• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle gives the homily as he concelebrates Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome Feb. 7, 2020. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The listening heart of Christ can heal wounds of the church

April 26, 2023
By Archbishop Paul D. Etienne
OSV News
Filed Under: Commentary, Synodality

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Since Pope Francis called for a worldwide Synod on Synodality nearly two years ago, there have been many listening sessions here and around the world to hear from as many of the baptized as possible.

People clearly appreciated being asked to share their hopes and desires for our church. They also shared intimate stories of the wounds that need healing, such as the fallout from the sexual abuse crisis — not only for those who were abused, but also for the broader community affected by the revelations. They spoke of divisions over the traditional Latin Mass, lack of appreciation for women in the church, especially their exclusion from leadership roles, and racism experienced by people of color — both in society and the church.

Many people feel unwelcome or overlooked, including those from diverse cultural and ethnic communities, the poor, those on the margins of society, the divorced and remarried and LGBTQ men, women and youth.

I have met with numerous people who have expressed deep pain as a result of wounds left by their experience within the church.

It is not easy to hear these stories of pain and neglect. But it is an important part of the healing process for people to be heard, and for the church not to immediately defend or try to problem-solve, but to listen in order to understand. This is a necessary first step, and we honor those who have shared their experiences.

What happens now? Do we wait for the Synod to unfold, sit back and wait for the end document from the Synod of Bishops in October 2023 and 2024? No. We continue what has begun, seeking structural change in our way of being a “local church” that accompanies others well.

Because it is not easy to hear what those who are hurting have to say, all of us can ask for the grace to know better our own fears and biases, especially regarding the need to be a more inclusive church. We must ask for the grace to see those who feel overlooked and unwelcome.

People have expressed a clear desire for the church to be a place where people not only feel welcome, but also feel at home. This improvement can and should begin now, with local parishes. Let’s make a concerted effort to be better listeners. Our society has grown comfortable associating only with like-minded people. The culture itself is dehumanizing because it does not lend itself to relationships. We need to be intentional about building relationships within our faith community.

Patience is also needed. We have a natural desire for immediate results. Prayer is not just something with which to appease everyone after so much sharing of personal experience. Rather, it is the engine driving our ability to truly “sift” what we have heard — not just hearing a person’s words, but listening for what God is revealing about the church he desires us to become.

Prayer is the heart of discernment, which opens our hearts to receive and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Becoming a church that listens is the long game for Pope Francis. Becoming a church that beats with the heart of the Good Shepherd is the path to being a church capable of healing the ecclesial wounds of all our people.


Read Archbishop Etienne’s blog at https://www.archbishopetienne.com/.

Read More Commentary

Artificial Intelligence, wholeism and prayer

Question Corner: Does reception of the Eucharist replace confession?

A butterfly lands on a flowering bush with purple blossoms

A Miracle for a Baby in Rhode Island (and for all of us)

Kids need lots of people who love them

Painting of Martha and Mary during their visit with Jesus

A parenting lesson in the Mary and Martha story

Pope Leo XIV champions media literacy

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Artificial Intelligence, wholeism and prayer

Question Corner: Does reception of the Eucharist replace confession?

A butterfly lands on a flowering bush with purple blossoms

A Miracle for a Baby in Rhode Island (and for all of us)

Kids need lots of people who love them

Painting of Martha and Mary during their visit with Jesus

A parenting lesson in the Mary and Martha story

| Recent Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says
  • Broglio: Church teaching obligates the faithful to support pastoral care of migrants
  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants
  • Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9
  • Ireland’s abortion rates rise 62 percent over 5 years; Catholic advocates call it ‘a tragedy’
  • Miami archbishop presses for pastoral visitation at Alligator Alcatraz
  • Movie Review: ‘Smurfs’
  • Body of Blessed Frassati, relic of Blessed Acutis will be in Rome for Jubilee
  • Artificial Intelligence, wholeism and prayer

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en