Published in June of 2023, Serena Noceti’s work emerges as a significant and timely contribution to the field of synodality. The text is introduced by its connection to Rafael Luciani’s (Trans. Joseph Owens, SJ) Synodality: A New Way of Proceeding in the Church (NY/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2022) and their co-authorship of Sinodalmente: forma e riforma di una Chiesa sinodale (Firenze: Nerbini, 2022). Like Luciani, Noceti is a pivotal player in the synodal milieu, arguing that synodality was hermeneutically sewn into the conciliar reforms of Vatican II. For a vigorous assessment of Luciani, see Peter De Mey’s Book Review Horizons volume 51, issue 1, June 2024 (219 – 221).
Where to begin, exactly? Although Noceti and Luciani share several perspectives, Noceti’s focus is distinct. For Luciani, synodality is a way of proceeding. For Noceti, the way of proceeding is toward an endgame: reform. As others have noted, including De Mey, what Noceti means by reform is stopping the circularity of “one” person receiving support from the mediation of “some” to be given authority over “all.” In a church setting, this could be likened to a bishop receiving support from some priests to assume authority over all the faithful. Similarly, in volunteer work, one individual may receive backing from a small group, which then asserts authority and seeks to control the community. Instead, Noceti proposes that synodality must shift the church toward the ecclesial and communal “we.”
Intuitively, such a vision of a church of co-responsibility does not negate the existence of certain offices such as the papacy or episopacy. Instead, it prompts a critical examination of how authority becomes concentrated within power structures. Noceti’s claim is for the practical application of synodality in local churches and parishes as a call to action for essential reconfigurations. Her work is not just a theoretical exploration of synodality but a practical guide for implementing change.
Although we could interpret this articulation of synodality as “change management” and “organizational restructuring,” such a view overlooks the essence of Noceti’s contribution. To my reading, the heart of Noceti’s argument is how to “decide in a synodal manner.” The idea is that decision-making structures must become “polymorphous,” flexible in generating new ideas from shared experiences that welcome constructive criticism. As Noceti describes, what counts in such a process is not the problem solved but how discernment is done. Such synodal decision-making is integrated, which does not mean democratic but rather a codified participatory process that is communicative and reciprocal. This means setting aside forms of decision-making that resemble feudalism, parishes as duchies, and dioceses as principalities. In Jesuit speak, it is discernment-in-common.
In this light, synodality is a way of seeing the church as men and women, lay and ordained, diverse, variant, and a “we” that makes decisions as a “we.” Expectedly, some things are not up for debate: Noceti is not proposing to redefine the First Ecumenical Council’s doctrine on Christ. But Noceti does argue that reform means reinvigorating a laity that feels intimidated, or at least reluctant, to take up the dignity of their shared ministry by virtue of a common baptism. Here, Noceti’s synodality distinguishes the “we” of coordination from the role of liturgical presidency and the “we” of coresponsibility with the importance of mutual recognition. For Noceti, a healthy kind of “we” is empowerment; its nemesis, entitlement. Indeed, vigilance must prevail to avoid converting the rights and duties of “we” into another form of clericalism.
Noceti’s Reforming the Church is a must-read for those in the academy (foundational theology) and those in the church engaged with synodality (systematic theology). The frequent use of Latin in the first two chapters may limit initial accessibility. Still, Noceti ensures that the text remains approachable and readability opens cordially by chapter 3. Noceti’s text is thus an excellent addition to any ecclesiology or parish reading group syllabus. Indeed, following Pope Francis’s promulgation of Praedicate Evangelium in March 2022, Noceti is on point that reforms are a perennial consideration. Certainly, if the Roman Curia can implement operational and financial reforms, then Noceti’s proposal that synodality has the potential to open new pathways to amend old structures that keep people out of the church should be anticipated. After all, the church is in a “we,” not a “me” business. Even One God is defined in Christianity as more than one person. For Noceti, this synodal “we” could indeed be God’s way of telling us it is a synodal church and synodal life.
