The late Pope Francis, who died April 21, left many legacies — from care for creation to welcoming migrants and marginalized people.
The practice of synodality, a church process of journeying together that involves listening and discernment with the help of the Holy Spirit, was a large part of his papacy in its final years.
Pope Francis initiated the years-long Synod on Synodality “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” in 2021, and the final document of the Synod was published and ratified by Pope Francis in October 2024.
While synods are typically reserved for bishops, Pope Francis sought to hear from the entire church, including the laity, during this synod.
“The Synod on Synodality was, kind of, Pope Francis’ opus,” said Jane Cruthirds, director of mission formation for Sacred Heart Schools, who took part in the local synodal process and uses it in her work.
“Synodality is not going to go away.”
— Jane Cruthirds
The practice of synodality was reflective of the way Pope Francis lived his life, she said, noting his life was a “model of how one, with humility, walks with others” and learns to listen.
The Synod on Synodality brought forth various reactions from local Catholics, said Richard “Tink” Guthrie, former vice chancellor and synod coordinator for the archdiocese, in an interview April 29, a day before he retired.
To begin the synod process, Pope Francis invited Catholics around the world to share with the local church their journey as Catholics, including their experiences, hopes and dreams for the church.
In response, the Archdiocese of Louisville hosted 120 listening sessions in 2022, which drew more than 2,000 local Catholics. In 2024, the archdiocese held three additional listening sessions, which brought forth 103 Catholics. The results of these sessions and other synod documents are available at www.archlou.org/synod.
The local listening sessions were “about freeing up people to express what was in their heart,” said Guthrie. “Nothing was off the table.”
“For some people, that was extremely liberating. For some, it was somewhat offensive that certain topics could be given equal footing,” he said.
But Pope Francis never implied that the Catholic Church’s dogma or doctrines were “negotiables” or suggested that the synod was a democratic process in search of the most popular opinion, he said.
It was about listening to gain a perspective of alternative viewpoints, said Guthrie.
“It wasn’t about trying to convince or argue or shift people’s views. It was about helping them understand a broader view than just their own voice,” he said.
Since those listening sessions, Cruthirds said she’s seen the “seeds” and the “sparks” of the Synod on Synodality in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Cruthirds facilitated synodal conversations with the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville during the local phase of the synod and has taught faith formation on synodality with the Archdiocese of Louisville Ministry Institute. She currently uses synodality practices in her work with retreats and small groups.
“I think some folks would say, ‘Synodality, what is that?’ … But at the same time, I’ve also spoken to people in the archdiocese who have been following along, whose hearts are on fire for this practice,” she said.
One parish that has engaged with the practice of synodality is Epiphany Church, 914 Old Harrods Creek Road. In March, the parish hosted a three-night parish mission using the “conversations in the Spirit” model — a practice of roundtable discussion used at the Vatican’s synodal sessions, said Sheila Murphy, director of faith formation at Epiphany Church.
The parish mission focused on “communion,” one of the three focus areas of the synod. She hopes the parish will host two more synod-related retreats — one on participation and one on mission — in the future.
Murphy noted that the world is polarized and said listening to one another is the first step to healing divisions.
“That’s a strong characteristic of the synodal church — it is a listening way of being church,” she said. “It’s a very different style of doing things. … It’s a different way of operating. You’re trying to listen to the Spirit. Where has the Spirit been in this conversation?”
Both Cruthirds and Murphy agreed that developing the practice of synodality takes patience.
“If we are to become a synodal church, it’s not going to happen in three years — or one synod,” said Murphy. “It takes time — the model of accompaniment, journeying together.”
“Synodality is not going to go away,” Cruthirds added.
On March 14 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, a little more than a month before his death, Pope Francis approved a three-year process to implement recommendations provided in the synod’s final document.
Pope Leo XIV, the successor of Pope Francis, gave the impression that he would continue Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality during his first remarks as pope on May 8.
To the tens of thousands who gathered in St. Peter’s Square, he said, “We want to be a synodal church, a church that walks, a church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close, especially to those who suffer.”
