Synodality as baptismal vocation and ecclesial care : toward a theology of participation and accompaniment

Abstract

This article proposes that synodality is grounded in two inseparable theological realities: baptism and ecclesial care. While contemporary studies frequently interpret synodality through the categories of participation and communion, this study argues that care should be recognised as one of its constitutive foundations rather than merely its pastoral expression. Baptism incorporates believers into Christ, establishes the dignity of the People of God, and calls every Christian to participate actively in the Church’s mission through shared discernment and co-responsibility. Care, rooted in God’s saving relationship with humanity and embodied in the ministry of Jesus, gives historical and relational expression to this baptismal identity by shaping communities marked by listening, accompaniment, mercy, and service. Through engagement with the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the teaching of Pope Francis, and the Augustinian perspective of Pope Leo XIV, the article presents synodality as the Church’s enduring way of living, discerning, and witnessing together in service of the Gospel and the world.