listening

Bishop Neary’s priorities remain rooted in the same mission, but they are evolving to meet new realities.

When we take time to listen, to share and to collaborate, we all grow stronger— not just as professionals, but as a Church.

When we are in the presence of another human being, we should treat that person as Christ himself, with undivided, loving attention, and simply listen to whatever he or she wishes to share with us.

Listening is indistinguishable from loving. It works with your child, your cashier, your great aunt and your barista. A tilt of the head, a twinkle in the eye and a three-word request: “Tell me more.”

In a letter addressed to the “People of God,” the assembly of the Synod of Bishops said the Catholic Church must continue discerning its future by listening to everyone, starting with the poorest and excluded.

Supporters and detractors of the synodal process to which Pope Francis has invited all Catholics are feasting in a bewildering ocean of voices and opinions. To be true to the process, participants in the synod should remain open to listening to all Catholic voices.

The continental phase of the synod has traveled across the globe with sessions in Europe, Oceania, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East in February and March.

More than 200 participants took part in the continental assembly in the Horn of Africa country, gathered at the continental phase of the worldwide synod in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 1-6.