ROME— The success of the just concluded Synod on Synodality hinges on the Church becoming more welcoming, even to non-Catholics, Cardinal-designate Pablo Virgilio David said.
Speaking to CBCP News at the end of the month-long second session of the Synod of Bishops’ 16th general assembly, the bishop of Kalookan said this was his hope for the particular churches, or dioceses and eparchies, across the world.
“Synodality is about that. To become more inclusive. To widen the spaces of our tent. And if local churches around the world will really take this path of synodality, I think that will be the most important thing that synodality will achieve,” David said.
This outreach must be extended in particular to the poor and other marginalized sectors, he said.
In terms of ministry, people must also learn to work with one another and shun a tendency to become “too churchy.”
“Not only with fellow Catholics. With every fellow human being. As wide as possible,” David said.
“We have to work with fellow Christians who are not necessarily Catholics. That’s ecumenism. We have to work with fellow believers who are not necessarily Christian. That’s interreligious dialogue. We have to work with other cultures. That’s intercultural. We have to work with all created reality. That’s ecological,” he added.
David is tasked with overseeing the synod’s implementation and crafting the agenda for the next one, having been elected to synod’s Ordinary Council.
The synod’s final document called for wider lay participation in Church decision-making and mandatory participatory councils with diverse memberships. It also called for greater transparency not just in financial matters and cases of abuse, and the adoption of monitoring and evaluation schemes.
The prelate, who is set to be made cardinal by Pope Francis on Dec. 7, led the Philippine delegation to the Vatican meeting as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
