Synod of Bishops

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Basic data
Surname: Synod of Bishops
( Sinodo dei vescovi )
Seat: Cortile di San Damaso
00120 Città del Vaticano
Secretary General: Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri
(since September 21, 2013)
Pro General Secretary: Mario Grech
(since October 2, 2019)
Undersecretary: Fabio Fabene
(since February 8, 2014)

The Synod of Bishops is a body in the Roman Catholic Church . With the Motu proprio Apostolica sollicitudo ("With apostolic concern") of September 15, 1965, Pope Paul VI. the instrument of the Synod of Bishops for the whole Church, known since ancient times.

Legal Status

Area of ​​responsibility

The aim of the Synod of Bishops is to intensify the relationship between the Pope and bishops from all over the world and to discuss general church matters. Its establishment goes back to the Second Vatican Council . There the idea of ​​collegiality between the bishops was decisively promoted and constituted. Pope Paul VI carried this. with the establishment of the Synod bill.

The Synod of Bishops meets to discuss items for negotiation presented by the Pope. It can only issue legally binding decrees by empowering the Pope in exceptional individual cases. In this case the decrees are put into effect by the Pope ( can. 343 CIC ). They are not an expression of the decision-making process of the college of bishops, whose ultimate authority does not require authorization from the Pope. This is an essential difference from a council . So far there has been no case of such a decree. As a rule, the synod is followed by a post-synodal apostolic letter issued by the Pope , which summarizes the results of the consultative work.

Papal rights

The Synod of Bishops is directly under the authority of the Pope ( can. 344 CIC ). His privileges are set out in can. 344 CIC listed. He has the right to convene (n.1), the confirmation of those elected to the synod as well as the appointment of the others (n.2), the determination of the items to be discussed within a reasonable period of time (n.3), the determination of the agenda (n. 4), the personal presidency or the appointment of a representative (n. 5) as well as the closing, postponement, interruption or dissolution of the synod (n. 6). If during the synod there is a vacancy or obstruction of the apostolic see, the synod is interrupted ( can. 347 CIC , Art. 1 § 2 Ordo Synodi Episcoporum).

Members

Membership was regulated by the Motu proprio Apostolica sollicitudo . In 2006 a revised order of the Synod of Bishops was issued. Membership always ends with the conclusion of the synod.

Assembly forms

At the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, a distinction is made between the ordinary general assemblies ( can. 346 §1 CIC ), the extraordinary general assemblies ( can. 346 §2 CIC ) and the special assemblies ( can. 346 §3 CIC ). General assemblies deliberate on issues that affect the whole Church, and special assemblies on issues that affect one region or several specific regions.

Ordinary general assembly

The ordinary general assembly consists of elected, delegated and appointed synods. The respective representatives of the national bishops' conferences of the Latin Church and some representatives of the religious associations are elected. The heads of the autonomous oriental patriarchal , major archbishop and metropolitan churches sui iuris are sent . The cardinal presidents of the Roman dicasteries and all other synodals are appointed.

Extraordinary General Assembly

The extraordinary general assembly should be able to meet more quickly, therefore the elections of representatives of the bishops' conferences are dispensed with. Instead, the conferences are represented by their chairman or his first deputy. Otherwise there is no difference to the ordinary general assembly.

Special assembly

Only representatives of the region concerned take part in the special assembly. In addition, only the Cardinal Presides take part, whose curia authority has a connection to the items to be discussed.

Permanent General Secretariat

The Synod of Bishops is constituted as a permanent constitutional body. The establishment of the permanent General Secretariat takes this into account. The general secretary is permanently appointed by the Pope ( can. 348 CIC ). The Secretariat Council assists him. Twelve members of the council are elected by the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the end of the assembly with a view to the next, three more are appointed by the Pope (Art. 13 Ordo Synodi Episcoporum). The council meets at least twice a year. The term of office of the members ends with the next General Assembly.

Meeting place

The conference room for the special assemblies and ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies of the Synod of Bishops is located on the first floor above the vestibule of the Vatican Audience Hall . Pope Paul VI had this synod hall ("Aula Nuova del Sinodo") . set up as a small auditorium. Since 1971, important meetings of the Synod of Bishops have taken place there until today.

