The SYNOD of Bishops

Monsignor Gerard Robinson's Homily explaining the vision for a Synodal Church

The History of the Synod of Bishops

Early forms of a Synodical government can be traced back to the New Testament, where we see that decisions were made collectively and applied pastorally in different congregations and among various groups of Christians. Church Synods where first introduced into the Catholic church as the forum in which cases could be resolved that a local bishop was not competent to handle. These synods took three forms; provincial, metropolitan or patriarchal. All three types of Synods however maintained the same goal of reaching a consensus of all on key decisions regarding the Church. The experience the Church gathered in the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (1962-1965) motivated Pope Paul VI to permanently establish a special Council of Bishops thus forming the modern Synod of Bishops in 1965.