On February 6, 2021, Pope Francis appointed the Augustinian friar Luis Marin de San Martin as undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, at the same time granting him the episcopal dignity and assigning him the titular See of Suliana. He was ordained a bishop on April 11 by Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra. Since then, Msgr. Marín divides his time between the seat of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in Rome and numerous meetings around the world. He is one of the guests at the Augustinian Recollect Bishops’ Meeting being held in Rio de Janeiro.
Last Tuesday afternoon, Msgr. Luis offered his vision of the synodal process with a talk entitled: “Notes for a time of hope: reflections on synodality with my brother Augustinian Recollect bishops”. In his presentation he made a clear distinction between synodality as a way of being inherent in the nature of the Church and the Synod of Bishops as a particular event within this synodal life. He explained the characteristics of the synodal process: communion, participation, spiritual sense, listening attitude, discernment and evangelization.
After the talk, the bishops attending the meeting met in small groups to share their experiences of the synodal process in their respective territories and communities. During the plenary socialization, it became evident that each place has its own rhythm and dynamics in the synodal process, and that synodality is expressed in multiple ways in the diocesan and missionary processes. It was emphasized that, although there are many obstacles, the effort to walk together in building the Kingdom of God is essential.
St. Augustine as an example of Synodality
In the shared reflection, it was emphasized that the example of St. Augustine is a great richness that the Augustinian family can contribute to the formation of more synodal ecclesial communities. A recent example of this was the synod of Augustinian Recollect Youth (RAY/JAR) held last year in Salamanca, Spain, which preceded World Youth Day and demonstrated what the coordinated effort of religious and laity can accomplish by learning to listen and walk together.
At the end of the day, Msgr. Luis Marín presided at the Eucharistic celebration. In his homily, he exhorted the bishops to cultivate humility as an indispensable virtue to nurture the attitude of listening and openness necessary for the synodal process. Thus, a day full of reflection and communion came to an end, with our eyes set on a future of hope and joint work.
Thus concluded a day that began with the presentation of the different realities in which each bishop carries out his ministry, sharing multiple experiences among achievements, concerns and challenges. From the stresses and strains of the big cities to the solitude and remoteness of the vast missionary territories, the bishops described the various scenarios in which, for years and in some cases decades, they have brought the Recollect charism to the portion of God’s people that Providence has entrusted to them. This exchange revealed how, in the midst of their work, they have tried to be witnesses of the communion and fraternity proper to the Augustinian patrimony.
