THE BISHOPS' SYNOD ON SYNODALITY,2023
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord
because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The Lord called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said,” Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the youth.
So, he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the Lord came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sm 7-10)
because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The Lord called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said,” Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the youth.
So, he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the Lord came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sm 7-10)
The first General Session of the Synod on Synodality met in Rome from October 4th to 28th and concluded with a closing Mass on October 29th. This assembly, marking the 16th General Session of the Synod of Bishops, represented the church at every level, the pope, Cardinals, Bishops, members of the Roman Curia, priests, both men and women religious, lay women and men from all corners of the globe. Of the 464 participants, only 364 had the right to vote. The document Instrumentum Laboris served as the working text for the discussions in the first General Session of the Synod on Synodality. Instrumentum Laboris was drafted from the readings and summaries of the documents collected from the discussions that took place at the level of the local churches. The publication of this document represents the beginning of the second phase of the Synod on Synodality which consists of two general sessions, the October 2023 session which just concluded and a second general session to convene in October 2024. As such, the October 2023 general session is a step in a process which will not conclude until the end of the general session in October 2024. It is important to realize that the 2023 general session was not intended to be the end of the Synod on Synodality.
Synodality is an understanding of the nature of the authority of the Catholic Church that is modeled on an inclusive and participatory notion of authority. Not only do the pope, the bishops, and the Roman Curia exercise authority in the church, but all Catholics are called to participate in the exercise of authority in the church and to work to foster and fulfill the mission of the church. Based upon the Vatican II principle of collegiality the pope together with the bishops govern the church. (Praedicate Evangelium, PE, Preamble, 5). The hierarchical structure of the church is rooted in the pope and the bishops. Their governing roles in the church are based upon their office in the church, the pope as the successor of Peter and the bishops as successors of the apostles. On the other hand, the authority of the Roman Curia is a vicarious authority that has its source in the pope’s selection and appointment. (PE, II, 5). As such, the authority of the Curia is a delegated authority, and its primary purpose is to assist the pope in governing the universal church. (PE, II, 1 and Preamble, 8). The authority of priests is based upon their ordination to the ministerial priesthood, as well as their baptism. The foundation of the authority of the faithful, including non-ordained religious, is their baptism. In the document, Praedicate Evangelium, Pope Francis states that it is the teaching of the Catholic Church that all the faithful participate in the church’s mission to preach the Gospel by virtue of their baptism. (PE, Preamble, 10). The document goes on to affirm that, based on their baptism, lay people must be included in roles of government and responsibility in the church. (PE, Preamble, 10). Instrumentum Laboris affirms that a “synodal Church is founded on the recognition of a common dignity deriving from baptism.” (IL, 20). “Baptism thus creates a true co-responsibility among all the members of the Church, which is manifested in the participation of all, with the charisms of each, in the mission of the Church and the building up of the ecclesial community.” (IL, 20).
Another source that supports the call of the faithful to participate in the governance and mission of the church is the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on the sensus fidei. The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) teaches that “The entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One, cannot err in matters of belief. They manifest this special property by means of the peoples’ supernatural discernment in matters of faith when ‘from the Bishops down to the lay faithful’ they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals.” (Lumen Gentium, 12). However, when speaking of the prophetic office in the church Lumen Gentium distinguishes between the official office of the hierarchy and that of the laity. Lumen Gentium states that Christ fulfills the prophetic office in the church “not only through the hierarchy who teach in His name and with His authority, but also through the laity whom He made His witnesses and to whom He gave an understanding of the faith (sensu fidei).” (LG, 35). The sensus fidei is Christ’s special and unique gift to the faithful which enables them to understand, live, and proclaim the truths of divine revelation. (LG, 35, See also Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church, International Theological Commission, 2014, authorized by Cardinal Gerhard L. Muller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 45). The document of the International Theological Commission describes the sensus fidei “as a sort of spiritual instinct that enables the believer to judge spontaneously whether a particular teaching or practice is or is not in conformity with the Gospel and apostolic faith. (Sensus fidei, Theological International Commission, 49). Although the sensus fidei is exercised within the context of the teaching authority of the church, it is a unique and distinct source of revelation given to the faithful through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Although Instrumentum Laboris does not provide an extensive analysis of the sensus fidei, it does mention it twice as one of the church’s teachings that support the notion of a synodal church. The document states that the reason all baptized Christians must be listened to in a synodal church is, because through baptism, they participate in the sensus fidei. (IL, B, 1.4, a). In the discussion of synodality as a collegial act Instrumentum Laboris makes an indirect reference to the sensus fidei when it asks, “how could a non-collegial act discern what the Spirit is saying to the Church through the consultation of the People of God who “cannot be mistaken in belief.” (IL, B, 3.5, d).
