Synodality and the conciliar tradition of the Church

Autor(en)

Thomas Prügl

Abstrakt

POPE FRANCIS has elevated the concept of “synodality” to the status of a new ecclesiological guiding concept, comparable to a nota ecclesiae,

which captures the essence of the Church as comprehensively as do the

traditional characteristics of the Church, namely, unity, holiness,

catholicity, and apostolicity. Vatican documents since then have sought

to concretize and differentiate the concept of synodality, beginning

with interpreting it etymologically as syn-hodos, a path to be

walked together. This emphasizes, on the one hand, the way-character of

the Christian faith and its missionary commitment and, on the other

hand, the community aspect of the Church, which finds its expression in

ecclesial structures, the liturgy, and caritative life.¹ In

such explanations of synodality, reference is regularly made to the rich

synodal tradition of the Church. Earlier theories concerning councils,

however, are hardly taken [End Page 191] into account in the specification of the theological understanding of synodality.²

This

article aims to recall some aspects of the synodal tradition of the

Middle Ages and the early modern period in order to delineate some

continuity with the current discussions of synodality. Moreover, it also

recalls the emphases of a Latin synodal tradition against an

inflationary use of the new concept of synodality, one which runs the

risk of distracting from the importance of synods rather than clarifying

their task and nature.

Summarizing a long period of history, I

would like to insist on a connection between synod and reform. More than

any other operative concept in the history of the Church, “reform”

characterized the horizon and the expectations of synods in the second

millennium. “Reform,” however, tended to be as broad, unspecific, and at

times contradictory as “synodality” is today. Yet, as expressions of

and commitment to more missionary zeal and higher standards in personal

life and the life of the Church, “reform” and “synodality” share a

common concern. Synods in the Middle Ages and the early modern period

were not ends in themselves, but means of mobilization and conflict

management. By synods, the Church committed herself to regaining

momentum when stakes were high.

Already in ancient times, the regular holding of synods at the level of ecclesiastical provinces was obligatory.³

Convened by the metropolitan, the synod was to contribute to the

strengthening of ecclesiastical structures, to ensure unity and

uniformity among the Churches in a specific area and beyond. Synods were

occasions for appointing new bishops, settling disputes, and recalling

canonical regulations. These provincial synods are poorly documented in

their entirety, but they shaped [End Page 192] the life

and the constitution of the Church far more than did the great

ecumenical councils, which were admittedly of enormous importance for

defining doctrine and preserving the unity of the Church. Synods were

gatherings of bishops only (or their representatives), even though

congregations participated in the solemn liturgies celebrated at these

occasions. By synods the monarchical structure of a local Church headed

by a single bishop was tempered and integrated into the koinonia of the universal Church, represented by the gatherings of the bishops.⁴

Organisation(en)

Institut für Historische Theologie

Journal

The Thomist

Band

Seiten

191-210

Anzahl der Seiten

ISSN

0040-5325

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2023.0009

Publikationsdatum

04-2023

Peer-reviewed

ÖFOS 2012

603211 Kirchengeschichte

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Philosophy, Religious studies

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/82b2a79f-93e4-4e89-9789-6e1d8db02e6e