A Church That Listens with Sebastian Gomes

QUICK SUMMARY

What does it actually mean for a 2,000-year-old institution to learn how to listen? In this season premiere of Religion to Reality, multimedia journalist and America Magazine podcast director Sebastian Gomes joins hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich to unpack the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis’s sweeping effort to transform the Catholic Church into a culture of genuine listening. If you’ve ever wondered whether the Church is really changing, or felt frustrated that it isn’t changing fast enough, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE

• “The message is not getting through, so maybe we should listen instead.” Sebastian traces Pope Francis’s pivotal shift from speaking to listening, and why it took 12 years of declining church membership to get there. (16:00)
• Synodality is not a program, it’s a culture. Sebastian explains why treating the synodal process like a church initiative is the most common misunderstanding people have, and what it actually means to change how an institution listens. (22:45)
• What people finally said when they felt safe. From women’s voices to LGBT experiences to stories of poverty and marginalization, Sebastian describes the dramatic moments inside the synod hall when people said what they’d never felt free to say before. (30:30)
• The clergy problem. The most common frustration Sebastian hears from parishioners isn’t about Rome, it’s about their own pastor. He reflects honestly on why priests and bishops are often the biggest obstacle, and what to do about it. (25:00)
• Synodality is coming whether you like it or not. Using the analogy of the early internet, Sebastian makes the case that synodal culture will eventually shape every debate in the Church, from liturgy to parish closings to outreach to young people. (38:30)
• The Gen Z Catholic revival and why it’s complicated. Hundreds of new converts entered the Church this Easter, making national news. Sebastian offers a nuanced take: it’s real, it’s notable, and it doesn’t mean what you might think it means. (51:45)
• You can’t become synodal by just reading about it. Sebastian reflects on the personal and spiritual dimensions of synodality, and why you actually have to do it in community before it can transform your prayer life. (46:30)

ABOUT SEBASTIAN GOMES

Sebastian Gomes is a multimedia journalist and the director of podcast and video production at America Magazine, the Jesuit Review. He holds a BA and MA in theology and history from St. John’s University in Minnesota.

His media career began in 2012 at Salt + Light Catholic Media in Toronto, where he produced award-winning documentaries, including The Francis Effect and The Francis Impact. In 2022, he wrote and directed People of God, America’s first feature documentary on the state of parish life across the United States.

Sebastian led America’s coverage of the 2023–24 Rome gatherings of the Synod on Synodality and the 2025 papal election of Pope Leo XIV. He oversees America’s weekly podcast portfolio, including Jesuitical, Inside the Vatican, and The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin.

He is based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and contributes regularly to americamagazine.org.

MEMORABLE QUOTE

“Synodality is not a program. It’s a culture. And resistance to synodality is also, in some ways, a resistance to the Holy Spirit — a lack of faith that God is actually present in our midst when we’re together as a community.” — Sebastian Gomes

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• America Magazine — Sebastian’s home publication, the Jesuit Review
• Jesuitical Podcast — America’s flagship podcast for young Catholics
• Inside the Vatican Podcast — America’s Vatican coverage in podcast form
• The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin — Weekly podcast from one of the Church’s most prominent voices
• Salt + Light Catholic Media — Canada’s national Catholic media organization, where Sebastian began his career
• People of God (2022) — Sebastian’s documentary on parish life in the U.S. (available through America Media)
• Nostra Aetate — The Vatican II document on the Church’s relationship to other religions, central to Season 2’s mission
• The Final Document of the Synod on Synodality — The result of the global consultation and Rome gatherings Sebastian covered
• Join our monthly interfaith gathering — Sign up at religiontoreality.substack.com
•  Follow Fr. John on Substack — Going Analog at johngribowich.substack.com