Counselling Key to Effective Synodality: Catholic Sister at Conference of Women Theologians

“Counselling emerges as a necessary pastoral tool for emotional and spiritual healing within a synodal framework that emphasizes listening and accompaniment,” the Cameroonian-born member of the Holy Union Sisters of the Sacred Hearts (SUSC) said.

Counselling, she went on to say, “offers a path for communities to engage in healing, theology, dialogue, reconciliation, and restoration—values deeply embedded in both African cultures and Christian spirituality.”

With its communal, participatory framework and the call to discern and journey together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Sr. Rfanyu said that the Synodal process aligns with counselling “as a positive (and) reflective tool.”

She said that counselling helps individuals and communities navigate personal and relational challenges while promoting understanding, healing, and growth in faith and practice.

“Biblical counselling, a form fitting within the Synodal process, emphasizes discipline, discipleship, scriptural authority, and spiritual growth conducted under church authority to guide participants towards sanctification and deeper trust in God during their Synodal journey,” she said.

Sr. Gisela Rfanyu Shey. Credit: ACI Africa

For this reason, Sr. Rfanyu said that “counselling in the Synodal process facilitates the internal and interpersonal work needed for genuine participation, discernment, and communal transformation.”

She continued to compare counselling and synodality, saying, counselling “supports the creation of safe, respectful spaces where honest communication and spiritual guidance can thrive in the path of synodality. In counselling, we respect each other; we give room to each other.”

She said, “Synodality is calling on us to consider each person. And before you consider each individual in a society, you have to have that listening ear to everyone who comes across you.”

“Counseling is for healing. You may not need any medication, but the listening, the paying of attention, and the respect for one another bring about healing,” she further said.

For Africa, Sr. Rfanyu proposed a Synodal model of counselling that synthesizes insights on healing and Synodality and offers practical pathways for implementation.

Over the years, she said that synods have played crucial roles in resolving doctrinal conflicts, shaping liturgy, and fostering ecclesial unity, thus fostering healing.

Credit: ACI Africa

“Synodality is more than a governance structure. It is a healing pathway for a Church wounded by clerical bias, clericalism, abuse, and fragmentation. It enables pastoral renewal by shifting focus towards inclusion, accountability, and mutual respect,” she said.

On theological justification for healing, Sr. Rfanyu said that “Christian anthropology views the human being as a unified whole—body, mind, and soul.”

(Story continues below)

“Theologically, healing is a core ministry of Christ and the Church. Jesus' public ministry involved restoring sight, speech, and dignity to the afflicted, modelling a holistic approach to salvation,” she said during her September 3 presentation.

She continued, “Counselling within the Church echoes this ministry by accompanying those who suffer and offering pathways to spiritual and emotional restoration.”

Sr. Rfanyu said that the integration of counselling within the synodal journey of the Church in Africa should not be perceived as merely a pastoral option but a theological and cultural imperative.

She emphasized that the wounds of the people of God in Africa, which include psychological, spiritual, and communal “demand a holistic response that draws on the best of both tradition and innovation.”

Credit: ACI Africa

“Synodality, rooted in the Church's identity as the People of God, provides a framework for participation, discernment, and healing,” she said, adding that counselling, on the other hand, which is grounded in both psychological theory and theological wisdom, offers practical tools for accompaniment, reconciliation, and restoration.

She said that the dialogue between psychology and theology, enriched by African communal tradition, points the way forward.

“By training pastoral agents, empowering small Christian communities, collaborating with professionals, and adapting models to local cultures, the Church can become a truth-filled hospital, a place where wounds are named, stories are heard, and healing is possible,” she said.

In doing so, Sr. Rfanyu said, “the Church in Africa not only responds to the urgent needs of its people but also offers a model of synodal healing for the universal Church.”