One of the most prominent and influential women in the Roman Catholic Church today, natalie Becquart修女, XMCJ, will be the first woman with a right to vote at the upcoming Synod of Bishops, 来自世界各地的250位主教参加了峰会.
The French nun was studying at the 太阳城网赌平台 School of Theology and 部 when she was appointed last year by Pope Francis to serve as under-secretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod. She returned 太阳城网赌平台 in October to provide an update on the groundwork being done as part of the 主教会议, scheduled for October 2023 and recently extended to a second session in October 2024. 她的演讲, 成为一个主教会议教会:问题和挑战,” was sponsored by STM’s Continuing Education program delivered in person and online.
The 主教会议 was formally opened by Pope Francis in 2021 with a call from the pontiff to all the baptized to journey together as pilgrims in a transformative process, 被圣灵引导, to build a synodal Church”—a listening Church where all can feel at home and participate and have co-responsibility.
Sr. Becquart compared the synodal process to the journey on the Road to Emmaus, a reference to a passage in the Gospel of Luke where the risen Jesus walks alongside his disciples. She said this synod marks the first time all the baptized have been asked by the Catholic Church what they think.
natalie Becquart修女 holds up a copy of the newly released synodal report, “大陆阶段工作文件,在海茨厅的演讲中. (摄影:Frank Curran)
Sr. Becquart的演讲 coincided with the release that day of the “大陆阶段工作文件”—which synthesized all the local reports submitted from around the globe from the first stage, 或者倾听阶段, 滑膜过程的. The reports came from more than 100 episcopal conferences and Eastern Catholic churches, 罗马教廷的17个教区, 宗教的上司, associations and lay movements as well as a thousand individuals or groups who contacted the secretariat directly.
“Today is a special day for the synod, and not only for the synod, I think for the Church,”老人说。. Becquart.
Sr. Becquart是 神职人员:一群宗教人士、神职人员和俗人 负责创建工作文档, which has been released in multiple languages and will guide the synodal process into the next phase. STM的Rafael Luciani副教授, who serves on the Theological Commission of the General Secretariat of the Synod, 也是这个小组的一员吗.
奥巴马说，这份文件. Becquart, reflects what has been said all over the world, in all the local churches.
“聆听天主子民的所有声音, what has been heard and what we have received is that we understand that the Holy Spirit is asking the Church to ‘enlarge the space of your tent,引用以赛亚书54:2,”老人说。. Becquart, adding there is a clear call for a “radical inclusion of all the diversity of the People of God, 包括那些已经处于边缘的人.”
在介绍Sr时. 院长迈克尔·麦卡锡，S.J., said her appointment as under-secretary is seen as a watershed moment in the Catholic Church and an indication of an increased role for women in the life of the Church.
“Very few women have as much say as Sister Becquart on shaping the future of the Church,” he added.
Sr. Becquart在之前的主教会议中有直接的经验, 作为会前会议的协调者, 一个演讲者, 也是2018年世界青年主教会议的观察员. 2019年，教宗方济各任命圣. Becquart a consultor to the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops, 赶在亚马逊的宗教会议之前.
Sr. Becquart knew from her work on the Synod on Young People that young Catholics were interested in a synodal Church, but she said she realizes that the call for a synodal Church is not limited to young people.
“It's all kinds of members of the People of God who call on the Church to practice synodality as a way of being and acting, 促进所有受洗者的参与, 善良的人们, 每个人都按照他的年龄, 生活状态, 和职业,”老人说。. Becquart.
她承认，虽然主教会议是上帝的召唤, “这段旅程真的不容易, 因为这是一个变化和转变的过程.”
She likened the role of those who are engaged in the synod to that of a midwife to “accompany the new birth of the Church, 有阵痛, to get rid of the clerical Church and to become a synodal Church.”
Sr. Becquart shared that reading all the reports was a very deep, personal, spiritual experience for her. “Something of the presence of God is given to us through this process. 最后, 我们有合成的经验, 这些页面, 就像圣地, 我们就像摩西与火同在. This [working document] is coming from an experience of God, 教会经历, and is supposed to be given back to help people to continue to walk close to this holy ground.”
One main topic that emerged from reports from around the world, said Sr. 是关于女性的问题. The working document states: “A critical and urgent area …concerns 女性的角色 and their vocation, 根植于我们共同的洗礼尊严, 充分参与教会的生活. A growing awareness and sensitivity towards this issue is registered all over the world. From all continents comes an appeal for Catholic women to be valued first and foremost as baptized and equal members of the People of God.”
他说，还有一个强烈的电话. 以促进普世主义. For the Church to face the most important problems of our world—ecological climate change, 暴力, 两极分化——“我们不能单独行动, we have to do it with our brothers and sisters of other Christian faiths and other religions.”
Sr. Becquart的演讲, 神学副教授玛丽·安·欣斯代尔, 他说, 称她的演讲“充满希望”.”
“I think there’s a lot to be hopeful about, especially for young people,”老人说。. 欣斯代尔. “There was talk of topics that the undergraduates I teach raise all the time, 比如气候变化, 女性的角色, 和包容. At a time when there’s not much for young people to be hopeful about, 这是对未来充满希望的展望.”
natalie Becquart修女’s presentation will be posted to the STM Encore网站 在不久的将来.
Kathleen Sullivan | University Communications | November 2022