“Osservatore Romano” recently published a special article about the Synod of Bishops, introducing everything from Pope Paul VI’s original idea of establishing the Synod about 60 years ago to Francis’ new idea.
(Vatican News Network) The Synod of Bishops was established by Pope Paul VI in 1965 through the promulgation of the “Apostolic Letter”, defining it as “the permanent consultative body of bishops of the universal Church.” From its inception, the pope was aware that the Synod would change over time. “Like every human institution, it can be gradually perfected over time,” he wrote in his letter.
The development of synodality is closely related to the progressive understanding of ecumenism, especially the idea of ecclesiology, in which the relationship between the People of God, the Episcopal Conference and the Bishop of Rome is rooted. In 2015, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis reflected on the constituent aspects of the church’s collegiality. He expressed this: “A collegial Church is a Church that listens,… In listening, everyone has something to learn. The People of God, the Episcopal Conference, the Bishop of Rome listen to one another; the whole Church listens to the Holy Spirit.”
The 2018 Apostolic Constitution on “Episcopal Communion” follows the path of the gradual improvement of synods: that is, starting from a definite event, in which bishops convene and discuss the issue, it turns into a process divided into different stages , the whole Church and everyone is invited to participate. It is on this new basis that the process of the Synod of Bishops 2021-2024 was born, with the theme: Communion, Participation and Mission for a Fellow Church. This shows that its structure is much more comprehensive than that of previous synods.
First, a long stage of consultation and listening to the People of God in all the Churches of the world is laid down: beginning at the local level (parishes, dioceses), then at the national episcopal conferences, and finally at the continental level, the Councils. In this process, listening becomes an opportunity for encounter and dialogue within and between each local Church, as well as at the ecumenical level, also thanks to the Preparatory Document and the Continental Phase Document drafted by the Secretariat of the Church Synod ”, which is the result, in particular, of listening to the opinions of the People of God.
The Synod of Bishops pays special attention to the dynamic process of the Church on the continental level. Inspired by the spirit of the Ecumenical Council, Article 22 of the Decree on the Missionary Work of the Church states: “Therefore, one thing that is worthy of hope and is extremely timely is that the bishops of various countries The group unites with each other and works together in the vast social and cultural area to implement this adaptation plan.”
The stage of discernment is a work mainly under the responsibility of the bishops, which also emphasizes the nature of the stage process. This is because the 16th Ordinary Session of the Synod of Bishops was divided into two sessions, with a period of in-depth discussions in between, once again to the Son of God. Citizens are consulted. Given that three-quarters of its members were bishops, the synod maintained its essential episcopal character. In addition to the bishops, the participants included priests and deacons, religious men and women, and lay men and women, chosen from among those active in the different stages of the synodal process. Their task is to bring rich testimonies and memories to the proceedings of the conference.
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2023-09-28 14:48:53
