Synodality as a Style

Introduction

It is with great pleasure that I reflect with you on the “style” of synodality. This is an important topic, in some respects a crucial one, because authentic synodality - the one that Pope Francis has pointed to as the path the Lord expects from us in the third millennium [1] - cannot be reduced to the celebration of individual events, however important they may be. Pope Francis himself, who has made synodality one of the key words of his pontificate, has not asked us to hold more synods (whether at the local Church level or the universal one), but to become a more synodal Church, that is, more capable of Synod. A similar appeal was made by Pope Leo XIV, who recently expressed to the Bishops of Italy his hope that “synodality becomes a mindset, in the heart, in decision-making processes and in ways of acting.”[2]

Very appropriately, the International Theological Commission, in its document Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church (March 2, 2018), distinguished three levels, which are closely interconnected: the level of style, which is placed first; then the level of structures and processes; and finally, the level of synodal events. Regarding the style, the text reads as follows:

First and foremost, 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. This modus vivendi et operandi works through the community listening to the Word and celebrating the Eucharist, the brotherhood of communion and the co-responsibility and participation of the whole People of God in its life and mission, on all levels and distinguishing between various ministries and roles (no. 70).

1. Style as a Way of Living

To say that synodality is, above all, a matter of style means considering it as something that should characterize the ordinary life of the Church, not just the extraordinary nature of specific events. Certainly, a style naturally tends to be expressed through structures, processes, and indeed events—without which one could legitimately doubt the authenticity of that style. But style is something broader and more transversal, more comprehensive and, so to speak, all-encompassing: we could say that style is, simply and radically, a way of living.

To speak of a synodal style, therefore, means becoming aware that the ecclesial renewal so often spoken of touches the very depths of the Church's lived experience and is not limited to mere cosmetic interventions. The adoption of a style is, ultimately, a way to express the need for a profound reform of our way of “being” Church and of “living” the Church in the face of a true change of epoch—for Christianity and for the entire world.[3]

The Synod of Bishops specifies that “Synodality is not an end in itself. Rather, it serves the mission that Christ entrusted to the Church in the Spirit. To evangelise is 'the essential mission of the Church [...]'' (EN 14). […] By appreciating all charisms and ministries, synodality enables the People of God to proclaim and witness to the Gospel to women and men of every place and time, making itself a 'visible sacrament' (LG 9) of the fellowship and unity in Christ willed by God. Synodality and mission are intimately linked: mission illuminates synodality and synodality spurs to mission.” (Final Document [FD] 32)

What is meant by the term “synodality” therefore implies not only the necessary reforms of structures—such as the Roman or diocesan curia—or of procedures, such as the functioning of bodies responsible for economic matters, but points to a reform of the very identity of the ecclesial institution itself. “Synodality” is a suggestive and demanding term, which means sharing the same road, the same journey. It is not simply about being busy or multiplying meetings; it is about breaking free from apathy and indifference, from the logic of “we've always done it this way”. “Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God's Kingdom, in union with all humanity. Orientated towards mission, synodality involves gathering at all levels of the Church for mutual listening, dialogue, and community discernment. It also involves reaching consensus as an expression of Christ rendering Himself present, He who is alive in the Spirit. Furthermore, it consists in reaching decisions according to differentiated co-responsibilities.” (FD 28)

The Gospel must be proclaimed within the culture of a given place! Therefore, the appreciation of contexts, cultures, and diversities—and of the relationships among them—is a key to growing as a synodal missionary Church and to walking, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, toward the visible unity of Christians. “The plurality of religions and cultures, the diversity of spiritual and theological traditions, the variety of the gifts of the Spirit and of the tasks of the community, as well as the diversity of age, sex and social affiliation within the Church, are an invitation to each person to recognise their particular situatedness, resist the temptation of being at the centre, and open oneself to the acceptance of other perspectives. Everyone can make a particular and indispensable contribution to completing our common task. The synodal Church can be described using the image of the orchestra: the variety of instruments is necessary to give life to the beauty and harmony of music, within which the voice of each one retains its own distinctive features at the service of the common mission. Thus, is manifested the harmony that the Spirit brings about in the Church, the One who is harmony in person (cf. St. Basil, On Psalm 29:1; On the Holy Spirit, XVI: 38).” (FD 42)

In recent times, the renowned Franco-German theologian Christoph Theobald has offered a thoughtful reflection on Christianity as a style[4]. Modernity and postmodernity—he states—have brought about profound transformations not only within civil society but also within the Church, changes significant enough to affect the very identity of the Christian and the very form of Christianity itself.

