I was skeptical, but now I believe in synodality

In Cuautitlan, I experienced a well-ordered, disciplined process in which the members of the hierarchy were able to listen deeply to the ideas, concerns and prayers of the laity And to listen particularly those on the margins: to young adults deeply concerned about the church's ability to reach young hearts and minds, to laywomen who are theologians and others who work with Afro-descendants in Latin America, to religious men and women working in various sectors of church ministry to deacons and priests, and to one another. The presence of the Holy Spirit was palpably at work in this process of synodality While the process requires significantly more planning, organization, effort and time than ordinary gatherings or conferences, it is more effective, particularly in the long-term, as considerably more persons are connected and invested in the ecclesial process, topics and decisions. Especially in an age when baptized Catholics are disengaging from the church at an alarming rate, a synodal process that engages those on the margins can be just what the doctor ordered for a church wounded by clerical scandal and cultural secularism.