The second Session of the Synod was the culmination of 28 months of input from well over 20,000 members of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Thousands of proposals and concerns were expressed in this very democratic process and refined for the final deliberations by the Synod. Compared with the last Synod 43 years ago, to which no laity were invited, this has been a dramatic change towards a more open process and greater influence by the laity in the directions and decisions of the Church.

The 350 delegates were given the results of prior work in a booklet and asked to pick priorities between the goals and strategies which had been previously identified prior to the commencement of the session. On Friday, delegates were asked to provide a paper vote for the goals under each of the six themes, and a second vote for priorities for strategies by table. These were accumulated and given to delegates as feedback for the votes on Saturday, which were conducted with the aid of wireless computer devices which permitted instant tally of various votes. It was agreed that anything adopted as a position by the Synod would require a 67% vote and a procedural matter would a 51% vote. This system worked quite well as the delegates got the hang of the process. There was little dissent expressed, just a debate about which should be emphasized first.

The six themes adopted were 1) New Evangelization; 2) Structures for participation and accountability; 3) Ongoing Education and Formation - Adults, Young Adults, Youth; 4) Ministry and Leadership - Lay, Consecrated Life, Ordained; 5) Eucharistic and Sacramental Living; and 6) Social Justice - living at the service of God’s Reign. The first, second and fourth themes related particularly to the positions of VOTF.

Under the First Theme of New Evangelization, a plan is to be adopted at the Archdiocesan level "and implemented in each parish." Pope John Paul II has called for a "new evangelization," proclaiming Jesus and his Gospel in word and deed "to under-catechized, inactive and alienated Catholics." From the perspective of VOTF, the victims of sexual abuse are certainly one of the groups of people who would fit into the "alienated" Catholic definition. I think the Holy Spirit is calling us to become the human face of the Church to the victims of sexual and other abuse of power, much as we have already begun to do in our Mass for Healing the Body of Christ. What input can we give to the process for defining the new program and how can we help implement it in each of our parishes?

The Second Theme of Structures for Participation and Accountability calls for all levels of leadership to "guarantee the development of structures which provide for appropriate religious and lay participation in decision making and processes of accountability at the Archdiocesan, regional, deanery and parish levels." I think this is an open invitation for our help in developing and implementing programs at each level to accomplish our third goal. How can we participate in the dialogue on these questions and participate in the solutions which are developed?

The Fourth Theme of Ministry and Leadership: Lay - Consecrated Life - Ordained, asks for the "establishment of processes to ensure better collaboration and cooperation between the laity, religious and clergy so that the laity can more effectively assume their baptismal responsibility in the mission of the Church." I think this is another invitation for our help in accomplishing our third goal. How can we help our local pastoral councils and parishes meet their responsibility in this area?

I think the people of the Church of Los Angeles have spoken about their goals and concerns. I think they are identical with the very specific goals of VOTF. The Synod has adopted them, so there is no debate required about the direction we all want to go. The question is how will we get to the goals stated? Implementation is the key to a successful change of the Church. We must be prepared to give our input to the numerous bodies which will consider and make recommendations for implementing the decisions of the Synod. We must be the active agents at every level of the Church to insure that the human concerns expressed by us all are transformed into the human face of our loving Lord.