A Principled Reflection on the Place of Priest in the Synodal Journey of the Church

Autor u članku polazi od tvrdnje da se za dobivanje uvida o mjestu i ulozi svećenika u sinodalnom hodu Crkve treba najprije poći od sinodalnog načela. Zato se u prvom dijelu članka najprije daju neki naglasci i obrisi teologije sinodalnosti kako bi se ukazalo na stil i način življenja u Crkvi po načelu sinodalnosti. Budući da oživljavanje načela sinodalnosti zahtijeva, prema riječima pape Franje, preobrazbu crkvenog mentaliteta, u drugom dijelu se analizira klerikalizam kao unutarcrkveni problem (ad intra), ukazujući na poteškoće i opasnosti koje sa sobom donosi, osobito u onemogućavanju sinodalnih procesa u Crkvi i obezvređivanju dostojanstva svih krštenih, a onda i samog svećeničkog identiteta i poslanja služenja. Po klerikalističkom mentalitetu svećenik razvija odvojenost i udaljenost od naroda kojemu je poslan te dolazi do opasnosti da vlastiti identitet uzdiže kao superioran nad drugima, što dalje dovodi do opasnosti da se zaniječe dostojanstvo vlastite službe i poslanja. Kritički pogled na klerikalizam kao opasnost i kočnicu sinodalnosti nadopunjava se u trećem dijelu rada pozitivnom perspektivom mjesta svećenika u sinodalnom i evangelizacijskom putu naroda kojemu je poslan.The author begins the article with the claim that in order to gain insight into the place and role of priest in the synodal journey of the Church one needs to start with the synodal principle. Hence, in the first part of the article, he presents some emphases and sketches of theology of synodality in order to point out the style and way of life in the Church according to the principle of synodality. Since bringing back the principle of synodality demands, according to the words of Pope Francis, a transformation of the ecclesiastical mentality, the second part of the article analyses clericalism as an innerecclesiastical problem (ad intra) and points out difficulties and dangers that it holds, especially in terms of hindering the synodal process in the Church and devaluation of the dignity of all baptised, as well as the priestly identity and mission to serve. According to the clericalist mentality, the priest ought to develop separateness and distance from the people to whom he was sent. This puts him in danger to exalt his own identity as superior than identity of others, which carries another danger of denying the dignity of his own office and mission. A critical view of clericalism as a danger and hindrance to synodality, is complemented in the third part of the article with a positive perspective on the place of the priest in synodal and evangelisation journey of the people to whom he is sent