Speaking about what she likes best about the process of decision-making in her community, Sister Virginia said, “We place what is to be decided as an agenda for community meeting. We give up our own ideas and accept what is good for the community. Then we work towards the execution of the decision arrived at.” Sr Lissy, belonging to another congregation, said, “What I like best is that we talk together on all topics related to our community living. We generally decide everything together and people volunteer to do different things… Every Friday night we have adoration overnight when we each take an hour of prayer. I found it really helpful. We also have weekly lectio divina. We really try to care for one another. Being an international community, there’s much diversity in the way we do things, but everyone tries her best to learn to live well together.”
Our communities are called to be synodal communities. And an area that needs special attention for becoming a synodal community is to understand and take care of the way we arrive at decisions in a community. Some superiors feel that, if they have to listen to everyone before making a decision, then their authority is weakened and their experience and expertise are not given due recognition. Others feel that it requires too much time to listen to all, and so it is best to tell them what to do, rather than arrive at a decision together. However, a synodal Church is a Church of participation and co-responsibility. The Church requires that “Even if true and appropriate discernment is reserved to the most important decisions, the spirit of discernment ought to characterize every decision-making process that involves the community.”(CICLSAL, The Service of Authority and Obedience, 20e).
Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB
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