SYNOD ON SYNODALITY
‘Synod’ is an ancient and venerable word in the tradition of the Church,
whose meaning draws on the deepest themes of Revelation. It
indicates the path along which the People of God walk together.
Equally, it refers to the Lord Jesus, who presents himself as ‘the way,
the truth and the life’ (Jn 14:6), and to the fact that Christians, his
followers, were originally called ‘followers of the Way’. (cf. Acts 9,2;
19,9.23; 22,4; 24,14.22).
- The Common Dignity of all the Baptized
- The Common Dignity of all the Baptized
The whole People of God shares a common dignity and vocation through baptism. All of us are called in virtue of our baptism to be active participants in the life of the Church. In parishes, small Christian communities, lay movements, religious communities, and other forms of communion, women and men, young people, and the elderly, we are all invited to listen to one another in order to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who comes to guide our human efforts, breathing life and vitality into the Church and leading us into deeper communion for our mission in the world. As the Church embarks on this synodal journey, we strive to ground ourselves in experiences of authentic listening and discernment on the path of becoming the Church that God calls us to be.
Three Key Themes
Communion
The communion we share finds its deepest roots in
the love and unity of the Trinity. Together we are
inspired by listening to the Word of God, through the
living Tradition of the Church and grounded in the
sensus fidei that we share. We all have a role to
play in discerning and living out God’s call for his
people.
Mission
Our mission is to witness to the love of God in the
midst of the whole human family. is synodal
process has a deeply missionary dimension to it. It
is intended to enable the Church to better witness
to the Gospel, especially with those who live on
the spiritual, social, economic, political,
geographical, and existential peripheries of our world.
Participation
Participation is based on the fact that all the
faithful are qualified and called to serve one another
through the gifts they have each received from the
Holy Spirit in baptism. In a synodal Church the
whole community is called together to pray, listen,
analsye, dialogue, discern and offer advice or
making pastoral decisions which correspond as
closely as possible to God’s will.