Pope Francis on the Practice of Synodality and the Fifth Australian Plenary Council

Abstract

This article argues that Pope Francis adopts a practice-focused approach to synodality, and it examines key elements of that approach, including the practice of ecclesial discernment, and the requirement that the church read the signs of the times in the light of the Gospel. In this light, the article reflects on the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, showing both how it has learned from Francis’s teaching on synodality and how it can contribute to the developing practice of synodality in the Roman Catholic Church.