The Synod: Historical, Theological, and Ethical Reflections

In November of 2024, the Catholic Studies and Vatican II Studies Units of the American Academy of Religion will host a roundtable discussion of the Roman Catholic Church's Synodal Process. The Synod was a multistage global endeavor beginning in 2021 and ending in October 2024, when the final General Assembly gathers in Rome. Described as a "long process of listening and discernment," the Synod has sparked both hope and controversy as well as indifference and outright rejection. Some have compared it in scope and significance to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Others suggest that it was the logical extension of that Council, moving church officials--under Pope Francis's guidance--toward a more genuine posture of attentiveness to what Vatican II called "the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties" of the people of the world. Taking place less than a month after the Synod's expected closing, our session will represent an early-stage reflection on the process as well as any final reports and documents available. It will draw on the expertise of historians, theologians, and ethicists all of whom will offer context and perspective on the process and its textual results. Some of our panelists were directly involved in the process itself, including crafting documents and voting. Others sit one step removed from the process, but have expertise in the histories and theologies it summoned. They will discuss the Synod's relationship to church history, its controversies and tensions, as well as its possible significance for the future of the church.