“Synodality and the Crisis of the Pastoral Culture,”

Okpaleke, Ikenna Paschal [UCL]

Much has been said about synodality as a form of ecclesiology that takes into account the nature of the church as a pilgrim community, where the participation of everyone is at the center of ecclesial life. Yet one wonders whether the idea of synodality is not already foreseen in a pastoral community in which active participation of the faithful also implies a comprehensive co-participation of all. In other words, are we rather facing an ecclesiological crisis due to pastoral inefficiency, or is the idea of synodality necessary even without addressing the pastoral problem? This article argues that beyond the buzz generated by the concept of synodality, nothing would be achieved if the pastoral question is not addressed. Where synodality is channeled towards pastoral crisis, then the question remains whether it adds anything extra beyond revising what is already there.