Synodality and the Active Roles of the Laity in the Church

Abstract

Some of the characteristics of human beings are socialization and communication. This means that by our nature we have the capacity to socialize and communicate with one another. No one is an Island as the saying goes. We need one another as we journey through this life. For a peaceful coexistence in any community there is the need for socialization and communication among the inhabitants of that community, especially when there is a problem to be solved. Synodality is a situation where the hierarchy of the Church with some selected lay faithful come together to socialize, communicate and discuss matters concerning the progress of the Church. Synod has been part and parcel of the Church right from the beginning of the history of the Church. The Church comprises the clergy and the laity that are united under the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the clergy and the laity have an active and special role to play in the Church and the world at large. This paper is concerned with the active roles the laity should play in the Church. This article has been able to discover that the Church cannot grow without the active roles of the laity because of the special place they occupy in the world. The lay faithful interact with the secular world on daily basis in the areas of health, education, politics, family life and etcetera. The Church is therefore asking the laity to participate actively in evangelizing the world through the above-mentioned areas. This is the crux of this article.