

























THE RELEVANCE OF SYNOD IN THE 
CHURCH VIZ-A-VIZ SYNOD 

ON SYNODALITY

Augustine Johnpaul Dodo

Abstract
The path of Synodality is very crucial to the Church in our 
time because it constitutes the essential dimension of the 
Church. 
Although, this dimension is kergymatically aimed, our time 
demands the adoption of modern techniques to combat the 
widening gap in the church, especially between the laity 
and clergy, and the laxity towards evangelization. Hence, 
the current Synod on Synodality is targeted toward 
bridging the gap between the people and her minister. 
Having realized the effect of the laity in modern time 
evangelization, participation, communion, and mission, it 
appears to be a means through which the people can 
exercise the variety and ordered richness of their charisms, 
and their vocation, since the notion of Synodality refers to 
the connection and participation of the whole People of 
God in the life and mission of the Church. This mission 
ought not to be relegated to those in the clerical and 
religious state alone but should be a collaborative effort 
with the people. This work seeks to theologically analyze 
the new Synod on Synodality and its prospective fruits for 
the Church. 

Key Words: Synodality, Bishops, Church, Communion, 
Participation, Mission.



Introduction
Pope Paul VI constituted the Synod of Bishops in 1965, not as an 
instrument of governance, but as a tool of the widest possible 
consultation. Then it consisted of Bishops and other ofcials of the 
Western Church including Bishops and representatives of the Eastern 
Churches. Fifty years later, Pope Francis introduced the possibility of 
the Synod of bishops sharing in the ordinary papal magisterium, with 
the people. In sixty years that have passed since Vatican II Council, 
the responsiveness of the Church as communion has developed in 
broad sectors of the People of God and there have been encouraging 
experiences of synodality at diocesan, regional and universal levels. 
 Hence, this discourse centers on the new Synod on 
Synodality, and its central themes, namely communion, 
participation, and mission. 
 It begins by giving a brief denition of the concept of Synod 
before exposing the historical development of Synod. It reveals the 
fundamental role of Synod in the Church, as well as evaluates the 
current Synod on Synodality and its themes. This paper also seeks to 
scrutinize the three core dimension processes laid out in bringing 
about the fruitfulness of the Synod. The crust of the discourse which 
is the relevance of the Synod on Synodality is exposed, especially the 
benets of the Synod on Synodality in the life of the Church today. 

Denition of  Synod
The term "synod" stems from two Greek words: "syn," which means 
"together," and "hodos," which means "way," in other words, to 
"come together," to "walk together."It is composed of the preposition 
συν (with) and the noun όδός (path).The Greek σύνοδος is translated 
into Latin as synodus or concilium. Concilium, in its banal use, refers 
to an assemblage convoked by an appropriate authority. Although the 
roots of “synod” and “council” are different, their meanings unite. In 
fact, “council” enriches the semantic content of “synod” by its locus 
to the Hebrew קָהָל(qahal), the assembly convoked by the Lord, and 
its translation into Greek as έκκλησία, which, in the New Testament, 
refers to the eschatological convocation of the People of God in 
Christ Jesus.
 Historically, Synod is an ancient and venerable word in the 

152 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



Tradition of the Church; it is deeply rooted in the scriptures and early 
church. Since the rst centuries, the word “synod” has been applied, 
with specic reference to the ecclesial assemblies convoked at 
various levels (diocesan, provincial, regional, patriarchal or 
universal) to discern, by the light of the Word of God and listening to 
the Holy Spirit, the doctrinal, liturgical, canonical and pastoral 

1questions that arise as time goes by.

