The New Religion of Synodality, by Eric Sammons

The long-awaited (and long-feared) “Synod on Synodality” begins today, and perhaps it’s best to ask a basic question, one that is both obvious and yet obscure:

What exactly is “synodality?”

If Church leaders think it important to spend so much time and (our) money addressing synodality, wouldn’t they also want Catholics to be clear about what they are talking about? Yet in all my discussions with fellow Catholics, both online and in real life, I’ve found that almost no one can give a straightforward definition of synodality.

To be fair, the official Vatican website on the synod does give a definition. It states,

Synodality denotes the particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the Church, expressing her nature as the People of God journeying together and gathering in assembly, summoned by the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel. Synodality ought to be expressed in the Church’s ordinary way of living and working.  …

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