To anticipate the formal expression of gratitude at the conclusion of this essay, I want to say at the outset that I have written this as a response to the invitation tendered by the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the XVI Ordinary Synod of Bishops to offer “theological
Synodality is an unusual word, which has been made popular by Pope Francis. The root is the more common word “synod” made popular since Vatican II, especially with Pope Paul VI who inaugurated the synod of bishops in our modern Church. We should remember, however, that synods and synodality have
Catholics love anniversaries. A few months ago, in October 2022, the Vatican marked the sixtieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s opening. The celebration occurred at a time of intense ecclesial tension. It took the Council of Trent at least a century to be fully received, and Vatican II is
We are currently amid what has been termed the largest consultation process in human history. Launched at Pentecost 2021, the Synod on Synodality—the hallmark of Pope Francis’s pontificate—will take place this October, just months away. The Working Document for the Continental Stage has been compiled from submissions from national Bishops’ Conferences.
This past January, in a widely-commented on tweet, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops posted an image highlighting “Seven Attitudes for Walking the Synodal Path,” including “Innovative Outlook,” “Inclusivity,” “Open-Mindedness,” “Listening,” “Accompaniment,” “Co-Responsibility,” and “Dialogue.” More than a few people on Twitter slammed the tweet as promoting “buzzwords,” and the negative