THIS is for those who have a background or who read in theology. It concerns the recent Synod of Bishops on the Family. This “synodal process” as defined by Pope Francis has become a marker of his pontificate.
Until now, the idea of ‘reception’ of the synod was not applied to synods, but mostly reserved for Vatican II and for the main Councils of the Church (called Ecumenical) – an ongoing process that is measured in decades and generations not months or years.
But, in fact, it’s appropriate to talk about the ‘reception’ of the recent synod which had something of a Conciliar feel: free and honest debates, no scripted talking points and no pre-cooked final report.
The first observation is that the ‘reception’ of Pope Francis’ synod is that the synodal process is identified with him and his role in the Church today. The ‘reception’ thus risks being a sunset of the reception or non-reception of his pontificate, whether in a particular local church or an entire nation – almost a referendum on the Pope himself.
Second, the reception of Councils and church teachings involves the laity and the sensus fidelium : without the laity there is no reception in the synodal Church.
But it will be most interesting to see how the reception of this Synod and of Pope Francis’ post-synodal exhortation and decisions will be the work of the Bishops.
We know that the whole “job description” of the Bishops has been reshaped in these last two years; rather than models of obedience to a Pontiff focused on a precise, short list of issues, they are now expected to be more pastoral and ‘evangelical’.
How the Synod and the Pope’s post-synodal document are received, and the reaction to his decisions on practical issues like communion for the divorced and remarried, will tell us many things about the state of the Church.