Bishops process into St. Peter’s Basilica for the closing Mass of the first assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 29, 2023. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Oct 1, 2024 / 13:05 pm (CNA).
As the Church kicks off the second session of the Synod on Synodality this week, it’s helpful to understand some key terms and concepts. This glossary aims to clarify important vocabulary related to the synod.
What is a synod?
A synod is traditionally a meeting of bishops gathered to discuss a theological or pastorally significant topic. The word “synod” comes from a Greek term meaning “to meet” or “to walk together” (“syn” = together; “hodos” = way or journey). From the first centuries, the term came to denote ecclesial assemblies of varying size and importance.
The Synod of Bishops was created in 1965 by Pope Paul VI toward the end of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) to foster a close union and collaboration between the pope and the bishops of the whole world and provide information and reflection on questions and situations touching upon the internal life of the Church and its necessary activity in the world of today.
Types of synods
Pope Paul VI established three types of synods:
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Ordinary — for matters concerning the good of the universal Church
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Extraordinary — for matters of pressing concern to the Church
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Special — focused chiefly on the concerns of a region or continent
Over the years, there have been 15 ordinary sessions, from 1967 to 2018; three extraordinary sessions, in 1969, 1985, and 2014; and 11 special synods, most recently in 2019, looking at the Pan-Amazonian region.
The synod functioned under Paul VI’s 1965 establishing decree, with some minor modifications under Pope John Paul II, until the current pontificate. The current two-part Synod on Synodality is considered the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Key terms
accountability The practice of taking responsibility for one’s actions and decisions, and being able to explain them.
co-responsibility The shared responsibility of all baptized members in the Church’s mission. A central theme in the synodal discussions was clarified in the 2024 synod document to distinguish between roles flowing from holy orders and those arising from baptism.
consensus In the context of the synod, consensus doesn’t mean uniformity or democratic majority but refers to the process of listening to one another in an environment of prayer and inner freedom.
consultation A process of listening, especially as it relates to hearing from the faithful and listening to their perspectives on matters of the Christian life, before undertaking a decision. According to the Synod on Synodality organizers, “This current synod seeks to broaden the experience of ‘consultation’ to move toward a more synodal Church that more fully listens to and engages the entire people of God.”
discernment The process of distinguishing or deciding between options, guided by the Holy Spirit. The synod organizers have stressed: “We listen to each other in order to discern what God is saying to all of us.”
ecumenical dialogue The relationship between the Catholic Church and other Christian churches in pursuit of full, visible unity.
facilitator A new role introduced in the Synod on Synodality. Facilitators are experienced individuals tasked with aiding the work in various moments of the assembly.
fraternal delegates Representatives from other Christian churches and ecclesial communities invited to participate in the synod as observers.
general congregation The assembly where all delegates, including the pope, participate in discussions.
Instrumentum Laboris Latin for “working document.” It serves as the basis for discussions during the synod. For the 2024 session, the second Instrumentum Laboris was published on July 9, 2024, and is 32 pages long. It clarified the Holy Father’s expressed desire for the deliberations of the synod to be more focused on concrete proposals for synodality rather than controversial topics.
living tradition The set of revealed truths — apostolic tradition — regarding faith and morals that are not contained in sacred Scripture but are transmitted faithfully and continuously from one generation to the next under the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church.
missio ad gentes The mission of the Catholic Church to bring the Gospel to those who do not know Christ or have abandoned the faith.
parrhesia A Greek term denoting courage or boldness, specifically the fearlessness that comes from the Holy Spirit. It was embodied in the hearts of the apostles at Pentecost and the courage it took among the early Christians to go out and proclaim the Gospel across the ancient world.
penitential rite A newly introduced element in the 2024 synod, where participants engage in a collective act of repentance and seeking forgiveness. This practice underscores the Church’s commitment to transparency and accountability and includes several notable innovations including the idea of “sins against synodality.”
people of God A key ecclesiological concept highlighted in the synod, emphasizing the community of all baptized faithful. The term came into particular use after Chapter 2 of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) of the Second Vatican Council and claims roots in both scriptural and patristic images of the Church.
role of the Holy Spirit Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized that the Holy Spirit is the true “protagonist” of the synod. This term has become one of the most frequently used during public interventions by participants.
sensus fidei Also called the “sensus fidelium” (“sense of the faithful”), the supernatural instinct of the faithful to recognize and endorse authentic Christian doctrine and practice. It is described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 92) as “the supernatural appreciation of faith on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals.”
structural changes Proposed alterations to decision-making processes within the Church aimed at widening participation of the laity while respecting episcopal authority.
study groups Ten groups were established to delve deeper into specific themes emerging from the synod’s first session. The most controversial topics raised at the first session — including authority, the possibility of women deacons, and the Church’s outreach to the LGBTQ community — were committed to the study groups to allow the synod participants to focus on ways for the Church to be truly synodal.
synodality A term emphasized in Pope Francis’ pontificate, generally understood to represent a process of discernment, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, involving bishops, priests, religious, and lay Catholics, each according to the gifts and charisms of their vocation.
synthesis report The document summarizing the discussions at the end of a synod phase. The document will be presented to Pope Francis and traditionally serves as the foundation for his own document, a postsynodal apostolic exhortation.
transparency The quality of being clear, open, and accountable in processes and decision-making.
women’s participation A notable feature of the 2023 and 2024 synod sessions is the participation of women with voting rights. In 2024, 54 women will again have the right to vote in the synod.
youth In Vatican terms, a “youth” is defined as a person between the ages of 16 and 35. This age range extends beyond what is typically considered a “youth” in many countries, particularly the United States.
