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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 May 2025
Other articles in this issue of the Journal have examined different levels of government, whether in the Catholic Church or in the Anglican Communion, and presented the notion and practice of synodality at that level of the institution in question. This article takes a different methodological approach by examining the various categories of the faithful, and discusses their different roles in the processes and structures provided for in Roman Catholic canon law that might be called ‘synodal’.
1 For example, cf. P Murray, ‘Introducing Receptive Ecumenism’ (2014) 51–2 The Ecumenist 1–8.
2 cf. Synodical Government Measure 1969.
3 References to canons in this paper are to the 1983 Codex Iuris Canonici unless indicated otherwise. In the case of canons amended subsequently, the year of the amendment is given.
4 Essentially, ‘consultative voice’ means the right to speak; ‘deliberative voice’ means the right to vote when it comes to decisions of the conference.
5 Those equivalent in law to a diocesan bishop are also members of an episcopal conference (cf. canons 450 §, 381 §2, 368): this would include such figures as territorial prelates, territorial abbots, ordinaries of personal ordinariates, etc., who preside over a particular church without necessarily receiving episcopal ordination; it also includes those who govern a particular church sede vacante and who might well only be in presbyteral orders. But these are exceptions to the rule, and the overwhelming majority of members of the episcopal conference will be bishops.
6 That is, as modified by Benedict XVI, motu proprio Omnium in mentem, 26 October 2009 in Acta Apostolicæ Sedis 102, 8–10.
7 cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 21-xi-1964 in Acta Apostolicæ Sedis 57, 1–71, at n. 28, citing (in footnote 108) the preface for the ordination of presbyters in the then current Pontificale Romanum; id., Decree on Ministry and Life of Presbyters Presbyterorum Ordinis, 8-xii-1965 in Acta Apostolicæ Sedis 58, 991–1024, at nn. 2, 4, 7, 12. The same expression is retained in the post-conciliar rite of ordination of presbyters – cf. John Paul II, De ordinatione episcopi, presbyterorum et diaconorum, editio typica altera (Civitas Vaticana 1990) – with an allusion also in canon 757.
8 It should be noted that the ‘presbyterium’ does not consist only of the presbyters incardinated in the diocese, but to other presbyters living and/or working there who might be incardinated in another particular church, religious institute or other structure.
9 That is, they have the right to vote (active voice) and are eligible to be elected (passive voice).
10 In England and Wales, a vicar forane (cf. canons 553–555) is typically called a ‘dean’ and his vicariate, usually consisting of a number of neighbouring parishes, a ‘deanery’.
11 In particular: the convocation of a diocesan synod (cf. canon 461 §1); erection, suppression or notable change to parishes (cf. canon 515 §2); remuneration of clerics performing parochial functions (cf. canon 531); establishment of parish pastoral councils (cf. canon 536 §1); building of churches (cf. canon 1215 §2) and their relegation to profane use (cf. canon 1222 §2); setting a diocesan tax (cf. canon 1263); designation of group of assessors for cases of removal of parish priests (cf. canon 1742 §1).
12 The college of consultors must be heard concerning the appointment or removal of the diocesan treasurer (cf. canon 494 §§1 and 2).
13 The diocesan bishop requires the consent of the college of consultors to place acts of extraordinary economic administration (cf. canons 1277 and 1292 §1); the diocesan administrator also requires the college’s consent to grant excardination or incardination (cf. canon 272) or to grant dimissorial letters (cf. canon 1018 §1, 2°).
14 In particular, the taking of office of a diocesan or coadjutor bishop (cf. canons 382 §3; 404 §§1 and 3);
15 For the vacant see, cf. canons 419, 421 §1, 422, 485, 501 §2, 833, 4°.
16 For the impeded see, cf. canon 413 §2.
17 Lumen Gentium, 29.
18 One notable – albeit not uncontroversial – example is that of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, which according to the 2022 Annuario Pontifico had 446 permanent deacons, but just 135 diocesan presbyters, serving 57 parishes and 1.6m catholics.
19 According to the 2024 Annuario Pontificio, in 2022 there were 5353 bishops, 407,730 presbyters (both diocesan and religious), and 50,150 permanent deacons; there were 49,414 non-clerical male and 599,228 female religious.
20 cf. B Earl, ‘Quis tibi dedit hanc potestatem?’ in L-M Le Bot (ed), La tradizione domenicana del diritto (Roma, 2023), 125–138.
21 cf. Francis, apostolic constitution Episcopalis communio on the Synod of Bishops, 15-ix-2018, in AAS 110, 1359–1378; General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Istruzione sulla celebrazione delle Assemblee Sinodali e sull’attività della Segreteria Generale del Sinodo dei Vescovi in L’Osservatore Romano, 1-x-2018.
22 cf. General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Regolamento della XVI assemblea generale ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi, prima sessione, 4–29 ottobre 2023 (Città del Vaticano, 2023), Art 2 §2.
23 J Newman, On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine, edited with an Introduction by J Coulson and foreword by D Worlock (London, 1986), 18–19. The exchange takes place in the context of robust discussion of Newman’s essay, rather than in the original text itself.
24 Lumen Gentium, 12.
25 cf. International Theological Commission, Sensus fidei in the life of the Church (Vatican City, 2014).
26 Note, however, that the diocesan finance council does have to take deliberative votes to consent to alienation over the minimum sum and other acts of extraordinary economic administration (cf. canons 1292 §1 and 1277).
27 XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, First Session, Synthesis Report A Synodal Church in Mission (Vatican City, 2023), 12(k) and 18(h).
28 This expression occurs in canons 443 §§3–5, 444 §2, 450 §1, 500 §2, 514 §2, 536 §2.
29 XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Second Session, instrumentum laboris How to be a missionary synodal Church (Vatican City, 2024), 70.
30 cf. General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Regolamento della XVI assemblea generale ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi, prima sessione, 4–29 ottobre 2023 (Città del Vaticano, 2023), Art 2 §3.
31 cf. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, Bollettino, 21-ix-2023 and 16-ix-2024.
32 cf. 1 Peter 5:3.
33 cf. John 10:1–21.
34 Francis, Homily for the Chrism Mass, 28-iii-2013.
35 cf. John 10:14.