Synodality (from

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

which is Greek ''συν'' together"+ ''ὁδός'' way", "journey" is in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

a term "often used to describe the process of fraternal collaboration and discernment that bodies like the Synod_of_Bishops.html" ;"title="Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church">Synod of Bishops">Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church">Synod of Bishopswere created to express".

Meaning

Synodality denotes the particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the Church. The

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

International Theological Commission The International Theological Commission (ITC) is a body of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church; it advises the magisterium of the church, particularly the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Its mem ...

states that synodality, when it concerns the Catholic Church, designates "the specific '' modus vivendi et operandi'' of the Church, the People of God, which reveals and gives substance to her being as communion when all her members journey together, gather in assembly and take an active part in her evangelising mission." Synodality also "refers to the involvement and participation of the whole People of God in the life and mission of the Church". The church's

Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), is a dicastery whose origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962 to 1965. Po ...

notes that the term synodality " oadly ..refers to the active participation of all the faithful in the life and mission of the Church".

Contemporary usage

Synodality is seen as one of the key words that characterizes the

pontificate The pontificate is the form of government used in Vatican City. The word came to English from French and simply means ''papacy'', or "to perform the functions of the Pope or other high official in the Church". Since there is only one bishop of Ro ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

. A document by the

discussing synodality was published in March 2018. Synodality became the theme of the

Synod on synodality The 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, commonly referred to as the synod on synodality, is an upcoming Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church, synod of bishops of the Catholic Church which will conclude in October 2024 and ...

(started in Rome in October 2021).

Meaning

Contemporary usage

See also

References

Further reading