Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-2jptb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-28T22:29:02.722Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - The Synod of Bishops since Vatican II

from Part I - The Pope within the Church

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2025

By
Massimo Faggioli
Edited by
Joëlle Rollo-Koster ,
Robert A. Ventresca ,
Melodie H. Eichbauer  and
Miles Pattenden
Joëlle Rollo-Koster
Affiliation:
University of Rhode Island
Robert A. Ventresca
Affiliation:
King’s University College at Western University
Melodie H. Eichbauer
Affiliation:
Florida Gulf Coast University
Miles Pattenden
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
Get access

Summary

The chapter addresses the history of the Synod of Bishops, created by pope Paul VI in September 1965 and reformed by Francis I between 2018 and 2023, with an analysis of the different phases: from the proposals emerging from the bishops during the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), to the Synods’ assemblies of Paul VI (r. 1963–78), John Paul II (r. 1978–2005), and Benedict XVI (r. 2005–13). After half a century of its life, the Synod of Bishops has changed, especially during pope Francis I’s pontificate, from an expression of episcopal collegiality (representing the bishops only), useful as a device of papal primacy, to an institution of ecclesial synodality, giving voice to all kinds of members in the Catholic Church, including women and lay people.

Keywords

Decree Christus DominusPope Benedict XVIPope Francis IPope John Paul IIPope Paul VIRoman CuriaSecond Vatican CouncilSynod of Bishopsepiscopal collegialitymotu proprio Episcopalis communio
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of the Papacy , pp. 129 - 154
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×