Historical Development of Synod
Pope Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops in 1965 when the 
Church had just concluded the Second Vatican Council. His 
motivation was the experience of the Council itself, Paul VI desired 
to: “permanently establish a Council of Bishops, to provide for a 

2
continuance after the Council.”  Hence, the aim of Synod is in 
keeping with the request of the Fathers of the Second Vatican 
Council, to maintain the collegial spirit fostered by the council.
 In synodal assemblies, the Pope and the bishops generally 
discuss questions relating to the universal Church, although they can 
also address issues of local Churches. Usually, the participants are 
representatives of the episcopate. The synod exercises its function 
primarily as a consultative body under the direct authority of the 
Pope. He convokes the synod; chooses the topic; designates its 
members; in general, presides over the assembly; and decides how to 
implement suggestions made by the bishops.
 Three main documents govern the synod. First, the Apostolic 
Letter Apostolica  Sollecitudo, published in 1965, by Pope Paul VI, 
established the Synod of Bishops. From the outset, he foresaw that 
the Synod, “like all human institutions, can be improved upon with 

3
time.”  This document contains the essential components in an 
outline form which were developed in successive documents. 
 Secondly, the document Ordo Synodi Episcoporum, 
published in 1966, contains all the norms regarding things as general 
as to how themes are chosen, how the Synod of Bishops is organized, 
who presides over the Synod sessions, how participants are elected, 
how information is gathered and communicated; and things as 
specic as what ecclesiastical garb the Bishops are to wear in the 

153The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



assembly. 
 This document was subsequently revised in 1969 and 1971 
by Pope Paul VI, and in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. Thirdly, the new 
1983 Code of Canon Law, devoted a chapter to the Synod of Bishops, 
this appears for the rst time under Part II, of the Book II of The 
People of God, which centers on the Hierarchical Constitution of the 
Church.
 There are three types of Synod, namely, the Ordinary general 
assemblies, which attend to matters concerning the whole Church; 
the Extraordinary general assemblies, which address issues that need 
rapid resolution; and the Special assemblies, which focus on 
problems relating directly to specic Churches or regions. The Holy 
Father is the president of the synod. There is also a secretary-general, 
assisted by an ordinary Council of the General Secretariat, composed 
of bishops. There have been 19 synods: nine ordinary, two 
extraordinary, and eight special. 

The Role of the Synod of Bishops
The synod of bishops is a group of bishops who have been chosen 
from different regions of the world to meet together at xed times to 
foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist 
the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in the preservation and growth 
of faith and morals and the observance and strengthening of 
ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions about the activity 

4of the Church in the world.
 Furthermore, Pope Francis expresses that the Synod of 
Bishops is a body that “manifests the solicitude of the College of 
Bishops for the needs of the People of God and communion among 

5
the Churches”.  The Synod is a means of gathering information on a 
particular theme from the local Churches. It provides counsel to the 
Roman Pontiff in the Synodal Assembly. Pope Francis, repeating 
what his Predecessor, Paul VI said, stated that the Synod has a 
“consultative role, offering information and counsel to the Roman 
Pontiff on various ecclesial questions, under the guidance of the Holy 

6
Spirit”.  Furthermore, the role of the Synod of Bishops is primarily 
that of 'listening to the People of God'. The Synod, therefore, is the 
'suitable instrument to give voice to the entire People of God'.

154 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



Synod on Synodality
Although the term Synodality is not explicitly found as a term or as a 
concept in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, it is fair to say 
that Synodality is at the heart of the work of renewal the Council was 
encouraging. The ecclesiology of the People of God stresses the 
common dignity and mission of all the baptized, in exercising the 
variety and ordered richness of their charisms, their vocations, and 

7
their ministries.  Synodality is the specic modus vivendi et operandi 
(The way of life) of the Church, the People of God; it reveals and 
gives essence to her being as communion when all her members 
journey together, gather in assembly, and take an active part in her 
evangelizing mission.
 Synodality denotes the particular style that qualies 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. In this sense, synodality enables the entire People 
of God to walk forward together, listening to the Holy Spirit and the 
Word of God, in order to participate in the mission of the Church in 
the communion that Christ establishes between us. Ultimately, this 
path of walking together is the most effective way of manifesting and 
putting into practice the nature of the Church as the pilgrim and 

8
missionary People of God.

th Hence, on 10  October 2021, Pope Francis ofcially declared 
the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, a two-
year process called “a synod on Synodality,” ofcially known as 

9“Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church.”  In brief, the process 
involves an expansion of an established institution, called the “Synod 
of Bishops.” This implies that the Synod will consult with everyone 
from parishioners to monks, nuns, and Catholic universities before 

stcoming together for a discussion for the 1  Session XVI General 
Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of bishops from4-29 October 2023, 

ndand for the 2  Session XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod 
of bishops in October 2024.

