Organizers present “Every Catholic Voice” event on upcoming US election by Michael Centore

Since the Catholic Church began its synodal journey in 2021, the experience of synodal dialogue and “Conversations in the Spirit” have been largely limited to church spaces and affairs. Organizers of an upcoming event, “Every Catholic Voice: A Conversation in the Spirit on the US Presidential Election,” are hoping that the tools of synodality can be used to address polarization in civic life as well.

“The US presidential election is one topic that lends [itself] to our being a polarized church and a divided nation—so much so that neither family members nor friends can comfortably talk about it with one another,” Rene Reid shared with Today’s American Catholic. Reid is the director of Catholic Church Reform International (CCRI), one of several groups cosponsoring the event. (In the interest of full disclosure, I serve on the steering committee of CCRI.)

“Every Catholic Voice” will convene virtually on September 7 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Participants will join a small group of between 5 and 7 people, and a trained facilitator will guide a 90-minute conversation based on individuals’ perspectives, hopes, and concerns around the 2024 election. Groups will create final reports to be shared with US bishops and event participants.

“This synodal gathering is a rare experience providing a safe place for allowing opposite sides to really listen to one another,” Reid said. In the words of the event description provided by sponsoring organizations: “All participants will have an opportunity to share their thoughts and listen to others as we create a safe, sacred space for encounter, civil dialogue, and mutual listening.”

Reid said that the “spark” for the event came through conversations with colleagues outside the US. “We are an international organization, but this US election really affects the whole world,” she said.

The event will be hosted by Ignatian Encounter Ministry (IEM), an organization that offers fully facilitated virtual “Conversation in the Spirit” events for groups of up to 700 participants. IEM also trains facilitators to ensure they are adept in the skills of listening, moderation, and attendance to the movement of the Spirit.

Robert Choiniere, founder of IEM, said that “there is a plethora of voices within the Catholic community that have a lot of feelings about this election. If we really believe in synodality, then we need to create a space where all these voices can be heard, especially the voices that aren’t normally heard.”

Additionally, the event will incorporate the “Civilize It” guidelines prepared by the United States Catholic Bishops Conference (USCCB) office of Justice and Peace. The guidelines were designed to seek “a better kind of politics” such as Pope Francis elaborated in Fratelli Tutti.

“The ‘Conversation in the Spirit’ model is going to be tested here,” Choiniere explained. “If people follow the rules, everyone’s there to listen to each other, [and] we’re there to listen to the voice of the Spirit. That really aligned with the goals of the ‘Civilize It’ project.”

Choiniere said that the office of Justice and Peace has shared “Civilize It” materials for use at the event, including prayers and other writings.

Patrick Carolan, national co-chair of event sponsor Catholics Vote Common Good, also drew on the example of Pope Francis, particularly a statement he made at a Catholic conference on democracy in Trieste, Italy, earlier this summer: “Let us not be fooled by easy solutions. Let us instead get passionate about the common good.”

“[Francis] urged Catholics to share their faith in the public square,” Carolan said, adding that an event like “Every Catholic Voice” “really is what Pope Francis is talking to us about.”

“We have to go back to that truth-telling and be honest with each other,” Carolan continued. “We’re called to bring our faith. We’re called for the common good. If we’re not promoting the common good, then we’re just promoting our own selfish interests.”

Reid shared that event organizers have reached out to the US bishops to invite them to attend the gathering, stressing that it will be a safe, sacred, and respectful space for all.

“We will be truly synodal, objective,” she said. “You can say what you want. You will be heard. You will not be cut off.”

Choiniere said that even if the bishops choose not to attend, “we have a mechanism to share the results with all of them. It’s most important that we have the conversation and then share the results with them, so they can consider it.”

“That’s the synodal movement,” he continued. “We hope that informs their pastoral ministry. We’re not telling them what to do. They need to hear the sensus fidelium in order to be better ministers of the gospel.”

Organizers also highlighted the welcoming nature of the event, based on a synodal model that Choiniere said “respects the dignity of each person within the conversation.”

“We have to be cautious and careful that we’re welcoming to all viewpoints,” Carolan explained. “What we have to do is come together and find our common ground on what our spiritual beliefs are, then we’re free to go out and practice that.”

The event aims to be ecumenical, focusing “on how your particular faith affects your decision” around the election, Reid said. At the same time, organizers see it as an opportunity to develop new applications for the synodal method and share its Catholic character.

“We’re part of this church that is developing this synodality, and we want to show what that might look like in the context of something like an election,” Choiniere said.

The link between synodal and civic discourse can have long-term effects, organizers explained, especially with the synodal focus on listening and silence—what Carolan described as “taking a step back and really listening and reflecting on what that person just said.”

Synodal events like “Every Catholic Voice” can “teach people how to have a public conversation that is not a debate,” Choiniere said. “I think that is a great contribution the church could offer—and we’re still learning how to do it ourselves.”

“We’re not here to compete with each other,” he continued. “We’re here to figure out what the Spirit of God is saying to all of us.” ♦

Registration for “Every Catholic Voice” is available here.

Michael Centore is the editor of Today’s American Catholic.

Image: Janelle Hiroshige / Unsplash