Definition of Synodality:
Mutual collaborative listening, guided by the Holy Spirit, in which all of the faithful have something to learn from each other, in order to know what God is saying to the Church (1). It stresses the common dignity and mission of all the baptized, in exercising the diversity and interwoven richness of their charisms, their vocations, and their ministries (2).
Scriptual references
Joshua 24, Nehemiah 8, Jeremiah 31: 1-14, John 15, John 16, 1 Corinthians 12; Acts 15; Romans 12; Ephesians 4:1-24
Church References
- Evangelization Begins with Listening, Wednesday, 11 December 2019, Cardinal Tagle
- Christus Vivit (CV), Francis, 206-208
- General Audience Wednesday, 23 October 2019, Pope Francis
- Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission
- Ceremony Commemorating The 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, by Pope Francis
Possible Questions to Further Unpack:
How is Synodality woven through Scripture?
See above; Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 12-23; General Audience Wednesday, 23 October 2019, Pope Francis.
How is Synodality used in the first millennium?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 24-30; Ceremony Commemorating The 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, by Pope Francis.
What is the difference between council and synod?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 4, 97-102; Ceremony Commemorating The 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, by Pope Francis.
What do we mean when we say Collegiality?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 7; Ceremony Commemorating The 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, by Pope Francis; The Final Report of the 1985 Extraordinary Synod, 4. Collegiality.
How is Synodality a living expression of the Catholicity and Oneness of the Church?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 45-46, 58-61; CV, 206-208
What is the sensus fidei fidelis (Sense of the faith on the part of an individual member of the faithful)?
How are they the same and how are they different?
How are they the same and how are they different?
How do you implement a Synod and what different types of Synods exist?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 75-96, 104-106; Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Participants in the Conference Promoted By the Society For the Law of the Eastern Churches, Francis.
What are some key elements of a Synod?
What is the role of listening and discernment within a Synod?
Synodality in The Life and Mission of the Church, International Theological Commission, 110-114; Evangelization Begins with Listening, Wednesday, 11 December 2019, Cardinal Tagle; Ceremony Commemorating The 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, by Pope Francis; CV, 206-208