155The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



The Synodal Theme
The theme of the Synod is For a Synodal Church: Communion, 
Participation, and Mission. The three dimensions of the theme, 
namely, Communion, Participation, and Mission are interrelated. 
They are the vital pillars of a Synodal Church. A Church where 
hierarchy is less emphasized, where each one enhances and 
familiarizes with the other. Hence, there is a dynamic relationship 
between the three dimensions in the theme of the synod.

1.� Communion: God gathers his people together as diverse 
peoples of one faith through the covenant that he offers to his people. 
The communion nds its deepest roots in the love and unity of the 
Trinity. It is Christ who reconciles us to the Father and unites us with 
each other in the Holy Spirit. Together, we are inspired by listening to 
the Word of God, through the living Tradition of the Church, and 
grounded in the sensusdei that we share. Theologians such as 
Johann Adam Möhler, Antonio Rosmini and John Henry Newman 
(1801-1890), stressed that a primary and fundamental element in the 
life of the Church is the dimension of communion, which implies an 
ordered synodal practice on every level, giving due importance to the 
sensusdeidelium, fundamentally related to the specic ministry of 

10
the Bishops and the Pope.  The entire faithful all have a role to play in 
discerning and living out God's call for his people.

2.� Participation: This dimension is a call for the involvement 
of all who belong to the People of God, the laity, consecrated and 
clergy, to engage in the exercise of deep and polite listening to one 
another. This listening creates space for us to hear the Holy Spirit 
together and guides our aspirations for the Church of the Third 
Millennium. The concept of participation is based on the fact that all 
the faithful are qualied and are called to serve one another through 
the gifts they have each received from the Holy Spirit. In a synodal 
Church the whole community, in the free and rich variety of its 
members, is called together to pray, listen, analyze, dialogue, discern 
and offer advice on making pastoral decisions that correspond as 

11closely as possible to God's will.  Candid efforts must be made to 
ensure the inclusion of those at the margins or those who feel 

156 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



excluded.

3.� Mission: The dimension of mission focuses on the very 
essence of the Church, which is her kerygmatic task. The mission is 
to witness the love of God in the midst of the whole human family. 
This synodal process has a deep missionary dimension to it. It is 
intended to enable the Church to better witness to the Gospel, 
especially with those who live on the spiritual, social, economic, 
political, geographical, and existential peripheries of our world. In 
this way, synodality is a path by which the Church can more 
productively fulll its mission of evangelization in the world. Hence, 
Synodality is lived out in the Church in the service of the mission. 
Ecclesia peregrinansnaturasuamissionariaest; the Church exists in 

12
order to evangelize.

The Synodal Processes
The synodal process in this context is no longer only an assembly of 
bishops but a journey for all the Christ faithful, in which every local 
Church has an essential part to play. The whole synodal process aims 
at fostering a lived experience of listening, discernment, 
participation, and co-responsibility, where diversity of gifts is 
brought together for the Church's mission in the world. Every 
synodal assembly evolves in successive phases: preparation, 
celebration and implementation.

1.� The Diocesan Local Phase: The rst phase of the Synodal 
Process is a listening phase in local Churches. The aim is to nurture a 
broad discussion process in order to gather the wealth of the 
experiences of lived synodality, it comprises the Pastors and the 
Faithful of the local Churches at all the levels. Religious 
communities, lay movements, associations of the faithful, and other 
ecclesial groups are encouraged to participate in the Synodal Process 
in the context of the local Churches. This stage provides the 
foundation for all the other phases that follow. More than simply 
answering to a questionnaire, the diocesan phase is intended to offer 
as many people as possible a truly synodal experience of listening to 
one another and walking forward together, guided by the Holy Spirit.

