Walking Together: The Way of Synodality

Overview

"I recommend Walking Together to our bishops, priests and lay leaders as a reminder that Pope Francis is giving muscle to Vatican II’s vision of a more vibrant and inclusive community of faith, where we are all invited to participate and contribute to the life of the Church."-Stuart Henrys, Tui Motu InterIslands, Issue 284 / August 2023

"Walking Together: The Way of Synodality is an elegant compendium of Pope Francis's commentary on and explanations of synodal discernment during his pontificate. The collection is a unique tool for learning about synodal discernment and presents a roadmap by which the People of God can walk together well into the promising futures of the Catholic Churches." --Phyllis Zagano, Senior Research Associate-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor of Religion, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York

"This book is essential lexicon, an indispensable guide to understand Francis’ view of synodality and the ongoing “synodal process” through the pope’s own words. It demonstrates that a theology of the synodal church runs deep in Francis’ pontificate from the very beginning, and the synodality is coessential with this key moment in the life of the Church." --Prof. Dr. Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Historical Theology Villanova University, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies

“This timely book provides an invaluable resource guide for church leaders, students, and all those seeking to understand and participate in the shared journey that is synodality. By bringing together the key teachings of Pope Francis on the topic, Walking Together helps to illuminate both the sources and future directions of the synodal process. Readers can discover how the pope’s understanding of this way of being church has developed over the first decade of his pontificate and what this means for the 2021-2024 synodal process.” --Kevin Ahern, Manhattan College, former president of ICMICA-Pax Romana

“Synodality is not a chapter in an ecclesiology textbook, much less a fad or a slogan to be bandied about in our meetings. Synodality is an expression of the Church’s nature, her form, style, and mission.”—Pope Francis

The word “synodality” means “journeying together.”  To Pope Francis, a commitment to synodality has been one of the defining themes of his papacy, and an essential dimension of his intended legacy for the Roman Catholic Church. Synodality, he says, is not something the Church does—but an expression of its being: walking together, listening, and collaborating under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Regular “synods” of bishops have gathered since Vatican II to address concerns of the universal church. But Pope Francis has wished to open this process more widely to the People of God. In a process begun in 2021 which will conclude with a gathering of church leadership in October 2023 and 2024—a Synod on Synodality—Francis seeks to enable a church and church structures that are defined less from the top-down, and more through the participation of all members of the Church in a spirit of collaboration and openness.

Along with Pope Francis’s principal reflections on this theme, Walking Together includes reflections by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, and Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

Click Here For The Table of Contents

Click Here For The Book Introduction