The lay movements of the Archdiocese of Lima, Peru joyfully celebrated their Synodal Assembly as a sign of commitment and renewal toward a Church that listens, engages in dialogue, and discerns the challenges of our time, according to a local report.
The gathering took place at Our Lady of Copacabana School in the Rímac district and brought together lay people, young people, senior citizens, pastoral agents, and priests, who reaffirmed their commitment to a diverse and synodal Church.
The day began with a presentation by Silvia Cáceres, advisor to the Episcopal Commission for Youth and Laity and general secretary of Caritas Lima as well as Pax Romana ICMICA vice-president for Latin America, who reflected on the role of the laity in the life of the Church and their commitment to social reality.
During her speech, she recalled that the lay vocation is called to be present amidst the challenges of our time: “We are called to live an incarnate faith, inserted in life, in our society, in our people, in our town and in our community.”
She also emphasised the importance of discernment as a constant attitude for discovering God’s will in every circumstance. “We don’t just want to know what you did, Lord; we want to ask you today what we must do to follow you,” she said.
Cáceres also emphasized the responsibility of the laity in building the common good and in transforming those realities that affect human dignity, encouraging participants to live their Christian commitment through service, co-responsibility and closeness to those who need it most.
Synodality as a path of participation and discernment
At another point, Father Juan Bytton SJ, advisor to the Synodality Commission in the Archdiocese of Lima, explained the methodology of Conversation in the Spirit, noting that this process unfolds in three moments—I, you, and we—where listening, discernment, and consensus-building allow us to recognize the action of the Spirit in the community.
“One learns to be synodal by practicing synodality,” he stated, emphasising that this style of Church is strengthened in the concrete experience of encounter, mutual listening, and the active participation of all members of the table.
She also clarified the role of the facilitators and secretaries in each working group, responsible for guiding the dialogue, managing the timeline, and gathering the results of the community’s discernment. In this regard, she emphasized that the goal of the process is not to make immediate decisions, but rather to welcome diverse perspectives in order to build a common path together.
The synodal Church is neither a democracy nor a parliament; the Holy Spirit has another way of working: consensus.Fr. Juan Bytton SJ
Fruits of dialogue and community discernment
During the plenary session, the secretaries of the working groups shared the main results of the dialogue and discernment process undertaken during the Assembly. Among the most significant points of agreement was the call to strengthen the evangelizing presence of lay movements amidst current challenges, especially among young people, those distanced from Church life, and those most in need of support.
One of the participants expressed that the challenge is for “our movements to be evangelizing agents, in accordance with current times and needs, going out into the world without fear, with a positive attitude and in a creative way, especially toward those who need it most.” In this sense, it was proposed to promote new ways of proclaiming the Gospel through art, music, culture, and education, as paths to reaching new generations.
Likewise, the representatives of the working groups agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen the formation of the laity and of carefully interpreting the signs of our times. “We need to listen to the real cries of society, discover its needs, and draw upon all the charisms of the Church to respond together to contemporary challenges,” they stated.
A treasure that must be shared
At the conclusion of the Assembly, Monsignor Guillermo Cornejo, Auxiliary Bishop of Lima and head of the Commission of Lay Movements, thanked the various movements for their participation and highlighted the richness of the testimonies shared during the day of listening.
“Listening to their lives, their testimonies, and their sharing has been very enriching. There is a great wealth that cannot remain here or stay only within each movement; we have to offer it and put it at the service of others,” she expressed.
He also encouraged the participants to continue strengthening their commitment to the local Church, valuing the diverse charisms present in the Archdiocese of Lima and their contribution to the evangelizing mission. In this regard, he reminded them that the most important recognition comes from generous service to God and to one’s brothers and sisters.
“We value them immensely and they are a great treasure. Our Church loves and needs them. All the more so now that we are walking together in this synodal process, we are called to continue offering our gifts for the good of the entire community,” he said.
Finally, he invited the movements to share with others what they experienced during the Synod Assembly and to continue joyfully proclaiming the Gospel from their various spaces of pastoral service.
SOURCE
Asamblea Sinodal de los Movimientos Laicales: un camino de comunión y misión (Arzobispado de Lima)