157The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



The diocesan phase of the Synodal Process is coordinated by the 
diocesan Bishop. This phase is an opportunity for parishes and 
dioceses to encounter, experience, and live out the synodal journey 
together, consequently developing synodal tools and ways that are 
most suited for their local context, which will ultimately become the 
new style of the local Churches on the path of synodality. Once the 
diocesan phase has elapsed with a Diocesan Pre-Synodal Meeting 
and diocesan synthesis, the episcopal conferences will collate the 
input and feedback that they have received from the dioceses in order 
to convey syntheses that aptly capture the contributions of 
participants at the local level. These syntheses will then serve as the 
basis for the rst edition of the Instrumentum Laboris, (Working 
Document) which will be published by the General Secretariat of the 
Synod of Bishops.

2.� The Regional/Continental Phase: For the Continental 
Stage, religious, clergy and lay people will meet in gatherings called 
“Ecclesial Assemblies” to reect on the Working Document in their 
regional and continental contexts. The assembly groupings will 
correspond to existing organizations that bring together episcopal 
conferences across each continent, such as CELAM the council of the 
Roman Catholic bishops of Latin America, and Federation of Asian 
Bishops' Conferences. There will also be a special gathering for 
representatives from the Middle East and the suiiuris Eastern 
Catholic Churches.

3.� The Universal Phase: Synodality as an essential dimension 
of the Church is expressed on the level of the universal Church in the 
dynamic circularity of the consensus delium, episcopal collegiality, 
and the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. Bishops will gather with the 
Holy Father Pope Francis in the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 
Rome in October 2023 and 2024 to speak and listen to one another on 
the proceedings that emerged from the synodal process that began at 

13the local level.

Relevance of Synod on Synodality
1. A Church who listens: A Synodal Church is a Church that 

158 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



listens. It is a process of mutual listening in which each person has 
something to learn. The faithful, the Episcopal College, the Bishop of 
Rome; each one listening to the others and all listening to the Holy 
Spirit, the Spirit of truth. Pope Francis explains that the Synod of 
Bishops is the point of convergence of this listening process 
conducted at every level of the Church's life. The Synod process 
begins by listening to the people of God, who share also in Christ's 

14
prophetic ofce.

2. A Classless Church: Synodality as a constitutive element of 
the Church, offers us the best interpretative framework for 
understanding her hierarchical ministry, in which no one may be 

15higher than the others.  Although, Christ constituted the Church, 
placing at the summit the apostolic College, in which the apostle 
Peter is the rock, in this Church, as in an upturned pyramid, the 
summit is below the base. Therefore, those who exercise authority 
are called ministers, because in accordance with the original meaning 
of the word, they are the least of all.

3. Fostering Participation: If listening is the method of the 
Synodal Process, and discerning is the aim, then participation is the 
path. Fostering participation leads Christ's faithful out of themselves 
to involve others who hold different views from theirs. Fostering 
participation leads us as Christ's faithful out of ourselves to involve 
others who hold different views from ours. Dialogue involves 
coming together across diverse opinions. Indeed, God often speaks 
through the voices of those that are neglected. Hence, asynodal 
church is a participatory and co-responsible Church. 

4. Universal Priesthood: The entire People of God shares a 
common dignity and vocation through Baptism. All are called in 
virtue of our Baptism to be active participants in the life of the 
Church. In parishes, lay movements, religious communities, and 
other forms of communion, all are invited to listen to one another in 
order to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who comes to guide 
our human efforts. The Second Vatican Council revived the sense that 
all the baptized, both the hierarchy and the laity, are called to be active 

159The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



participants in the saving mission of the Church. The faithful have 
received the Holy Spirit in baptism and conrmation, and are gifted 
with charisms for the renewal and building up of the Church. Thus the 
teaching authority of the Pope and the bishops are in dialogue with 

16the sensusdelium, the living voice of the People of God.

