THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS - THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYNODALITY IN THE CHURCH

As indicated in the title The Synod of Bishops – the Development of Synodality in the Church, this study examines the institution of the Synod of Bishops, erected on 15 September 1965 by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, within the context of the synodal dimension of the Church. The term synodality has its origin in the greek word syn which means together and hodos to walk. Hence synodality signifies “walking together” and indicates participating together responsibly, in order to deal with important questions in view of taking decisions for the good of the entire community. In applying this to the Church, synodality presupposes the reality of ecclesial communion (communio). This is fundamentally a gift of God that also implicates visible communion in the hierarchical order. For this reason, synodality in a wider sense regards all the members of the Catholic Church that participate in the common priesthood of the faithful. It essentially differs from the ministerial priesthood, which is the foundation of synodality in the strict sense and refers to the clergy and its participation in the governing of the Church. Synodality in particular regards the members of the College of Bishops with the Bishop of Rome at its head in the so-called hierarchical communion. The synodal dimension therefore is innate to the Church and has important Christological and Pneumatological connotations, resulting amongst others from Sacred Scripture. The 21 ecumenical councils held thus far, represent a privileged expression of ecclesial synodality. The Decree on the pastoral office of bishops in the Church Christus Dominus hopes for a new dynamism in synods, provincial and universal councils (N.36). Bishops’ Conferences are also mentioned (N. 37). In other documents of the Second Vatican Council there are indicated other institutions with a synodal character: Episcopal or parochial pastoral councils, councils of priests, councils of consulters, Episcopal and parochial economic councils, etc. These possibilities for participation in the decision making process that regard the common good of the Church, require an examination of conscience on the way in which they are considered and enacted. The convocation of diocesan synods for instance, exemplify a more diverse sensitivity during various periods in the history of the Church. The Synod of Bishops represents a completely par ticular expression of the synodality of the Church, which is regulated by the norms of general law, The Code of Canon Law and The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, as well as of particular law: the Apostolic Letter Apostolica sollecitudo of 15 September 1965 and the Ordo Synodi, whose final version was approved in 1971. In the 40 year history of the Synod of Bishops there have been 21 Assemblies of which 11 Ordinar y General Assemblies, 2 Extraordinar y General Assemblies, and 8 Special Assemblies. After a presentation of the nature of the particular assemblies, the methodology of the synodal working process is specified, which is dynamic and open to fur ther improvements. Ecclesiastical communion is experienced in a special way in the Synod of Bishops in its collegial dimension between the bishops themselves and between them and their head, the Roman Pontiff. The effective collegiality corresponds all the more to the affective collegiality, since the Synod of Bishops while usually remaining consultative in nature, allows the determining of a consensus on themes of vital importance for the life and the mission of the Church in the contemporary world which the Bishop of Rome, assisted by a group of bishops, who are members of Ordinary or Special Councils, acknowledges and promulgates for the good of all the People of God. The Synod of Bishops is an institution tailored towards the further development of episcopal collegiality and the exercise of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, which in an environment of prayer, dialogue, open and responsible discussion, strengthens and enriches them for the good of the universal Church