Three significant events keep niggling at me as I reflect on life in recent months: the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the presidential election in the Philippines, and the synodal process in the Church.
There might be no obvious connection between these three but there are some common denominators.
When Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke about the horrific invasion of Russia on 24 February 2022, people listened with dread as they contemplated the possibility of World War III.
Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday asked the world to pray for the people of Ukraine. There is still no clear sign of an end to this barbaric attack, instead the toll of innocent people continues to rise including many children and old people. At the same time, it is disconcerting to see how people in Russia can be brainwashed about Putin’s real intention towards Ukraine through lies and propaganda.
At the moment there are more than 25,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. As of June 30 there are 47 Ukrainian people who have come to the Columban Centre in Dublin and have their names listed for English lessons. How can we better reach out to these Ukrainians who have fled war? It is a question that we, as Columbans, need to consider in order to discern an effective response.
The presidential election in the Philippines occupied a lot of my attention earlier this year. What really disturbed me was the fact that the candidate who topped the poll is the son of the former dictator, who has not only been convicted for tax evasion but avoided every single public debate.
Filipinos had to listen ahead of the election and discern not just for themselves but more importantly for the future of their children and their children’s children. To listen to the truth is paramount. Sadly, when the election results came out, all I could utter was WHY? When will we ever learn?
The synodal process in the Church also calls for an intentional listening and discernment. It is time for all Catholics to look closely at our experience of the Church and be guided by the Holy Spirit in ensuring that we are on the right path.
Pope Francis has declared that synodality is what God expects of the Church in the 21st century. But the question is, are we taking the call for synodality seriously? Some people I know have very little faith in the synodal process, thinking it might just be one of those ‘box ticking’ moments in the Church. Some fear that any document from this process will just end up collecting dust.
In February and in March, I had the privilege of joining the Columban community in Dalgan in a fruitful conversation as part of this synodal process from which a significant statement was written.
A synodal Church needs to encourage and empower the laity. In so many of our communities, women are indispensable leaders, and yet their gifts for ministry have not been adequately tapped into.
On the synodal path, Jesus is the model for the Way and St Columban’s motto, “To be pilgrims for Christ” strikes a synodal notes for all of us. It is by listening we can achieve genuine discernment.•
Angie Escarsa is a Columban Lay Missionary living and working in Ireland.