Welcome.
Introduction and structure of the week
The course comprises three weeks. Each one is organized according to the following structure: (a) a main presentation that develops the theme of the week; (b) three presentations aimed at deepening specific aspects that accompany the weekly reflection; (c) some experiences and testimonies of synodal practices lived in communities and dioceses of different continents.
This first MOOC (massive online course) will have no interaction spaces or forums. We invite you to take note of your reflections and share them in your communities. Our next MOOC, scheduled for November 2022, will have the functionality for interactive participation.
The first week of the course is designed to help participants learn about and deepen the theology and practice of community discernment. It is hoped that by the end of the first week a deeper understanding of the integral role that community discernment plays in building consensus in the Church will be gained. Participants can access the material at any time and are encouraged to use it throughout the course. The week is divided into three parts:
Part 1 – Conference.
The first step of the week is to watch the video of the main conference, and download and read the accompanying material . Some questions are offered that encourage personal or community reflection on what they have heard and read.
Part 2 – Deepening.
Once you have seen the video of the main conference you can watch three further videos that develop more specific topics, such as the creation of consensus, the management of conflicts and disagreements, and the processes of listening, discernment and decision-making in different ecclesial spheres and levels. The videos are presented by Emili Turù, Judith Gruber and Msgr. Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez.
Part 3 – Experiences.
After watching the videos corresponding to the previous sections, you can watch four videos that focus on experiences and examples of community discernment existing in different continents. Christine Danel xmcj will reflect on networking, listening and community discernment processes. Christina Kheng will offer some reflections on discernment methods in Asia. Finally, Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator sj and Sr. Anne Arabome sss will reflect on community discernment in Africa.
We remind you that during this course we do not have a functionality to interact within the platform, so we invite you to share your reflections with other people in your own communities or places of life.