Children and the Church’s synodal process

While Catholic teens and young adults around the world were largely no-shows at local synodal consultations, one country actually involved even younger members of the Church.

Jul 29, 2022

Children at the St. John the Baptist parish in Belleville, Paris, March 25, 2018. (LCI Photo/Corinne Simon)

One of the biggest disappointments in the diocesan phase of the Catholic Church’s synodal process leading to next year’s international Synod assembly in Rome, was the scant participation of teens and young adults. But in France, there was a unique effort to involve even younger people. The French branch of Catholic Action for Children – L’Action Catholique des Enfants (ACE) – recently published a synthesis document based on unprecedented consultations it held with some 250 “children from the peripheries” who participated in the recent synodal process on the future of the Church.

ACE brings together children from 6-15 years of age, regardless of their social background, culture and religion.

Agnès Willaume, the group’s advocacy officer, spoke to La Croix’s Félicien Rondel about the children’s contribution and what this means for the Church.

La Croix: L’Action Catholique des Enfants has published a summary document based on the participation of 250 children. Why did you involve them in this synodal consultation?
Agnès Willaume: It seemed important to us to participate in the synod on the future of the Church because we are in a context that is particularly favourable for reflection.

Indeed, we have all been struck by the CIASE report, and we are convinced that this synod is a lever for rethinking the status of children in the Church, and more widely in society.

The status of the child is not insignificant: the systemic violence that children are confronted with, in the Church as in society, is always linked to the place they are given. It is therefore important to take an interest in their lives and to give them a voice.

What elements emerge from these contributions?
We have brought the voice of children from the peripheries. Our contribution does not resemble that of children from catechism, for example. Unfortunately, in the “synthesis of the syntheses” the words of the children from ACE do not stand out. This is indicative of the fact that we still have difficulty thinking about the Church outside its walls.

Editor’s Note: Synthesis of the syntheses is the collection from the diocesan syntheses that was drawn up by the national team dedicated to the synod.

What visions of the Catholic Church do these “children from the peripheries” have?
They don’t always feel at ease nor always in their place, precisely because they don’t have a place in the Church. On the other hand, they are very happy to be able to receive communion. For example, we received beautiful words about the sacraments for which they prepare with ACE.

Moreover, with their children’s words, they express the “poverties” of the Church: when they talk about a celebration, they want there to be music or someone to talk to them. The children thus highlight that our pastoral orientations are sometimes not up to their standards.

How did you adapt the synodal consultation to involve children?
We tried to formulate questions that echoed their daily life, at school, in their family or in their neighbourhood. We are used to consulting children on the basis of these questions. It was also important to show them that they are part of the Church, because they are not necessarily aware of that fact. ACE is the only place of Church for them. Fortunately, there are many organisations like ours that allow for a spiritual journey outside the walls.

In this rereading of the synod, you say that children are “little prophets”, what does that mean?
In their gestures of solidarity, in their attention to others or in their spiritual quests, children have something prophetic to offer. In their words, there are things of which they are not always aware and which come to transform adults. And the Church needs to be able to hear this. -- LCI (https:// international.la-croix.com/

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