In his view, contemporary humanity has become particularly sensitive to the hermeneutical relationship between content and style: it is no longer just the content that matters (that is, the message, doctrine, or magisterium), but also the style through which that content is conveyed and interpreted. But what is style? Theobald—drawing from the New Testament, contemporary theology, and the teachings of the Second Vatican Council—describes it as the “emblem of a way of inhabiting the world.”

It is not difficult to apply this definition to synodality. In fact, synodality can and must become the distinctively Christian way of inhabiting the contemporary world, shaping everything the Church thinks, says, and does. Naturally, the set of traits that define any style are never fixed; therefore, we cannot reduce the synodal style to a handbook of rules to follow or lists of procedures to memorize. Style, including the synodal one, is a way of being that always combines with originality. Nevertheless, an authentically synodal style cannot lack certain distinctive elements, which I would now like to briefly review.

2. The Common Dignity of the Baptized

The first aspect of a synodal style is the recognition of the common dignity of every Christian, that is, the awareness of the equality shared by all the baptized, despite the diversity of roles and functions. This is an ontological equality, because it is sacramental: it is rooted in the baptismal priesthood of the faithful, which grants every believer an objective and irrevocable participation in the tria munera Christi (teaching, sanctifying, and governing), as affirmed in Lumen Gentium, particularly in chapter 2 (see especially no. 10), but also in chapter 4 on the laity (notably no. 32), and again in chapter 5 on the universal call to holiness (especially no. 40).

The real issue—what can truly help redefine a model of Church that many consider inadequate and initiate an authentic synodal style—lies in the ability of Christians to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, equally marked by the baptismal-chrismal seal, which makes all Christians protagonists of the Church's mission. Christian initiation confers authority, agency, rights, and responsibilities to be exercised for the good and growth of the community. Pope Francis already affirmed this in Evangelii Gaudium, the programmatic manifesto of his pontificate.

Unfortunately, our communities are often far from this awareness, due to a clerical mindset that, since the second half of the first millennium, has placed “ordinary” baptized persons in a subordinate role to ordained ministers. Such a deeply rooted mentality—shared by both clergy and laity—cannot be quickly or abruptly changed. After all, that mindset also reflects a certain “style,” and a style, as a way of living, cannot be learned or unlearned easily.

The shift toward co-responsibility of the baptized requires commitment, discernment, patience, and the recognition of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to each person for the common good. This is not easy. We must rediscover the greatness of our baptism (and confirmation) and understand that no baptized person is useless in the Church, whether in small communities or major decision-making bodies.

By virtue of Baptism, all believers possess an instinct for the truth of the Gospel, called the sensus fidei. Through baptism, the faithful “come to share the divine nature” (DV 2), and from this flows the ability to intuit what aligns with the truth of Revelation in communion with the Church. This is why the Church is confident that the holy People of God cannot err in faith, when the whole body of the faithful shows universal agreement in matters of faith and morals (cf. LG 12). The sensus fidei is not the same as public opinion. It is always linked to the discernment of the pastors at various levels of Church life. Its goal is to reach the consensus Fidelium, that is “a sure criterion for determining whether a particular doctrine or practice belongs to the apostolic faith.”[5]

The holy People of God is the communal and historical subject of synodality and mission, still journeying through time. “Within the plurality of contexts where the local Churches are rooted, the People of God proclaim and bear witness to the Good News of salvation. Being in the world and for the world, they walk together with all the peoples of the earth, in dialogue with their religions and their cultures, recognising in them the seeds of the Word, journeying towards the Kingdom.” (FD 17). Indeed, “Synodal renewal fosters an appreciation of local contexts as the place where the universal call from God manifests and fulfils itself. […] In this way, different cultures are enabled to grasp the unity that underlies their plurality and become open to the prospect of an exchange of gifts. 'The unity of the Church is not uniformity, but an organic blending of legitimate diversities' (NMI 46).” (FD 39)

The Church is constitutively synodal, but equally constitutively hierarchical. In fact, “the communion of the faithful (communio Fidelium) is at the same time the communion of the Churches (communio Ecclesiarum), which is manifested in the communion of Bishops (communio Episcoporum) by reason of the very ancient principle that 'the Church is in the Bishop and the Bishop is in the Church' (St. Cyprian, Epistle 66, 8). The Lord placed the Apostle Peter (cf. Mt 16:18) and his successors at the service of this manifold communion. By virtue of the Petrine ministry, the Bishop of Rome is 'the perpetual and visible principle and foundation' (LG 23) of the Church's unity.” (FD 18)

3. Genuine Participation of All the Baptized in Church Life

The second aspect of a synodal style, directly following from what has just been said, is the ability to promote a new way of managing ordinary procedures of participation in Church life—one that does not exclude decision-making processes.