Previous meetings

Ordinary general meetings

  • 1st Ordinary General Meeting, September 29 to October 29, 1967; the theme of the first meeting was "The Preservation and Strengthening of the Catholic Faith: Its Integrity, Its Strength, Its Development, Its Doctrinal and Historical Coherence". She dealt with different aspects of the doctrine of the faith. In view of the emerging theology of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI. the year 1967/68 proclaimed a year of faith in commemoration of the 1900th anniversary of the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul . At the suggestion of this Synod, the International Theological Commission was set up at the Holy See in 1969 .
  • 2nd Ordinary General Assembly, September 30th to November 6th, 1971: “The priestly service and justice in the world”. The Synod made two statements on the subjects of the priesthood ( Ultimis temporibus ) and justice in the world ( De iustitia in mundo ) .
  • 3rd Ordinary General Assembly, September 27 to October 26, 1974 “ Evangelization in today's world”. Following this plenary assembly on questions of evangelization, a papal teaching letter was published for the first time, which was derived from the results of the synod, but with the Pope's own priorities, the apostolic letter Evangelii nuntiandi of December 8, 1975.
  • 4th Ordinary General Assembly, September 30th to October 29th 1977: “Catechesis in our time”. The fourth and last of Pope Paul VI. responsible assembly was devoted to catechesis ; Pope John Paul II wrote the post-synodal apostolic letter Catechesi tradendae of October 16, 1979.
  • 5th Ordinary General Assembly, September 26 to October 25, 1980: “The Christian Family” with the post-synodal apostolic letter Familiaris consortio (November 22, 1981).
  • 6th Ordinary General Assembly, September 29 to October 29, 1983: “Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today”; this was followed by the post-synodal apostolic letter Reconciliatio et paenitentia (December 2, 1984).
  • 7th Ordinary General Assembly, October 1 to October 30, 1987: “Vocation and Mission of the Laity in Church and World”; this was followed by the post-synodal apostolic letter Christifideles laici (December 30, 1988).
  • 8th Ordinary General Assembly, September 30 to October 28, 1990: “The formation of priests in the contemporary context”, summarized in the post-synodal apostolic letter Pastores dabo vobis (March 25, 1992).
  • 9th Ordinary General Assembly, October 2 to October 29, 1994: “ Consecrated Life and its Mission in Church and World”; this is followed by the comprehensive post-synodal apostolic letter Vita Consecrata (March 25, 1996).
  • 10th Ordinary General Assembly, September 30 to October 27, 2001: “The Bishop as Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the hope of the world”; this was followed by the post-synodal apostolic letter Pastores gregis (October 16, 2003).
  • 11th Ordinary General Assembly, October 2 to 23, 2005 in Rome: It was convened by John Paul II and then by Pope Benedict XVI. approved. The Synod dealt primarily with questions of the Eucharist . For the first time, Pope Benedict granted the bishops one hour of free discussion on each day of the session, during which they could speak without any subject-related restrictions. 256 bishops from 118 countries attended the meeting. 177 participants were elected in the regional bishops' conferences, 39 took part because of their office and 40 more were chosen by Pope Benedict XVI. personally appointed. Twelve non-Catholic churches and ecclesial communities were invited to send representatives to the synod. For this purpose, the post-synodal apostolic letter Sacramentum Caritatis from Pope Benedict XVI. presented.
  • The 12th Ordinary General Assembly, October 5-23, 2008: “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church”. The results were given by Benedict XVI. summarized in the post-synodal apostolic letter Verbum Domini of September 30, 2010.
  • The 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 7-28, 2012 “ New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith”. As he had already announced with the apostolic letter Porta fidei , he also opened the year of faith .
  • The 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which took place from 4th to 25th Held in October 2015, it dealt with the vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in today's world. The results were summarized by Francis in the post-synodal apostolic letter Amoris laetitia of March 19, 2016, which was presented on April 8, 2016.
  • The 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops took place from October 3rd to 28th, 2018 and dealt with the subject of youth, faith and the decision on appeal . For the preparatory phase of the General Assembly, on November 18, 2017, the Pope appointed the Archbishop of Brasília , Cardinal Sergio da Rocha , General Relator and appointed the Special Secretaries Giacomo Costa SJ and Rossano Sala SDB . The results were summarized by Pope Francis in the post-synodal apostolic letter Christ vivit of March 25, 2019 and published on April 2, 2019.

The next Synod of Bishops is to take place in October 2022 with the theme "For a synodal Church - fellowship, participation and mission".

Extraordinary general meetings

The first extraordinary general assembly from October 11 to October 28, 1969 worked on the subject of "Cooperation between the Holy See and the Bishops' Conferences ". The indirect reason for the meeting were various statements from bishops' conferences on the encyclical Humanae vitae of Pope Paul VI. dated July 25, 1968.

The second extraordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops from November 24th to December 8th 1985 celebrated the 20th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. The task of drawing up the catechism of the Catholic Church goes back to this Synod , a project that was in charge of Cardinal Ratzinger (later Benedict XVI ).

Pope Francis invited to the third extraordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome from October 5th to 19th, 2014. This synod met on the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization . 253 cardinals, bishops, priests and lay people from 116 countries took part, including the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference Reinhard Cardinal Marx and the theologian Ute Eberl from Berlin. The preparatory document contained a theological introduction to the subject of the synod and a catalog of questions addressed to the bishops, which served to involve the local churches. The next session took place in October 2015 as an ordinary general assembly.

