Preliminary communication

The Principle of sinodality as the paradigm for the Church of the third millennia

Željko Tanjić orcid.org/0000-0002-5188-8391 ; Catholic University of Croatia, Croatia, Zagreb
Branko Murić orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-0384 ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The article reflects on the principle of sinodality as one of the basic expressions of ecclesial communion, or, even better, as the principle that expresses essential ontological structure of that communion. The goal of this article is to show how the principle ofsinodality is becoming of the basic principles that might aid the overcoming of the crisis in the contemporary Church. In order to show this, the first part of the article will historically reconstruct and discuss the principle of sinodality and show that the early Church recognised in itself this form of communion and communal management that should also then be perceived as a norm of its activity in future times. This part also points out the contemporary situation in which the principle of sinodality is shown as a means of overcoming conflicts within the Church. The second part of the article points out systematically-theologically the »turning point« that happened during the Second Vatican Council, which reinvigorated, especially in its last working phase, sinodality by narrowing its focus to the issue of »hierarchical communion« that is concretely expressed through coetus episcoporum and synodus episcoporum. The third part offers a new perspective on the principle of sinodality by reflecting on it as the paradigm for the Church of the third millennia, while taking into account and spelling out more precisely pressing issues encountered by the Church in its understanding of sinodality and ways to overcome these through the new paradigm of the transformation of the Church that has been proposed by Pope Francis. The essential outcome of this research is to show that the »power of governing« in the Church is not understood in an oligarchic, aristocratic, monarchic, or ever democratic key of interpretation, but in the authentic spirit of the Christian community understood as koinonia. In that sense, every office, including the threefold ministerial office, is in service of the »joint activity and journey«. Therefore, one needs to live out and not only declare the principle of sinodality, on which the whole history of Christian memory and activity rests.

Keywords

principle of sinodality; synod; Second Vatican Council; Church; ecclesiology

Hrčak ID:

162481

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162481

Publication date:

26.7.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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