Reforming the Church: A Synodal Way of Proceeding

"To walk together is the constitutive way of the Church; the figure that enables us to interpret reality with the eyes and heart of God; the condition for following the Lord Jesus and being servants of life in this wounded time." -Pope Francis "Today, making an option for synodality one's own means thinking systemically about the renewal and life of the ecclesial body, in the local churches, without limiting oneself to certain sectors or individual activities that would only make a partial change." -from the introduction Reforming the Church analyzes ministries; participatory structures; pastoral institutions; the role of the laity, especially women and couples in the Church; formation programs in seminaries and their decision-making and decision-taking models, among other topics where concrete reform is needed. The book covers six perspectives: the synodal form of church; scripture and tradition-the consensus ecclesiae; pathways to renewed ministries; co-responsibility versus clericalism; reforming structures; and the future-an ongoing synodal spirituality. Serena Noceti is an Italian lay theologian, a full professor at the Religious Sciences Institute in Florence, and a teacher at the theological faculty of central Italy. She is a founding member of the Association of Italian Women Theologians and former vice president of the Italian Theological Association.