“I was delighted at the conclusion of the synod to hear Pope Francis basically say: ‘O.K., that’s enough. Basta. We’ve talked enough. We’ve discussed enough. We’ve written enough. Now let’s go out there and do it.’” That is what Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, 65, told America’s Vatican correspondent in this exclusive interview in Rome, on Sunday, Oct. 27, after the closing of the Synod on Synodality.
“The pope didn’t feel the need for an exhortation…but I think it’s because he knows that synodality is ultimately about the transformative relationships we practice on the ground. Including in the Roman Curia, of course,” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Scicluna is the adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. He is well known for his work in combating the abuse of minors by clergy as the dicastery’s former chief prosecutor and for his special investigations into situations of abuse and cover-up worldwide.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Gerard O’Connell: What’s your first takeaway from this synod?
Archbishop Scicluna: One of the best aspects of both this year’s and last year’s synod is that we were active protagonists rather than spectators. The fact we were divided into groups and sat around tables meant lively discussions could take place. Everybody had a name, everybody was interacting. The groups also changed so you had the opportunity to interact with different people. We also had moments of silence and prayer, and we had light moments and moments of tension. It was almost like being in a family. That really set the right tone as participants at past synods have tended to be mere passive spectators in a large hall—listening but having only limited opportunities to air their views.
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Gerard O’Connell is America’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
With thanks to America and Gerard O’Connell, where this article originally appeared.