We must carefully avoid using the term “synodal” in a way that remains purely “romantic”, preserving a paternalistic and clerical model without real practical or legal consequences. The synodal style is not just an ideal or a set of aspirations that risk becoming rhetorical; it involves adopting dialogical attitudes and initiating concrete processes of collaboration. When Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, spoke of a “conversion of the papacy” (no. 32), echoing the desire expressed by St. John Paul II in Ut unum sint 95, he was making a serious point. In the logic of synodality, this should lead to a conversion in how we understand and live out the episcopate, the priesthood, and the lay vocation.

This means revitalizing or creating new forms of shared ecclesial responsibility, to be discovered and tested. A useful benchmark for assessing whether the synodal style is more than a vague idea and truly shapes the life of Christian communities could be the expression actuosa participatio, used by Vatican II in reference to liturgical action, but applicable to the entire life of faith: actuosa participatio.[6]

We recall how the Council, sixty years ago, urgently called for the restoration of liturgical celebration to the whole community of the baptized, after centuries of clericalism had created a deep divide between those who celebrated and those who merely “attended” rites. Today, we realize that this principle must extend to all areas of Church life. We must ask: “If all are included in the 'we' of liturgical prayer, are they not also enabled to say 'we' in the life of the Church?”[7]

In other words, active participation (actuosa participatio) in the liturgy should naturally extend to all areas of the Church's mission. Those who “actively participate” in celebrations (munus sanctificandi) should also be able “to participate” equally in proclamation and catechesis (munus docendi) and in decision-making processes (munus regendi).

Of course, just as the liturgical assembly is not a chaotic gathering where everyone does everything, but an ordered convocation where some are entrusted by God with specific roles of leadership, so too the involvement of the faithful in planning and decision-making must respect the specific ministry of leadership held by the bishop and, subordinately, by priests. The necessary distinction of roles must not become discrimination or exclusion. All are protagonists, but not in the same way. Participation must be promoted based on differentiated co-responsibility, respecting and valuing each member's gifts for shared decision-making.

This requires greater involvement of all the baptized in the decision-making process, demanding from pastors a deep listening to what the Holy Spirit inspires even in the least of the faithful. In certain circumstances and under certain conditions, lay faithful may also be involved in the final decision-taking, alongside their pastors. This is not about dividing competencies, but—as the International Theological Commission states in its document on synodality—about fostering a fruitful “circularity of the sensus fidei with which all the faithful are endowed, the discernment carried out at the various levels on which synodality works and the authority of those who exercise the pastoral ministry of unity and governance” (no. 72). “the authority of the Bishop […] in regard to decision-taking is inviolable as it is grounded in the hierarchical structure of the Church established by Christ; it both serves unity and legitimate diversity (cf. LG 13). Such an exercise of authority, however, is not without limits: it may not ignore a direction which emerges through proper discernment within a consultative process […]. It is not appropriate to set the consultative and deliberative elements involved in reaching a decision in opposition to each other: in the Church, the deliberative element is undertaken with the help of all and never without those whose pastoral governance allows them to take a decision by virtue of their office.” (cf. FD 92)

Our task today is to begin, to initiate dynamics, to patiently endure their imperfections, and to seek their correction with even greater patience. Investing in formation is the only way to prepare for a more “synodal” future. Formation requires creativity, resources—including financial ones—foresight, and the patience of small steps, with an awareness of the long journey ahead.

