A Power Struggle Between the Curia and the Bishops of the 2015 Synod of Bishops.
Who has the Right to interpret a Synod?
Author: Jens Van Rompaey
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9805-7667
DOI: 10.61840/fundcan.24.1
Date of Publication: 25/01/2024
Citation: Van Rompaey, Jens: A Power Struggle Between the Curia and the Bishops of the 2015 Synod of Bishops. Who has the Right to interpret a Synod?, in: Fundamdenta Canonica. A Journal for the History and Theology of Canon Law (= FundCan), DOI: 10.61840/fundcan.24.1.
Keywords: synodality, ecclesiology, interpretation, Amoris Laetitia
Abstract
As the Catholic Church prepares and celebrates the 2023-2024 Synod of Bishops, there are still lessons to be learned from past Synods. For example, the balance of power between the institution that is the Synod of Bishops, and the role of the Roman Curia deserves more attention. In 2021, Johan Bonny, bishop of Antwerp, publicly voiced scathing criticism on the Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex. In his criticism, Bonny referred to his own experience on the 2015 Synod of Bishops and asked the real synod to stand up. The bishop made it clear that he did not believe that the Synod was being given a real voice. Therefore, this paper examines the criticism of Bishop Bonny on the Responsum. I pay particular attention to possible institutional tensions between the Synod of Bishops and the Roman Curia. Furthermore, the analysis will point out that the criticism of Bonny cannot be taken lightly because it goes to the core of what the Church is and does. Subsequently, I will show how some tensions have already been partly solved by the new Apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium. Finally, I will also devote attention to whether this Responsum was an example of improper power balance and, if so, what this might mean for future Synods of Bishops, their interpretation, and implementation.