Rafael Luciani and Serena Noceti wrote a relevant article on the topic of Synodality in the Catholic Church from the II Vatican Council until today.
The article starts with a framing of the concept of Synodality, and how it is a “Constitutive Dimension” of the Church. In this introduction, the authors highlight the potential that Synodality has, beyond what has been the tradition and the current perception of most Catholics. It starts with deep listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit and implies all the People of God.
In the second part, it is explained how during the Council, it became more relevant the importance of all the People of God, as Bishop De Smedt pointed out “what comes first is the People of God”, and “in the People of God we are all united with one another”.
It then talks about the need of deep transformation of the Church, so a shift can be made towards “ecclesiastical hierarchy is placed at the service of the People of God so that the mission of the Church is carried out in conformity with the divine design of salvation”.
The article deepens also on the concept of “The people of God as the totality of the faithful”, and continues with the elaboration and the making of decisions in the construction of consensus, and the invitation of Pope Francis to transform it.
The authors finish with the explanation of the Synodal processes that the Latin American Bishops Council (CELAM) are developing in the recent years, that can inspire and lit the current processes for Synodality of the entire Church.
You can download the article in English, Spanish and Italian by clicking in each language.