It arose from the call that the Holy Father made to the entire Church to carry out the Synod of Synodality, with the intention of taking it also to digital environments, so that no one is excluded from the synodal process, and no one is left without the possibility of being heard. nor to give his contribution to the Church, even if he does not move in the face-to-face institutions. That is why it is, so to speak, as a complementary part of the face-to-face synodal activity in the digital world.

It is born from the two great principles of Pope Francis: to be an outgoing Church and to go to the existential peripheries

“Pope Francis, on April 24, 2021, has approved a new synodal Itinerary for the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, with the theme: “ For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission” . (…) The articulation of the different phases of the synodal process will make possible the real listening of the People of God and the participation of all in the synodal process will be guaranteed . It is not just an event, but a process that synergistically involves the People of God, the Episcopal College and the Bishop of Rome, each according to his own role.” [2]

In this " participation of all " we must understand that it must be possible to listen to all kinds of people who feel linked, in some way , to the Church and its mission, wherever they are at the level of environments and whatever their condition. Looking especially for people who are not usually involved in ecclesial life, going "out", that is, "beyond", where we must go as Church.

The project “ The Church listens to you ” arises, then, to bring the “ synodal process ” to digital environments , to listen to the “digital continent” [3] , with courage and creativity [4] , in response to the call of the Pope Francis: “… we are all called to participate in the life and mission of the Church. If there is no real participation of the entire People of God, the discourses on communion run the risk of remaining as pious intentions. … The participation of all is an inalienable ecclesial commitment! All the baptized, this is the identity card: Baptism . [5] ”

It is important to understand and know the part of the People of God that does not participate in the institutions, but that will be able and will want to live this process if it has some way of accessing it and it is properly presented to them.

That is why this listening process is directed "only and exclusively" to those who are in digital environments, without presence and participation in ecclesial institutions.

It is about, then, going to those people whose lives largely take place on that continent, which has grown and in recent years has become more multifaceted, more complex, much more numerous.

There they communicate, learn, create art, inform themselves, buy and sell, meet and pray in digital environments. They certainly have a physical life and a domicile in a geographical location, and many go to Mass on Sundays, but their ecclesial center of gravity is not in a specific parish, and they do not feel linked to a face-to-face community, but rather a virtual one. There is no way to reach these people through the ordinary ways of approaching the parishes. So, how is the synodal consultation going to reach these people? How can you listen to them?

• The digital missionaries, the Catholic " influencers " and all those who, in some way, carry out a task of evangelization and accompaniment in the faith of other people.
• Through digital media (social networks, emails, WhatsApp...), that is, any digital medium that normally connects people.
• Using an appropriate methodology to order the conversation and the responses to the topics proposed by the Preparatory Document.
• There are various communities, usually divided by language, that bring together the numerous digital missionaries, but all united in a single project.

The objective that the "influencers" and other missionaries present in digital environments want to add their work to that of the entire Church so that those who do not participate in the life of parishes and other ecclesial institutions still have the possibility of being heard, and his voice reaches the Synod.
               

The project was created by the RIIAL (Information Technology Network of the Church in Latin America), an institution founded by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (PCCS) and CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) in 1992.)

The RIIAL, together with all the other institutions that have been added, echoing the speeches of Pope Benedict XVI [6] , welcomes the call of Pope Francis to put the Church in a Samaritan attitude "of listening" and service to those who suffer and needs the tenderness and Mercy of God [7] .

• Several realities that work in Digital Evangelization have been added to this first initiative of the RIIAL: from the first moment iMision has joined, and to continue, different networks and realities of digital evangelization such as JDN (Juan Diego Network) continued to join each day , Ilumina Mas, Catholic Link, Fruto del madero, Zenit, Catholic Net, Macro Fiesta, Building Bridges, Cançao Nova, FormED en Español, El Arca Digital, Tan Cerca de Mí, El semi 26, Somos Suyos, Cafeteando con el Fr. Lalo, Fruto del Madero, Catholic Bible for Young People, evangelizame_, @KarenAhued and @FundacionASIF, Growing in the faith, Forming Apostles, Enriquísimo Tv, Restless Heart community, Thoughts and prayers from the depths of the soul, Paso Santo, Cielo Abierto, Centro of Martín Valverde Training, Catholic Faith and Love, Zoar Factory,Arca Iberoamérica (Catholic Artists), Cielo Abierto (Fan Page), Católicos Digital (@catolicosdigital), PadreWilli / Healing Wounds, The Door Next Door, A Little Father and A Millennial Priest, Unspiritual Journey, I loved you late and your word gives us life, Digital Evangelization, Sentinel of Faith, Catholic Recreation Network, Conversing with Sharon, Sembrado Esperanza, RCCES Monterrey (Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit of the Archdiocese of Monterrey), Moved by love, New Fire, Sunday Reflection, Mass Workshop with Vianney Children, One in God, El Santo Podcast, Rayo de Luz Magazine (@revistarayodeluz), Sí fiat, Active Evangelization, Los de María, I am a Young Catholic, Mission Land, I want to be a Saint, SERCODE, The Daughters of the Priest, Grace and Virtue, Dos Son Uno, Macrofiesta del Rosario, ONE ministry,PsicoFray and PJ Capuchinos, Digital Servants, Natiilustra.uy, Super Santos, Renova+, Vitae, Grace and virtue.
• At the origin of the methodology is the Delibera Collaborative Intelligence group (delibera.com), which was joined from the outset by the Blanquerna Observatory. Subsequently, Sondeo & Jefferson Davis and the chair of Marketing research at the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) of the University of Rotterdam continued to join.
• Since its inception, the project has been supported by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Holy See Dicastery for Communication.
                 
                 

The Vademecum offers some methodological indications and also leaves a wide margin for each Diocese, movement, congregation or group to create its own methodology.

“In this listening phase, we invite people to meet, to respond together to the stimuli in the form of questions/images/scenarios, to listen to each other and to express individual and group comments, ideas, reactions and suggestions. However, if circumstances (such as pandemic restrictions or physical distance) make in-person interaction difficult, it is possible to use facilitated online discussion groups, self-directed online activities, chat groups, phone calls, and various forms of communication. social, as well as paper and online questionnaires.”

The methodological process has various stages, which seek to follow the process indicated by the Secretariat of the Synod for the whole Church:

Individuat ion of Influencers and Digital Missionaries and their digital communities

Formation and Missionary Sending of each of them

Catechesis and introduction to the Synod in each digital community

Weekly virtual meetings for community follow-up, animation and collaboration

Sending of the "questionnaire" to know the voice of those who wish to participate

Collection of the results of the surveys of the different communities

Analysis and synthesis of the results (multidisciplinary teams, Collaborative Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence)

Presentation of the results to the Synod Secretariat, along with all other Church presentations.

To carry out the Synodal process in digital environments, keeping the spirit of " Samaritan listening/response " strong, the different methodologies tend towards active listening , which is why it is made up of various elements: invitation, motivation, questionnaire, dialogues on the networks , etc.

The Synod is a process of listening to understand the pain and injuries of each person and to offer oneself, as a Good Samaritan, to heal the wounds from Christ. That is why we have to know him, we have to know the pain, the injury (also our own… we also need Samaritans who come to us).

The questionnaire is only an instrument that has to be able to help to know the wounds, sufferings and hopes, as well as the opinions and contributions from the experience of personal and community life of each person, to convey the loving presence of Christ.