The Role of Communication in the Church’s Synodal Journey
During the celebrations for Saint Bassiano in Lodi, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, offered a deep reflection on the connection between communication and synodality in the contemporary Church.
During his visit on January 25–26, 2025, Grech emphasized that the synodal process is not limited to dialogue between bishops or the production of documents, but represents a fundamental style for Christian communities, based on listening and communion.
During the meeting with communication professionals, gathered for their Jubilee coinciding with the feast of Saint Francis de Sales, the Cardinal emphasized how communicators can actively contribute to making the Church more synodal. According to Grech, both synodality and communication require careful listening: to the Word of God, to the signs of the times, and to the voices of the faithful.
“Christian communication must be able to read the signs of the times in contemporary history,” stated the Cardinal, also referring to Pope Francis’ recent message for World Communications Day. The Pope hopes for communication that generates hope and dialogue, capable of speaking to people’s hearts while avoiding reactions of closure.
The Cardinal concluded by noting that the synodal process, which began in local Churches and culminated in the Roman assemblies of 2023–2024, is now entering a “restitution” phase, where each community is called to implement the emerging guidelines according to their own specificities.
