Thanks to Elise Ann Allen and the staff at Crux, we now know more precisely what Pope Leo XIV thinks about synodality. In a nutshell, he is not just generally or vaguely supportive of Pope Francis’ reforming initiative to make the church more missionary and participatory; he is convinced of its fundamental importance.
If that does not sound particularly newsworthy, you haven’t been paying close attention to the analyses of Leo’s words and actions on synodality since his election in May. The general consensus is that Leo has given clear signs of his intention to continue Pope Francis’ vision for the church, including synodality, but we do not yet know the degree of his enthusiasm nor what he plans to do concretely to implement it.
But Catholic commentators, including from this magazine, have filled this months-long void of uncertainty with speculation and arguments for why Leo should or should not continue implementing a synodal culture in the vein of Francis.
All of the analysis has been predictable. Those generally inspired by Francis’ papacy and convinced that synodality is an authentic manifestation of the theology of the Second Vatican Council argue that with the promulgation of “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission,” which is the final document of the Synod on Synodality, the toothpaste is out of the tube, so to speak, and in that sense synodality could not be totally undone by Leo even if he wanted to do that. Those generally uninspired or even perturbed by Francis’ papacy tend to view this expression of synodality as something novel, theologically problematic, confusing or even dangerous to the church. It is time, they argue, to move on from Francis’ papacy and get back to “normal.”
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With thanks to America and Sebastian Gomes, where this article originally appeared.