5. An integral part of her very nature: The Church recognizes 
that synodality is an integral part of her very nature. Being a synodal 
Church nds expression in ecumenical councils, Synods of Bishops, 
diocesan Synods, and diocesan and parish councils. There are many 
ways by which we experience forms of “synodality” already across 
the Church. Yet being a synodal Church is not limited to these 
existing institutions. A synodal Church walks forward in communion 
to pursue a common mission through the participation of every one of 
its members. The aim of this Synodal Process is not to offer a 
temporary or one-time experience of synodality, but rather to allow 
the entire People of God to discern together how to move onward on 
the path towards being a more synodal Church in the long term.

6. A Fruit of the Second Vatican Council: One of the fruits of 
the Second Vatican Council was the institution of the Synod of 
Bishops. Though the Synod of Bishops has taken place up until now 
as a gathering of bishops with and under the authority of the Pope, the 
Church increasingly realizes that synodality is the path for the entire 
People of God. Therefore the synodal process is not just a gathering 
of bishops anymore but a journey for all the faithful. 

7. Pastoral Dimension: The path of synodality seeks to make 
pastoral decisions that reect the will of God as closely as possible, 

17grounding them in the living voice of the People of God.  It is noted 
that cooperating with theologians, lay, ordained, and religious can be 
supportive in expressing the voice of the People of God and 
expressing the reality of the faith on the basis of lived experience.

8. Not oriented towards a Post-Synodal Apostolic 
Exhortation: It is clear that the purpose of this Synod is not to 
produce more documents. Rather, it is projected to encourage people 

160 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



to dream about the Church we are called to be, to make people's hopes 
ourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and 
deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to 
enlighten minds, to warm hearts, and reinstate strength to our hands 

18for our common mission.  Hence, the objective of this Synodal 
Process is not only a series of exercises that start and stop but rather a 
path of growing authentically towards the communion and mission 
that God calls the Church to live out in the third millennium.

9. Spiritual Benet: The Synodal Process is rst and foremost 
a spiritual process. It is not an automated data-gathering exercise or a 
succession of meetings and deliberations. Synodal listening is 
oriented to discernment. It requires us to learn and exercise the art of 
personal and communal discernment. We listen to each other, to our 
faith tradition, and to the signs of the times in order to discern what 
God is saying to all of us. Pope Francis describes the two interrelated 
goals of this method of listening: “to listen to God, so that with him 
we may hear the cry of his people; to listen to his people until we are 

19in harmony with the will to which God calls us.”

10. A Formation Process: Synodality involves openness to 
change, formation, and ongoing formation. It exposes how the 
Church community forms people to be more capable of  'walking 
together,' listening to one another, participating in the mission, and 
engaging in dialogue. It presents the type of formation needed to 
foster discernment and the exercise of authority in a synodal way.

11. A Means of Evangelization: Synodality is established to 
energize the life and evangelizing mission of the Church in union 
with and under the guidance of Christ. Although the synodal renewal 
of the Church happens through the re-vitalization of synodal 
structures, it expresses itself rst and foremost in response to God's 
call to live as His People, who journey through history towards the 
fulllment of the Kingdom. Synodality is at the service of the mission 
of the Church, in which all members are called to participate. Pope 
Francis states that “all members of the Church are agents of 
evangelization. Consequently making a synodal Church a reality is 

161The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



an indispensable precondition for new missionary energy that will 
20

involve the entire People of God,”  since we are all missionary 
disciples.

12. Communion of Christ's Faithful: Synodality does not exist 
without the pastoral authority of the College of Bishops, under the 
primacy of the Successor of Peter, as well as the pastoral authority of 
each diocesan Bishop in the diocese entrusted to his care. The 
fullness of the Synodal Process can only truly exist with the 
involvement of the local Churches, requiring the personal 
involvement of the diocesan Bishop.

