The purpose is not to collect everyone’s individual opinions, but rather to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us through our prayers and reflections. Listening to each other is very important. Pope Francis has said that during the Synod of Bishops gathering: “We listen, we discuss in groups but above all we pay attention to what the Spirit has to say to us.” This discernment is not an activity done in isolation. Mutual listening and reflection are vital, as what is proposed grows from the unity and conviction that comes from the lived practice of faith within the community.
The process of spiritual discernment calls for everyone’s participation. The Church asks everyone to be open to the Holy Spirit, to discern where the local Church is being led in its own context. The Church asks bishops to listen carefully to the views of the faithful and asks the faithful to respect the authentic role of the bishop as one who governs the local Church and promotes communion. Discernment is always oriented towards the mission of the universal Church which continually moves towards Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who calls his people into a unity of purpose.
