A synod is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word synod is from the Greek sinodos meaning “assembly” or “meeting” and is similar to the Latin concilium meaning “council”. Sometimes the phrase “general synod” or “general council” refers to an ecumenical council, like the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
At the end of the Second Vatican Council, Saint Pope Paul VI sensed the need for the Roman Pontiff to continue meeting periodically with the bishops of the world, which is why, on September 15, 1965, he established a new entity within the Church called the Synod of Bishops. The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution that forms part of the Church’s long tradition of organizing ecclesial assemblies to deliberate on the most pressing issues of a particular place and time. Since its establishment in 1965, the Popes have called for and lead a total of 15 General Ordinary Assemblies, 3 General Extraordinary Assemblies, and 11 Special Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. The topics of each assembly are selected by the Pope. The most recent General Assemblies have been on Youth, Family, New Evangelization, the Word of God, and the Eucharist.
To answer this question, keep in mind that a Synod of Bishops includes three stages: a preparatory phase, in which the consultation of the People of God on the theme indicated by the Pope takes place throughout the world under the direction of each local bishop; a celebratory phase, during which the representatives of the bishops of the world meet in Rome with the Pope; and an implementation phase, during which each diocese puts the conclusions of the Synod approved by the Pope into practice. The entire process is lead by the Pope with the assistance of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops. For the most part, the preparatory and implementation phases of the synod are lead by each diocesan bishop in close collaboration with the national bishops conference and the Vatican.
Synodality is a process of discernment with the aid of the Holy Spirit, involving bishops, priests, religious, and lay Catholics, each according to their gifts and charisms. In the words of the Holy Father, “Synodality is a style, it is a walk together, and it is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium.” The Synod of Bishops in Rome, planned for October 2023, will be the culmination of the process of synodality which the Holy Father has described; it is a world-wide event in three phases:
In his address during the 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis offered three powerful reasons why we should all embrace his invitation to participate in the upcoming synodal process: (1) to grow and thrive in the world we live in, the Catholic Church needs to strengthen cooperation in all areas of her mission, which is why the Church of the third millennium must be a synodal one; (2) the development of a synodal church will have a great impact in the field of ecumenism. The more we learn to listen and work together – with and under the Pope—the better suited we will be to work and collaborate with other Christians; and (3) the testimony of a synodal Church will have a positive impact in a world in which small and powerful groups tend to determine the fate of entire peoples.
Pope Francis has called for “a synodal Church, which listens, which realizes that listening is more than simply hearing. It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn. The faithful people, the college of bishops, the Bishop of Rome: all listening to each other, and all listening to the Holy Spirit, the ‘Spirit of truth.’ This process of mutual listening, dialogue, respect, and communal discernment in decision-making under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is a timely one and rooted in the tradition of the early Church. Synodality continues to be relevant today because done well, it energizes the life and evangelizing mission of the Church. It is a response to God’s grace to live as His people in our pilgrim journey towards the fulfillment of the Kingdom. This grace calls all the baptized to pastoral conversion, to “learn to live in communion with the grace received in baptism and brought to fulfillment in the Eucharist: the paschal transition from ‘I’ understood in a self-centered way to the ecclesial ‘we’ … active agents of the one mission of the People of God.” Without conversion of heart and mind and without the discipline for welcoming and listening to one another, the external instruments of communion are practically useless. The true spirituality of communion, “prompting a trust and openness wholly in accord with the dignity and responsibility of every member of the People of God, supplies institutional reality with a soul.”
Because the history of the Church gives ample witness to the importance of consultation of diocesan clergy and faithful in matters pertaining to the good of the Church, these discussions are given special attention. The consultations are followed by discernment on the part of bishops chosen for the task, united in the search for a consensus that does not spring from worldly logic, but from common obedience to the Spirit of Christ. Attentive to the sense of the faith of the people of God – which they need to carefully distinguish from changing public opinion – the Synod Bishops will then work together for ecclesial consensus, which is not determined by the tallying of votes, but is the outcome of the working of the spirit, the soul of the one Church of Christ.
Pope Francis has affirmed that this Synod of Bishops must increasingly become an instrument for listening to the People of God. The results are then submitted to the Holy Father in his capacity as universal Pastor of the Church. Once the results have been accepted by the Holy Father, an implementation phase in every diocese follows, to initiate the reception of the Synod’s conclusions. It must be remembered that given the diversity throughout the world, the results must be inculturated if they are to be respected and applied.
In this way, it can be seen that the synodal process not only has its point of departure, but also its point of arrival in the People of God, upon whom the gifts of grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit through the Synod of Bishops must be poured out.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Director for Strategic Planning & Priorities
Phone: 210-734-2620, Ext. 1305
Email: [email protected]
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