Word, Sacrament, Charism: The Risks and Opportunities of a Synodal Church

Cardinal Ouellet offers an ecclesiological key for a better understanding and practice of a Synodal Church. He asks what does the future hold for a synodal Church? Missionary conversion or confusion? Spirits are stirred by the many questions raised by the vast consultation of the people of God gathered under the uncomfortable tent of synodality.

In our desire for reforms, the Cardinal says that we are losing sight of the one perfect model, the archetype, Mary, and that we should keep our gaze constantly fixed on Our Lady in order to know ourselves what the Church, the ecclesial spirit, ecclesial behaviour really are.

He states that the main weakness in the synodal process has been the lack of theological reflection, which risks leaving the Church at the level of charitable NGOs. This book proposes to fill this gap in the hope that the synodal operation will go further than the sociology of changing structures and the distribution of power.

Hence the elements proposed by Ouellet for a more Trinitarian, pneumatological, Marian and nuptial ecclesiology, to prevent the Church from being divided into ideological struggles that extinguish the flame of mission. The boldness of this book is to highlight the charismatic dimension of the Church, too long neglected for lack of pneumatology. Its revolutionary originality lies in placing the charism on the same footing as the Word and the Sacrament.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet was born in La Motte, Quebec and ordained a priest in 1968. He served as professor and rector of several major seminaries. In 2002 he was appointed Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, and was created Cardinal. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.