Abstract
The heart of Francis’s pontificate includes a desire to reform and renew ecclesial structures. The pope has noted that this complex task cannot be completed by himself alone, and has invited theologians to join him in this work. In 2015, the Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica hosted a seminar on “Reform and Reforms in the Church” as a way of heeding Francis’s call and connecting his vision with that of Vatican II and, indeed, the impulse of authentic reform running throughout church history. In the volume’s 30 chapters, scholars from around the world offer their expertise and concrete suggestions to advance Francis’s mission and translate his vision into ecclesiological and canonical language.
The book’s contributions include a wide variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, yet they are united by several pervasive themes. Central among these is synodality. Vatican II was, in many ways, a council about ecclesial reform that envisioned a more synodal church. While it made significant advances in this regard, Francis has observed that several of the council’s key objectives have not yet been realized, including: the need to enhance local churches, the need to develop regional churches in the form of episcopal conferences, and a reform of the curia. These unrealized objectives provide the contours of Francis’s program for reform and the contributions in this volume. To advance these objectives several essays (A. Borras, G. Routhier, and D. Vitali) advocate that synodality is inherent to the church’s nature rather than merely an administrative strategy; they suggest concrete forms for its expression so that it is not reduced to a vague principle. The development of synodal structures throughout history is also profitably explored (A. Riccardi, G. Pani, A. Maffeis); particularly valuable is J. O’Malley’s illumination of key differences among the role of synods in history, in Vatican II’s theology, and in Paul VI’s institution of the Synod of Bishops in 1965. Other contributions (S. Scatina, M. Faggioli, P. de Mey and W. Henn) illumine links between synodality and vital dimensions of the church’s life, including the Petrine ministry, the sensus fidelium, ecumenism, spirituality, and care for the poor.
This book represents the best of what can happen when theologians from diverse fields and perspectives come together to concentrate their efforts in service of critical questions. This volume is not merely a collection of essays; it brings readers into a vital and constructive conversation which allows senior scholars and students alike to see Francis’s reform efforts in a new and holistic light. While the word indispensable is considerably overused, this volume is indispensable reading for anyone interested in Francis’s pontificate and the church’s efforts to renew itself within the shifting contexts of the twenty-first century.