A symposium of ecumenical leaders, clergy and collaborators gathered in Great Britain to respond to the call of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church by inviting other local Churches to take part in the synod process. Among the participants from the Catholic Church were representatives of the various components that contributed to the work of the Synod, among them religious, priests, bishops, theologians and Catholic women’s groups. Also present were small sharing groups made up of national and international representatives of the various Churches, including Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Quakers and the United Reformed Church.
As a member of the national synthesis team for the Synod, Sr. Elaine Penrice of the Daughters of St. Paul attended the event. She had helped prepare the national report that was to be presented to the bishops of England and Wales and sent to Rome prior to the start of the continental phase.
Sr. Elaine writes: “At the end of the symposium, I would like to emphasize two things that touched me: the first is that all the Churches said a big thank you to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church for having the courage to start this synodal process and by inviting them to participate in it. The second thing that touched me was that everyone appreciated the experience and the sharing of individual gifts.”