Conclusion
Today in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, the entire Churchis 
walking together in synergy with and under Peter (and his College) 
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.In this situation, the role of the 
layperson in the history of the church as well as their contribution to 
the mission of the church is signicant. For this, structures are 
needed. The forms of synodal practice may vary. But structures will 
not function in the spirit of synodality without discernment and 
conversion. Synodal Process is not only a series of exercises that start 
and stop but rather a journey of growing authentically towards the 
communion and mission that God calls the Church to live out in the 
third millennium.
 The fruits of the renewal promised by the Second Vatican 
Council in its promotion of ecclesial communion, episcopal 
collegiality, and thinking and acting in a synodal way have been rich 
and precious. The current Synod on Synodality is the culmination of 
all the efforts to bring about a greater degree of openness, 
collaboration and mutual listening in the Church. Unlike previous 
synods, this one legitimately begins in dioceses all over the world, 
with opportunities for mutual consultation at every level and among 
different Church organizations. When the General Assembly meets 
in October 2023 and 2024, its task will be to prayerfully consider how 
to move forward as a more synodal Church in the longterm, a Church 
that walks together

162 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022



ENDNOTES

1 International Theological Commission, Synodality in the Life and 
Mission of the Church, (Vatican City: LibreriaEditriceVaticana, 2021), 
no. 4.

2 Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Letter ApostolicaSollecitudo, 15 September 
1965, (Vatican City: LibreriaEditriceVaticana). no. 57.

th
3 Paul VI, Apostolic Letter,  Apostolica Sollicitudo, 15  September, 

1965
4 Code of Canon Law, (Nairobi: St. Pauls, 2005), Can. 342.
5 Vatican New.com “What is a Synod of Bishops?” accessed from 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-10/what-is-synod-
th

bishops-faq.html, on 12  November, 2022
6 Vatican New.com “What is a Synod of Bishops?”
7 International Theological Commission, Synodality in the Life and 

Mission of the Church, 6.
8 Synod on Synodality, Preparatory Document, no. 1.
9 Initially, the Synod on Synodality was between 2021-2023, but on 

October 2023, Pope Francis announced his decision to divide the 
church's Synod of Bishops into two sessions, one in October 2023 and a 
second in October 2024, in order to promote the understanding of 
synodality as a constitutive dimension of the church and help everyone 
to live it as the journey of brothers and sisters who proclaim the joy of 
the Gospel. The decision, which the pope, was made in order to have a 
more relaxed period of discernment.

10 International Theological Commission, Synodality, 38.
11 International Theological Commission, Synodality,  67-68.
12 International Theological Commission, Synodality, 53.
13 International Theological Commission, Synodality, 94.
14 General Secretariat of the Synod, Working Document for the 

Continental Stage, https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/ 
common/phases/continental-stage/dcs/Documento-Tappa-
Continentale-EN.pdf

15 Pope Francis, Address at the Ceremony Commemorating the 50th 
Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops (17 October 
2015).

16 Leo Donald Davis, The First Seven Councils (325-787): Their History 
and Their Theology, (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1983), 420-
441.

17 Austin Flannery (ed.), Lumen Gentium, Second Vatican Council 
Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, (Nairobi: St. Pauls, 2005), no. 
32-33.

163The Relevance of Synod in The Church Viz-a-viz Synod...



18 International Theological Commission, SensusFidei in the Life of the 
Church, (Vatican City: LibreriaEditriceVaticana, 2014), no. 74.

19 International Theological Commission, Synodality, no. 68.
20 Synod on Synodality, Preparatory Document, no. 32.
21 Pope Francis, Address at the Ceremony Commemorating the 50th 

Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops.
22 Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 24 November 

2013, (Nairobi: Paulines, 2013), no. 105.

164 Ekpoma Review, Volume 9, 2022


