The Military Ordinariate was the first among the dioceses nationwide to hold a ‘parish priests’ meeting for the Synod.’ The 100-member military priests pledged to practice ‘a journey together’ (Synodalitas) as a faith community that responds to the spirit of the church and the demands of the times in the special and complex pastoral environment of the military.
At the meeting in one of the dioceses, the priests achieved dialogue (discernment) in the Holy Spirit through meditation and reflection. They acquired the ‘attitude for listening and dialogue’ presented in the Synod Handbook. They had a spiritual conversation with a heart to learn from and serve each other, focusing on where the Holy Spirit led them.
What does it mean to practice fellowship, mission, and participation in a military organization based on hierarchical order? The priests shared their answers in the first theme group sharing, reflecting on ‘How should the church that realizes the spirit of Synodalitas move forward?’
“I believe that practicing Synodalitas in the military is not about giving unilateral orders, but rather a process of discovering the ‘joy of being together.’ The power of fellowship comes from conversations and cooperation that go beyond the division of roles.”
Another article mentioned the meeting in Rome last year on the Synod. “At that time, none of the 193 priests from 99 countries were elites of the church,” and “Pope Francis also listened to and encouraged the words of ordinary priests and told priests to listen to the voices of the faithful and live Synodalitas."
The priests who participated in the meeting were divided into 10 groups and discussed the priests’ attitude toward Synodalitas. They used an hourglass to prevent abuse and monopolization of the conversation. They also had a time of meditation to record the stories that came up during the conversation. During the group discussion, the priests in charge of military chaplaincy shared their grievances. One priest confessed, “When I had to focus on training as a soldier rather than church ministry, I sometimes felt confused about my identity as a ‘military chaplain’ or a ‘priest chaplain.’”
Nevertheless, the priests shared in-depth discussions such as, “We need to put down our sense of authority and listen to develop our ministry” and “We need to get closer to the soldiers.” One priest said, “We have been used to talking more than listening,” and “Reviving the attitude of empathy and listening with our hearts will become true synodalitas.”
Nevertheless, many military chaplains doubted whether they could realize the synod spirit while serving in the military chaplaincy. Demonstrating the synod spirit is difficult in the special military field, where hierarchy is important.
After completing the group discussion, the priests experienced the meaning of conversation between senior and junior priests in the military chaplaincy and hoped that such synod meetings would continue. One priest said: “I hope there will be more opportunities for senior and junior priests to talk in a horizontal relationship.”
The Vicar General of the Military Ordinariate said, “We organized the annual general meeting in the form of a synodal format so that the priests of the Military Ordinariate can acquire the synodal spirit of listening and dialogue,” and added, “I hope that they can feel and share how the Holy Spirit approaches them while listening to each other.”