Nurturing Synodality with Bill Burke: Learning to Ask the Right Questions by Christine Way Skinner
It was a fierce wintry day in Nova Scotia. Most residents couldn’t make it to the end of their driveway due to a massive snowfall. We were just about to begin the fourth of our series of webinars on synodality. “Don’t worry,” said Fr. Bill Burke, pastor of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish in the Diocese of Antigonish, “if the power goes out and I disappear, just give me a minute to turn on my generator and I’ll be back on screen.” It is no surprise that a man who is still in very active ministry after trying to retire over ten years ago has a second source of energy upon which to rely!
Fortunately, the power supply lasted, and Bill led participants in an engaging conversation about synodality. After providing us with some context, he said, “Synodality is a way of being church that must permeate the church at all levels.” Each local church needs to assume its own particular mission, distinctive to its time and place. We need to ask questions about what is distinctive to our time and place as a church in Canada? The questions, he emphasized, are paramount. If we do not ask the right questions, we will find ourselves with answers that are not relevant to the people of God. For instance, the question “What gender should an ordained minister be?” leads to one kind of answer. The questions, “What is the nature of ordained ministry? What is its relation to the faithful?” and “Who is the best person in this time and place to serve in this position?” will lead to different answers. It is difficult to find the right answers, but it may be equally difficult to find the right questions.
That is why the synodal model of discernment is so vital. Everyone must be involved said Burke. Then he quoted Cardinal Bergoglio (now Pope Francis). In a homily given before the conference of Latin American bishops in Aparecida, Brazil in 2007, the prelate went off script and said, “We do not, in fact, want to be a self-absorbed Church, but a missionary Church. We do not want to be a gnostic Church, but a Church that worships and prays. We, the people and the pastors who make up this faithful people of God, who enjoy an infallibility of faith together with the pope; we, the people and the pastors, speak on the basis of what the Spirit inspires in us, and we pray together and build the Church together; or better yet, we are instruments of the Spirit who builds her up.” This, said Burke, does not mean we’re right about everything but that we have a sense of a call to journey together and, together, to ask the right questions.
The conversation that took place in the small groups following the presentation was rich and energetic. We encourage you to watch the entire webinar if you were unable to participate (or to re-watch it if you were present!)