A new pastoral letter from the archbishop of Newark, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, reflects upon the “path” of pastoral conversion and missionary discipleship of the Church. Titled, “We Are His Witnesses,” the letter invites priests, bishops, religious, and lay Catholics to join together in embarking on this transformative journey.
In the letter, Cardinal Tobin explains that pastoral conversion “requires nothing more or less than our willingness to be open to what God’s Word is saying to us and to listen to one another.” He mused that the journey itself is meant to challenge us to be agents of growth and change in our world.
“We must not be afraid to leave the comforts of home, or to risk venturing out into the world, because we are not alone. The Spirit of God leads the way, and we are accompanied by Mary and all the saints who walk alongside us as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus,” Cardinal Tobin wrote.
This openness to listening to each other, the cardinal continued, is best illustrated by the concept of “synodality,” a term which he admits is often misunderstood today, but reaches back to the spirit of the Acts of the Apostles. He noted that the Pope has taught that synodality is not about changing the teaching of the Church, but revealing a way of “living the Gospel.”
“Synodal leadership affirms the fact that every baptized person has the right and the responsibility to participate in the Church’s life and ministry. It recognizes that we are all members of the one Body of Christ and that every one of us is called to conversion and to missionary discipleship in Jesus’ name.”
To these synodal ends, the letter announced an initiative that will follow Pope Francis’ vision of the Church as a community of missionary disciples, as well as the “Great Commission” tasked to us by the Lord Jesus himself to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28: 19–20).
“Our job is to open our minds and hearts to whatever new things the Holy Spirit is doing in our midst,” Cardinal Tobin wrote. “At the heart of this process is a spirit of collaboration and co-responsibility between archdiocesan and parish leaders as we work alongside the people we serve to discern the future of the Archdiocese of Newark together.”
