Synod 72 mobilized Swiss Catholics – kath.ch
50 years have passed, but the memory lives on. Synod 72, which met from 1972 to 1975, created real enthusiasm in the Swiss Catholic Church. A look back at a broad movement.
Bernard Litzler, cath.ch / Adaptation: Barbara Ludwig
“The diocesan synod – a risk and an adventure for some – was a blessing.” This is what Pierre Mamie, Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, writes in the foreword to a document on the synod in his diocese, written after three years of intense work.
Implementing the resolutions of the Council: This is the task of Synod 72. Over the course of three years, seven sessions are held in Switzerland. But Switzerland is not the only country on this path: after 1965, the Council resolutions are implemented in several countries.
Basel, Chur and St. Gallen are leading the way
The consultations and debates take place at diocesan level, as in Austria, Yugoslavia and the GDR, or at state level, in Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany. In Switzerland, both are combined: first, sessions are held at the level of the individual dioceses, followed by a national synod assembly.
André Kolly chairs the board of the Catholic Media Center in Lausanne, Cath-Info. At that time he was spokesman for the synod of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg. Kolly remembers: «The vicars general of Basel, Chur and St. Gallen suggested the idea of a synod in Switzerland. And they wanted the other dioceses to join in.”
Impressive return of questionnaires
The Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, François Charrière, was initially skeptical. “He sent Abbé Albert Menoud, philosophy professor at the St. Michael College, to a national coordination meeting in Olten. Abbé Menoud came back absolutely delighted!» The train picked up speed.
On March 10, 1969, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBK) officially announced that the Synod should take place for all Catholics in the country. Creditor surveys began. The number of replies is impressive: 335,638 questionnaires are returned to SBK, as well as 10,413 letters. “This first collection resulted in 300 discussion topics. They were summarized in twelve chapters, which were edited by national commissions,” says André Kolly.
Lay people make up half of the members of the synod
In a second phase, the synods are determined. “The commitment of lay people has caused a stir right up to the Vatican. The Holy See has accepted that lay people should have 50 percent, while the other half of the seats should go to priests, men and women religious,” says Kolly.
In the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, the Synodal Assembly counts 180 people. At least one third of the lay group consists of young Catholics between the ages of 16 and 25, one third are church members with a foreign passport and one third are women. A major breakthrough in a country that only recently introduced women’s suffrage.
Lively discussions
On May 6th and 7th, 1972, the Synod appears with two elections in its active phase. First, believers are elected from the parishes. This, in turn, will be chosen by the approximately 500 lay synods who will take part in the synodal assemblies of the six dioceses and the Abbey of Saint-Maurice.
Then the discussions in the synods begin: they are serious, passionate and often lively. The strong participation of people from civil society, figures from the church movements and members of other Christian denominations gives the discussions a special flavor. «The bishops were confronted with debates for which they were not always prepared. The richness of the Synod was shown by the fact that it enabled meetings between an employer and a trade unionist who shared the same faith, for example», emphasizes André Kolly.
Fastenopfer is committed
“The lay faithful have conquered the word, just as the Bastille was conquered in the past,” commented Abbé Albert Menoud, who is very involved in the synodal process. The Fastenopfer relief organization publishes a bilingual brochure. The title of the French-language version is “Expression libre”, the German version is titled “Dear Herr Bishop”. With the booklet it wants to address the bishops.
The twelve thematic areas of the synod are presented in the brochure with testimonies and official texts. The topics include: the proclamation of the faith, marriage and family, church and politics, the world of work and the economy.
Process strengthens community
Although the broad debate is causing some surprises, it is also forging Swiss Catholics together. The further procedure also contributes: in order to coordinate the results, the diocesan assemblies are interrupted by short national meetings. “Because certain decisions had to be made at the diocesan level, while other issues affect all Swiss Catholics,” says the former spokesman. An example: the statute of seasonal workers, Eucharistic hospitality or the establishment of a permanent diaconate.
impact on ecumenism
The impact on dialogue between churches is also positive. The representatives of the Reformed, Christ-Catholic and Orthodox Churches stimulate relations. The mutual recognition of the sacraments – such as baptism – is increasing.
Finally, each diocese publishes the results of its synodal consultation. The topics covered are summarized in such a way that the debates can be understood. The documents still bear witness to the importance of a process that had a significant impact on the Catholic Church in Switzerland, even if the dioceses before and after the synod of 72 sometimes took very different paths.
© Catholic Media Center, 04/27/2022
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