Special meetings

Locally limited synods of bishops took place for different parts of the world, for example the following special assemblies:

  • January 14 to 31, 1980 as a special synod on the pastoral situation in the Netherlands . Since 1966 (cf. Dutch Catechism ) the so-called “post-conciliar crisis” has had a particularly serious impact there .
  • November 28th to December 14th 1991 as the first special assembly for Europe, May we be witnesses of Christ who set us free .
  • April 10 to May 8, 1994 as the first special assembly for Africa, The Church in Africa and its evangelizing mission with a view to the year 2000 , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in Africa (September 14, 1995)
  • November 26th to December 14th 1995 as a special assembly for Lebanon , Christ is our hope, renewed by his Spirit, we unanimously testify to his love , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in Lebanon (May 10th 1997)
  • November 16 to December 12, 1997 as a special meeting for America, encounter with the living Jesus Christ - way of conversion, communion and solidarity in America , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in America (January 22, 1999)
  • April 19 to May 14, 1998 as a special meeting for Asia, Jesus Christ the Redeemer, and his mission of love and service in Asia , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in Asia (November 6, 1999)
  • November 22nd to December 12th, 1998 as a special assembly for Oceania , Jesus Christ and the peoples of Oceania: walking your way, proclaiming your truth, living your life , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in Oceania (November 22, 2001)
  • October 1 to October 23, 1999 as the second special assembly for Europe, Jesus Christ, who lives in His Church - source of hope for Europe , post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia in Europe (June 28, 2003)
  • 4th October to 25th October 2009 as the second special assembly for Africa: The Church in Africa in the service of reconciliation, justice and peace - "You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world" ( Mt 5,13- 14 EU ), post-synodal apostolic letter Africae munus (November 19, 2010)
  • October 10 to October 24, 2010 as a Special Assembly for the Middle East: The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. The community of believers was one heart and one soul ( Acts 4,32  EU ). In summary, the post-synodal apostolic letter Ecclesia was published in Medio Oriente .
  • October 6th to 27th, 2019 as a special assembly on the theme of Amazonia - new ways for the Church and a holistic ecology - also known as the "Amazon Synod" or "Amazonian Synod" for short - at which bishops and religious representatives from countries in the Amazon region met in Rome, to advise on pastoral issues in the Amazon region. On February 12, 2020, Pope Francis published his post-synodal letter " Querida Amazonia ", in which he recommended the final document of the synod to the entire world church for consultation.

General Secretaries

Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri, Acting General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops

Literature on the subject of the Synod of Bishops (selection)

Supplementary edicts

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Winfried Aymans, Klaus Mörsdorf, Canonical Law II , p. 224f.
  2. ↑ General information on the Synod of Bishops (updated September 10, 2012) . Vatican website. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  3. ↑ a b Winfried Aymans, Klaus Mörsdorf, Canonical Law II , p. 227.
  4. ^ Order of the Synod of Bishops .
  5. ↑ Winfried Aymans, Klaus Mörsdorf, Canonical Law II , p. 228.
  6. ↑ Winfried Aymans, Klaus Mörsdorf, Canon Law II , p. 230.
  7. ↑ Winfried Aymans, Klaus Mörsdorf, Canon Law II , p. 231.
  8. ^ Ralf van Bühren : Art and Church in the 20th Century. The reception of the Second Vatican Council , Paderborn 2008, p. 315f. (see pp. 314-317, 411-415, 587-601, Figs. 58-59).
  9. ↑ Lineamenta 2008 Synod of Bishops .
  10. ↑ Press conference for the presentation of the Lineamenta of the XIII. Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops . Vatican website. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  11. ↑ katholisch.de
  12. ^ Nomine nella XV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, November 18, 2017, accessed November 18, 2017 (Italian).
  13. ↑ vanticannews.va: Next Synod of Bishops will deal with the “synodal church” , March 7, 2020.
  14. ^ Homepage of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK).
  15. ↑ Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Basilica at the opening of the second special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa . Holy See website. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  16. ↑ Press release of the Holy See on the Synod (German, revision of September 3, 2012) . Holy See website. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  17. ↑ Overview of the Synods of Bishops . Holy See website. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  18. ↑ Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, post-synodal apostolic letter . Holy See website. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  19. ↑ Evelyn Finger: Revolution from the rainforest ; Gudrun Sailer: How pseudo-questions should bring the Amazon Synod into disrepute , both accessed on October 27, 2019.
  20. ↑ https://www.vaticannews.va/de/events/sinodoamazonico.html
  21. ^ German Bishops' Conference: Amazon Synod 2019 , accessed on August 4, 2019.