ChatGPT read the ‘Digital Synod’ Vatican report, in case you didn't
AI rewrites a Vatican ‘digital synod’ report, because we couldn’t understand it
The Vatican’s Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops released April 28 a synthesis document for a synod on synodality process called the “Digital Synod” — an online consultation meant to foster engagement with — in the words of the report — “the digital space as ‘locus,’ inhabited by people naturally and properly.”
Promoted by the Dicastery for Communications, the “Digital Synod” enlisted “evangelizers-influencers, children of their time,” to reach people who “do not always participate in the institutional life of the Church in person,” as part of Pope Francis’ call for the synodal process to reach the peripheries of the Church and beyond.
But like a lot of reports generated in the synod on synodality, the Digital Synod synthesis has been criticized by some readers, as full of jargon, and difficult to understand.
So to better understand it — and since the Digital Synod encourages Catholics to make better use of technology — we asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT to read some key sections, and to rephrase the text for us at a fifth-grade reading level.
Here’s what we learned.
‘A seminal and incipient proposal’
Digital synod
“It was a seminal and incipient proposal and, at the same time, sufficient because opening this door allowed us to see that this ‘digital place’ exists, that it must be explored and accompanied. The mission in digital environments has been born, from the very beginning of this new culture, naturally and spontaneously, from the missionary ardor of evangelizers-influencers, children of their time, who, finding new environments of evangelization, with courage and creativity, have put their charisms to bring Jesus to these new horizons and to find Him there too.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 12th grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“A while ago, someone suggested that we explore the ‘digital place’ and now we know it exists. People who want to share their faith have naturally started using digital tools to spread their message. They are creative and brave, using their talents to bring Jesus to new places.”
‘Institutional and unidirectional’
Digital synod
“The language used by the Church is considered institutional and unidirectional, which makes it difficult to understand for those who are not familiar with ecclesial terms. It is suggested to adapt the language to make it more human, respectful, and inclusive of daily reality. It is proposed to update and professionalize the digital formats. The testimony of a young person mentions: ‘If the Church is like a father... Young people prefer to talk to friends..”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 13th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“Sometimes the way the Church talks can be hard to understand for people who are not used to it. It would be better to use words that sound more like how people talk every day. We should also make sure the digital things the Church uses are modern and easy to use. One young person said they like talking to their friends more than talking to the Church, and that makes us think about how we can be more friendly and approachable.”
‘The change of era’
Digital synod
“Faced with the change of era, it is necessary to take into consideration the sensitivity of young people who, as children of their time, relate to a liquid society, characterized by a growing fragmentation, erosion of the bonds of permanence, individualism, and relativism, and the instrumentalization and manipulation of some people for the benefit of others.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 14th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“Young people today live in a world that changes quickly. This world can sometimes be confusing and make it hard to feel connected to others. People might focus more on themselves and think that what's right for them is the only thing that matters. Some people might try to use others to get what they want.”
‘Synchronously and asynchronously’
Digital synod
“[In the second stage] more than 850 influencers/missionaries/digital evangelizers joined the project. This original group was divided into 12 communities. These, in turn, were divided internally into small discernment communities of approximately 12 people with a sponsor who met synchronously and asynchronously, in person and online.”
“It ended with a Digital Assembly. Here the animators of each community shared what they had worked on through the method of ‘spiritual conversation’, following the same methodology of the continental meetings.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 9th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“Over 850 people joined the project in the second stage, becoming digital missionaries and evangelizers. They formed 12 groups, each with about 12 people and a leader. The groups met both in person and online to discuss and reflect. The project ended with a Digital Assembly, where each group's leader shared their work in a conversation following a specific method.”
‘Itinerant and ecstatic’
Digital synod
“The ecclesiology of Francis and, therefore, his pastoral proposal invites us to move from a self-referential, sedentary, and static pastoral to an open, itinerant, and ecstatic one, thus concretizing that permanent missionary process that wants to go towards everyone and reach the last ones, the forgotten ones that God does not forget. In the language of Francis: it is a matter of reaching out to the geographical and existential peripheries. ‘The Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery.’”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 15th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“Pope Francis wants the Church to be more friendly and go out to where people are, even if they're far away or don't have much. We should help people who are hurting, who don't know much about God, or who are dealing with tough things like unfairness or not having enough. We need to go to the places where people are and care for them, like Jesus did.”
‘Digitality’
Digital synod
“Digitality makes it possible to reduce the distances between believers and non-believers, and between priests and faithful... It makes possible relationships of greater equality and also helps to shorten generational distances. The missionary capacity that can be found in the networks helps to reach where usually it has not been possible, thus favoring the closeness of the Church with the people and with the new realities that are being lived.”
“It is a closeness that receives, includes, and embraces many who suffer and are far away. Today, when one of the greatest crises of the Church is the absence of missionaries who share a close Jesus, many digital missionaries/evangelizers are creatively engaged in bringing Jesus to the peripheries who, often unknowingly, hunger and thirst for Him and His Message. This closeness is an expression of the culture of encounter to which Francis invites us.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 14th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
The internet can help bring people closer together, even if they have different beliefs or are far away from each other. It can also help different generations understand each other better. People who spread the message of Jesus online can reach more people than ever before, including those who might not know about him. This is important because the Church needs more people to share Jesus' message with others. Pope Francis wants us to use the internet to connect with people and bring them closer to Jesus.
‘The mere conception of instrumentality’
Digital synod
“In the evangelizing mission of the Church, the different pastoral ministries (educational, catechetical, family, urban...) have been configured. Today we note the existence of digital spaces as "locus", going beyond the mere conception of ‘instrumentality’.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 13.8-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
The Church has different ways of spreading the good news of Jesus, like teaching, guiding families, and working in cities. Now we also have digital spaces that are not just tools, but places where people can connect and share their faith.
‘From the quantitative dimension’
Digital synod
“Intercultural respect and dialogue between Catholic communities: From the quantitative dimension, these arguments are perceived as relatively high in the digital environment. We must understand this in the light of the qualitative responses: the missionaries express the importance attributed to the care of not hurting sensitivities in the different types of positionings and communities within the Church. It is, therefore, an achievement that is still in process. On the other hand, in the digital environment - as a somewhat ‘prophetic’ place - a reduction of clericalism, a greater co-responsibility among the faithful whatever their role and a much more visible and quality female presence are perceived.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 12th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“People in the Church are learning to respect and talk to others who have different cultures. This is happening a lot online. They want to be careful not to say things that might hurt people's feelings. There is still work to do, but it's a good start. Online, people are seeing less of the idea that only priests are important, and more of the idea that everyone in the Church is important. Women are also being seen more online.”
‘A synodal culture’
Digital synod
“On the path of conversion, which we continue to follow, the Church has the opportunity to continue to grow in synodality. The ecclesial communities that inhabit the digital space are also called to build a synodal culture in their own spheres. It is a single Church that, with different pastoral approaches and diverse languages, wants to reach out to all, with the Grace of God, freely manifested in Jesus Christ.”
ChatGPT
AI assessment: The original text scores at a 14th-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool.
Rephrased at a fifth-grade reading level:
“As we strive to become better, the Church can work on being more collaborative. Even the communities that exist online can work together to create a better culture. Despite having different ways of reaching people, the Church wants to share the message of Jesus with everyone, through the Grace of God.”
It's very funny to me that a document that calls the Church to "adapt the language to make it more human, respectful, and inclusive of daily reality" is wrapped in language so dense it's not always intelligible
I also see the use of impenetrable language as a barrier to synodality. Who can imagine the median practicing Catholic being a part of a discussion worded like those passages?