrumentum Laboris 2024
Synthesis Report
First Session
Continental Phase
Synodal Timeline
"In the Church, everything starts with baptism. Baptism, the source of our life, gives rise to the equal dignity of the children of God, albeit in the diversity of ministries and charisms. Consequently, all the baptised are called to take part in the Church's life and mission."
Pope Francis, opening Mass for the Synod, 'For a Synodal Church, Communion, Participation and Mission'
Synodal Resources
Following the 2023 Winter General Meeting of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, a research report, commissioned by the National Steering Committee of the Irish Synodal Pathway was published.
In keeping with the spirit and methodology of the synodal process, the National Steering Committee wanted to ensure that those who worked to create the spaces for others to be heard (during the Diocesan Stage of the synodal process in 2022) were afforded that same space for reflection and listening. The report provides valuable insights into the experiences, motivations and concerns of local leaders. It reflects a group that is diverse in terms of experiences and opinions, but united in their concern for the present and future mission of the Church, and in the conviction that the synodal process is an important development in the life of the Church.
In fulfilment of its remit to guide a two-year process of synodal listening and discernment for the Catholic Church in Ireland, the Report from the Steering Committee for the Synodal Pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland has now been published. Documenting the learning and offering recommendations to help shape and inform the next phase of the Irish Synodal Pathway, the report provides:
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an overview of the work carried out
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an explanation of the key milestones on the journey so far
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key features of the context in which the Catholic Church in Ireland is undertaking this synodal journey
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examples of synodal dialogue and outreach to illustrate the variety, creativity and significance of the work that has taken place to date
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key themes in the learning from this initial two-year phase
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insights into the experiences, motivations and concerns of local leaders (arising from research published separately at synod.ie/Research Report)
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a series of recommendations for the next phase of the Irish Synodal Pathway
An brief executive summary is available on
pages 4 – 7 of the Report.
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