Given the Synod on Synodality is an ongoing process, interpretations or applications of these terms may evolve as the Church continues its synodal journey.
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As established by Christ, let’s do away with His call to action for evangelization.
Why, if the Church does not represent truth by way of the Deposit of Faith, then let’s form ‘moral’ people without an objective reference.
And continue to let China be ‘China’…body counts notwithstanding.
What has Francis wrought? A Christ-less Church. Maybe we ought to just concede and now call ourselves “unitarian-universalist” or “The Society of Ethical Culture.”
Good one. Following the trajectory of Fancis’ logic, both “evil” proselytizing (evangelization that accompliches its purpose) and evangelizing can be done away with since all future synods will enable all three Persons of the Trinity to permanenty settle into their well-earned retirement since the synods will now run the universe.
It will not be long before we have a CCP appointed prelate elevated to Pope. Francis is doing his best to bring it about.
Go forth and make disciples of all nations. Does he believe this?
That would be rigid or something.
The bishop is correct. Our mission is to bear witness to the Gospel while trusting that the Lord will help with the rest.
Which Gospel? The Lord’s or the CCP’s.
Does he even know what the actual Gospel is because if memory serves me right Jesus was quite clear that we must make disciples of all nations and that includes communist countries, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This bishop/deludes himself
Considering he’s a cardinal-elect who was approved by atheists and the CCP – and that he has their blessing to do their bidding at the upcoming Synod Synoodle thing – I suppose he could have done worse. But, yes, that’s praising with faint damnation. He’s no Cardinal Joseph Zen by the remotest stretch of the imagination.
Will no one free us from these vexatious Bishops?
Francis’ reign of error continues unabated.
“without the agenda of turning them into Catholics”
Maybe we should have the agenda of turning this guy into a Catholic.
What? I had to read some of this twice. There is a huge difference between hammering people with dogma, striking fear in their hearts if they reject a “force feed” and sharing with joy the Truth in Love. Rightful evangelization declares the gift of Faith, the conveyance of Hope (eternal life with God, and the assurance of unconditional Love that embodies perfect justice and Divine Mercy. Catholicism is a fusion of all three and necessarily points to Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. Why would we hide our (the) lamp, or worse, deny there is one? Come Holy Spirit!
“Go forth and make acquaintances of all nations.”
An idiot with a red zucchetto is still an idiot.
You hit that right on the head.
But let’s not forget who put the red zuchetto on this idiot.
As a retired Pastor, our efforts to reach people groups for Jesus as the only true on God and Creator Savior of the Universe should be to preach Jesus and not some denominational citation. Jesus is not interested in greeting Methodists, Anglicans but born again Christians of all races, colors and faith in Him. Churches since the Reformation should have learned that.
Jesus did not establish denominations. He established one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Read the history of Christianity beginning with the earliest accounts, the Church Fathers. The church founded by the apostles was not Protestant.
What happened in the 16th century was not a reformation but a revolution and a deformation. Had Luther not been terribly proud he would have been a force for good. But instead, hubris got in the way.
John Henry Newman was so right: to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.
And while you may eschew denominations, it all amounts to yourselves being the authority. Not the Bible. No, you are the authority as far as you are concerned. One could say that you are your own Pope.
And as we have free will, you are free to do that.
Do study the history of Christianity beyond the nailing of the 95 thesis all the way back to the 1st century.
Words like “Reformation”, “counter reformation” etc are vestature adopted by a desire to justify differences and the backlash from the establishment. Jesus was radical. He offered freedom to worship His Father without the mill-stone of heritage.
It could be said that the human condition, itself, is in a dynamic state of evolution. Within generations we see changes in attitudes and values. Jesus’ apostles had to iron out individual differences in opinions and interpretations to lay the foundations of the Church. When Thomas refused to believe, he was not chastised by Jesus, but, was offered a reason to believe. Today (unfortunately) there is no one Catholic and Apostolic Church. I could go further than that and say,”Thank God”.
Therefore, I believe that it is not hubris that divides us. But, a genuine desire to understand and worship God. We need to worship Him through a community – with a deep-seated personal devotion.
Christ established a church. And that aint the ever increasing number of denominstions and it aint your version either.
Read scripture and study history.
When people talk about Jesus they need to remember that He came to institute a New and Everlasting Covenant upon which the Catholic Church is founded. In the early years of the Church there was a need to establish the relationship between the Old and New Covenants, which started at the Council of Jerusalem. The coming of Jesus and His New and Everlasting Covenant were predicted in the Old Testament. The New Testament contains warnings to hold fast to the faith.
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To me the Protestant Revolt/Reformation resembles the division of King Solomon’s kingdom because of his faithlessness in caving into his foreign wives. Martin Luther’s role was like that of Jeroboam, who was allowed to divide the kingdom to punish King Solomon for his worldly faithlessness. At the time of the Protestant Revolt/Reformation the Church hierarchy had fallen into worldly faithlessness similar to that of King Solomon when his heart was turned from God by his foreign wives.
Catholic bishops are obliged to teach the Catholic faith and make disciples of all nations. Reading between the lines, it should be obvious what a “code” message or “showing of true colors” is happening here.
“Reading between the lines”, I see a lot of blank space. Each of us exercises basic freedom to read “codes’ and “colours” where others may see nothing. God bless those with eyes to see!
But, when preceded by the desire to see all things as God sees them, we may unearth the valuable gem.
One can understand the distinction of proselytism; yet evangelization is about the love of God, good will, but its spiritual force is the preaching of the Good News for the salvation of souls, and ultimately the love of God as expressed in the Catholic Faith, as Christ founded. This is freedom. Not “restrictive.”