Expanding Horizons 150 Years after Vatican I: Toward a Renewed Relationship between Synodality and Primacy

Abstract

Pope Francis calls the church to greater synodality to build up practices of communion, participation, and mission at every level of the church’s life. Proponents of synodality often interpret Vatican I’s definition of papal primacy as an obstacle to the synodal path. Recent scholarship, however, suggests ways that Vatican I need not present a stumbling block; rather, when properly contextualized and interpreted, Pastor Aeternus has the potential to illumine the inherent dynamism between primacy and synodality. This study explores how fresh approaches to Vatican I and synodality can direct us to more responsive ecclesial structures in the diverse and changing church of today.