4. The Maturing of a Synodal Spirituality

The third aspect of an authentic synodal style—mentioned last not because it is least important, but because it is the culminating and summarizing element—is the maturing of a synodal spirituality. Structures cannot be changed unless the minds and hearts of those who inhabit and animate them are changed first. Synodality, as a style, requires inner conversion. The “walking together” that this style demands is, above all, a spiritual journey, made of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. A synodal spirituality flows from the action of the Holy Spirit and requires listening to the Word of God, contemplation, silence, and conversion of heart. As Pope Francis said at the opening of the Second Session of the Synod of Bishops: “the Holy Spirit is a trusty guide, and our first task is to learn to distinguish his voice, because He speaks in everyone and in all things.”[8]

We could say that the synodal style is a behavioral disposition born of asceticism, and for that reason, it tends to become permanent—leading us to live and act together with others in the spirit of the Gospel, of baptismal fraternity, Eucharistic communion, generous charitable collaboration, and serious, wise, and steadfast co-responsibility. While there is no infallible formula for synodality—since each local Church must find its own path—what is needed everywhere is a “spiritual sense” of the Church, which inspires, sustains, and enlivens Christian life.

A synodal style, as Pope Francis often reminds us, places at its center the art of communal discernment, through which we “ask ourselves together” what the Lord is asking of us to be the Church He desires, here and now. Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit and makes every synodal process—whether ordinary or solemn—a spiritual journey, where we “expose ourselves together” to the action of grace, which transforms the many into one body and leads to a consensus of hearts, far deeper than the compromises typical of social or political processes.

Ecclesial discernment is not an organizational technique, but a spiritual practice lived in faith. “This is discernment that can be qualified as 'ecclesial,'' since it is the People of God that undertake it in view of mission. The Spirit […] guides believers in every age 'into all the truth' (Jn 16:13). Through the Spirit's presence and enduring action, the 'tradition which comes from the apostles progresses in the Church' (DV 8). Calling on the Spirit's light, the People of God 'works to di'scern the true signs of Gods presence and purpose in the events, needs and desires which it shares with the rest of modern humanity' (GS 11). This discernment draws on all the gifts of wisdom that the Lord bestows upon the Church and on the sensus fidei bestowed upon all the Baptised by the Spirit. In this Spirit, the life of a missionary and synodal Church must be re-envisioned and reorientated.” (FD 81)

Therefore, for ecclesial discernment to be authentic, it must include docility to the Spirit, sincere search for God's will, listening to His Word, and the effort to interpret the signs of the times in light of the Gospel. It also requires fraternal dialogue, obedience to pastors, mutual respect, and openness to forgiveness. Central to all of this is listening to one another.

Because the synodal style is a “matter of the Spirit”, its goal is not to reach majorities—as if we were in a parliament or corporate boardroom—but to reach communion. This is why the Church's long “synodal” history—from the “Council of Jerusalem” in Acts 15, through the second-century African synods, to Vatican II—has always sought as much unanimity as possible, a consensus born of common prayer, listening, mutual dialogue, charity, and support: the consensus Fidelium, which as we have already stated above is «a sure criterion for determining whether a particular doctrine or practice belongs to the apostolic faith.»[9]

As we continue the journey of receiving and implementing the fruits of the Synod, the hope is that this synodal process will foster the maturing of a new ecclesial consciousness, in which—according to the model handed down by Tradition—the People of God is recognized as subject, not object, and the same applies to each of its members. Let us remember that synodality “is the specific modus vivendi et operandi of the Church, the People of God, which reveals and gives substance to her being as communion when all her members journey together, gather in assembly and take an active part in her evangelising mission.”

Endnotes

1. cfr. FRANCIS, Address during the Ceremony Commemorating the 50th Anniversary... ↩
2. LEO XIV, Address to the Italian Episcopal Conference (17 June 2025). ↩
3. Cfr. FRANCIS, Meeting with the Participants in the Fifth Convention of the Italian Church (Florence, 10 November 2015). ↩
4. Cf. Chr. THEOBALD, Il cristianesimo come stile. Un modo di fare teologia nella post-modernità, 2 voll., EDB, Bologna 2009; more briefly ID., «Il cristianesimo come stile», in Il Regno - Attualità (2007/14), 491-501. ↩
5. INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION, Sensus fidei in the life of the Church (2014), no. 3. ↩
6. See at least Sacrosanctum Concilium (4 December 1963), 11; 14 ↩
7. H. LEGRAND, «La sinodalità, dimensione inerente alla vita ecclesiale. Fondamenti e attualità», in Vivens homo 16 (2005) 7-42, 16. ↩
8. FRANCIS, Opening Address at the First General Congregation on the Second Session of XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (2 October 2024); see also FD 43. ↩
9. INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION, Sensus fidei…, cit., no. 3; see also FD 22. ↩