A council is a meeting of ecclesiastical authorities.
A synod is a meeting held by ecclesiastical authorities . The term of our language comes from the Latin sinŏdus , in turn derived from a Greek word.
Specifically, we can indicate that the Greek word synodos , which can be translated as “ gathering ,” is the result of the sum of two clearly delimited elements: the prefix syn- , which is synonymous with “with” or “together” ; and odos , is equivalent to “route” or “path” .
Synods in the Catholic Church
A synod, therefore, can be a council . In these types of events, bishops and other leaders meet to discuss issues of doctrine or religious organization. In the case of the Catholic Church , it is possible to distinguish between three types of this class of synods.
The provincial council is one promoted by a metropolitan bishop every two decades. The national council , for its part, has the participation of the episcopate of the entire country and is developed once it is authorized by the Pope . The ecumenical council , finally, is convened by the Pope and open to all bishops.
There are different types of synods.
An episcopal meeting
The meeting of bishops who are selected from different parts of the world to strengthen ties between the Pope and these authorities is called an episcopal synod . It is important to differentiate between the episcopal synod and the ecumenical council , since both are meetings of bishops: while the synod aims at consultations and advice to the Pope , the council can establish dogmatic definitions.
In this sense, we can also determine that the synod of bishops is a religious institution that has a great tradition, but that was revitalized in the 1950s thanks to the celebration specifically of the Second Vatican Council , which was convened by the then Pope John XXIII .
About this synod, it is worth knowing several interesting facts:
- The bishops that are part of it are chosen, some by the pope, others by certain religious institutes and the rest by the different existing episcopal conferences.
- The Pope is the one who presides over it and there is a body that, among other things, is responsible for preparing all the documentation that is going to be used. We are referring to the General Secretariat.
- It is always celebrated in Rome and everything that happens there is recorded in what is known as the Acts of the Synod , which once prepared are delivered to the Supreme Pontiff .
In addition to all of the above, we can determine that among the last synods carried out is the Synod on the Family , which took place in the second half of 2015 and was based on several points, such as preparation for marriage, the dignity of emigrant families and the coexistence of couples without getting married.
Other synods
The diocesan synod , for its part, is an assembly in which clergy and laity participate. The call is carried out by the bishop of the diocese in question and has the objective of analyzing issues related to legislation .
Astronomy , finally, uses the notion of synod to name the conjunction that occurs between a pair of planets that share a circle of position or a degree of the Ecliptic.