The Characteristics of a Synodal Church
The fundamental characteristic of a synodal church is that it is a “listening church.” The experience of the synodal journey involves listening “to the Spirit through listening to the Word and listening to each other as individuals and among ecclesial communities, from the local level to the continental and universal levels.” (IL, 22). The 2023 general session of the Synod of Bishops’ on Synodality was attended by 365 voting members. In addition to the pope, participants included bishops, priests, religious and lay people representing Catholics from all corners of the world. Seventy-five percent of the delegates were bishops. Fifty-four women were present which represented 15 per-cent of the total assembly. To facilitate listening and provide all the participants with an opportunity to speak, the members of the synod were seated in small groups at round tables. Each table included participants who represented the diversity of the members attending the synod, laity, cardinals, priests, bishops, and women and men religious. There were no special tables reserved for cardinals and bishops. There was a level of equality among the diverse members at each table. Each session began with prayer and an introduction to the “Conversations in the Spirit” method to be followed in the assembly discussions. At the group tables every member was given three minutes to speak on the issue being discussed. No one could interrupt. Everyone at the table had to listen. Also, everyone had the opportunity to address the entire synod at the plenary sessions. Commenting on this listening approach Father James Martin, S.J., a delegate at the synod, made the following statement. “As we sat in the Paul VI Aula and saw everyone discussing things on an equal footing, and even with the pope at a round table, I realized that the message of the synod is this method [“Conversations in the Spirit”] which could help the church immeasurably in a time of great polarization.” (Father James Martin, S.J., “What Happened at the Synod on Synodality,” America, October 30, 2023).
Although the method of “Conversations in the Spirit” allowed the participants at the synod to speak openly and freely, and to listen to others, there were some difficulties encountered in the process. Austen Ivereigh points out that rebuilding a group dynamic every few days at the start of a new session was tiring. Some members thought that the synod was too long and too restrictive. Some were more able than others to adapt to the method of the “Conversations in the Spirit.” At times, Ivereigh says, there were conflicts, tears, and even an indignant walkout. (Austen Ivereigh, “Synodality Works, A Report from Rome,” Commonweal, November 7, 2023). The discussions also revealed that there were deep differences among the members of the synod on some of the critical issues facing the church today. One such issue was the question of the church’s pastoral approach to the LGBTQ community. The discussion revealed that the two sides were fiercely opposed to one another on this topic. Although it is unclear why, the term LGBTQ was not used in the final synthesis. The final report spoke generally of issues related to matters of identity and sexuality. (Martin, America, October 30, 2023.) Some other topics revealing deep divisions included the ordination of women to the diaconate, priestly celibacy, blessing same sex- marriages, sexual abuse, the abuse of power and authority in the church, doctrinal development, and the meaning of synodality.
These are the issues that will form the basis of the discussions at the local levels between now and October 2024. What is causing some confusion about the success of the 2023 General Assembly is that it is being faulted for not making any concrete recommendations for changes in church teaching, governance, or discipline. The lead article in the November 10-23, 2023, issue of the National Catholic Reporter highlights its headline caption with the words, “the Synod ends without Action on Women’s Deacons.” However, it was never the intent of the 2023 General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality to recommend changes in church teaching, governance, or discipline. It was always intended to be a stage in the process of the synod to be continued until it concluded with the 2024 General Assembly. Father James Martin pointed out “that the synod is consultative, not deliberative. The synod does not have any power to change any church practice; it can only suggest.” Martin, “What Happened at the Synod on Synodality,” America, October 30, 2023). The vote on the final synthesis by all the voting members was simply a vote on the summation of the topics discussed at the 2023 General Assembly of the synod. It was never intended to be a vote on recommendations for changes.
Still, this raises some important questions about the nature and extent of the authority that will be given to the final General Assembly of the synod in October 2024. Will the 2024 General Assembly of the synod have the authority to make recommendations for changes in church teaching, governance, and discipline? What techniques, procedures, and guidelines will be put in place that will allow the members of the assembly to make concrete decisions and recommendations for change? Will every voting member have an equal vote? Will the final recommendations of the synod be decided on by a majority of the votes of the members of the 2024 General Assembly? What will be the status of any recommendations for change that come from the final General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality? As with prior synods it is most likely that the recommendations will be sent to the pope, who, in consultation with the bishops of the world, will make any changes that are deemed to be compatible with the teachings of the church. Of course, all of this remains speculation because the document, Instrumentum Laboris, points out that the church has not yet developed the institutional reforms that are necessary to facilitate a synodal church. (IL, B 3.1-5).
John R. Connolly
1/29/24