At a crucial period in the Catholic Church’s history, Pope Francis made synodality the cornerstone of his pontificate, breathing new life into this age-old tradition that invites the Church to “walk together.” Let us not hesitate to speak of a prophetic intuition that allowed for the rediscovery and revitalization of this essential dimension of ecclesial life.
We have somewhat quickly forgotten: the theological principle of synodality is recent. It appeared in the reflection of theologians in the 1990s, finding little echo in the official texts of the Catholic Church. From his election in 2013, Jorge Bergoglio integrated the word into the pontifical vocabulary.
Pope Francis’ genius lies in his ability to articulate tradition and innovation. By promoting synodality, he updated a practice nearly as old as the church itself. His vision of synodality is rooted in a deep spirituality of discernment, inherited from his Jesuit formation. For him, listening to the Holy Spirit who speaks through the people of God is not a democratic concession but a theological requirement.
This conviction was translated into concrete gestures: the multiplicity of consultations, emphasis on episcopal conferences, and the reform of the Roman Curia. The institution of the Synod of Bishops, created by Paul VI, is a major means for Francis to impose synodality. This is the paradox. In a global institution that struggles to renew itself by implementing the Second Vatican Council’s decisions, he imposed this decisive shift in governance at all levels. Some would even say he pushed it through forcefully.
Active participation
The Synod on Synodality (2021–2024) represents the generalization of this approach. For the first time in the history of the Church, a worldwide consultation was organized, obligatorily, allowing every baptized person to contribute to the reflection on the future of the Church. This bold initiative reflects the pope’s trust in the sensus fidei (sense of the faith) of the people of God. Under his pontificate, synodality became much more than a simple method of governance: it embodies a true ecclesiology of communion, where every baptized person is called to participate actively in the church’s mission.
Synodality, according to Francis, is not limited to an intra-ecclesial dimension. It opens the church to dialogue with the contemporary world, in a spirit of humility and mutual learning. His commitment to integral ecology, peace, and social justice notably manifested this openness. His courage in the face of resistance deserves to be highlighted. Despite criticism – sometimes virulent – he stayed the course, convinced that “the path of synodality is the one God expects of the church of the third millennium” (speech in 2015). His perseverance testifies to a profound spiritual freedom and an authentic fidelity to the Gospel.
The synodal legacy of Francis will leave a lasting mark on the Catholic Church. He planted seeds that will continue to bear fruit well beyond his pontificate. By awakening the synodal dimension of the church, he contributed to a true pastoral and missionary conversion. Yet, during these twelve years of pontificate, the understanding of synodality sometimes became too broad, at the risk of losing its dimension as an operational ecclesiological principle. If it remains only a change in how “hierarchical relationships” are lived, the momentum risks running out of steam.
Continuing the synodal conversion
During our only public exchange, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg (Brussels) on September 28, 2024, Pope Francis responded this way to my question on how to implement synodality: “And I would also say to Arnaud: the synodal process must be a return to the Gospel; it must not have among its priorities some ‘fashionable’ reform, but we must ask ourselves: how can we bring the Gospel to a society that no longer listens or that has moved away from the faith?” One hears here a prudence and a warning: the prudence not to rush into every trend, but also a warning to those who might think synodality is a passing fad.
No, synodality is nothing less than the way of living in the church, the discernment for a mission in a radically changed context. The great upheavals currently underway in the world attest to the prophetic character of what the Catholic Church is attempting to live. This vision of synodality offers an inspiring model for all institutions faced with the challenges of participation and collective discernment in a complex world.
Pope Francis will go down in history as the one who promoted synodality, not as a simple method of governance, but as a true spirituality of walking together. His pontificate reminds us that the church is fully itself only when it walks together, listening to the Spirit who speaks through all its members. This required him to shake up the Curia and many ecclesial leaders.
What should be retained to act? The choices already made invite us to continue this path of synodal conversion, aware that it is together, in mutual listening and common discernment, that all the baptized will be able to respond to the many challenges of the current era.
Arnaud Join-Lambert is a Franco-Swiss professor of theology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. His research focuses on ecclesiology, liturgy, and contemporary Christianity. He is known for exploring the evolving role of the church in modern society and engaging in dialogue between faith, culture, and secularism across Europe.
Reproduced with permission by La Croix International.
