Editing Synod (section)

===Catholic===
{{See also|Synodality}}
In [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] usage, ''synod'' and ''council'' are theoretically synonymous as they are of Greek and Latin origins, respectively, both meaning an authoritative meeting of bishops for the purpose of church administration in the areas of teaching (faith and morals) or governance (church discipline or law). However, in modern use, synod and council are applied to specific categories of such meetings and so do not really overlap.  A synod generally meets every three years and is thus designated an "Ordinary General Assembly". However, "Extraordinary" synods can be called to deal with specific situations. There are also "Special" synods for the Church in a specific geographic area such as the one held November 16 – December 12, 1997, for the Church in America.

==== Synod of Bishops ====
{{Main|Synod of Bishops (Catholic)}}

While the words "synod" and "council" usually refer to a transitory meeting, the term "Synod of Bishops" or "Synod of the Bishops",{{NoteTag|In English "Synod of Bishops" is the usual expression for what in other languages is usually called the "Synod of the Bishops": "[[:eo:Sinodo de la Episkopoj]]", "[[:es:Sínodo de los obispos]]", "[[:fr:Synode des évêques]]", "[[:it:Sinodo dei vescovi]]".}} is also applied to a permanent<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19650915_apostolica-sollicitudo_en.html |title=Motu proprio ''Apostolica sollicitudo'', I |publisher=Vatican.va |date=1965-09-15 |accessdate=2023-08-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_20050309_documentation-profile_en.html#V._SUMMARY_OF_THE_SYNOD_ASSEMBLIES |title=Synodal Information |publisher=Vatican.va |date= |accessdate=2023-08-22}}</ref> body established in 1965 as an advisory body of the pope. It holds assemblies at which bishops and religious superiors, elected by bishops conferences or the Union of Superiors General or appointed by the Pope vote on proposals ("''propositiones''") to present for the pope's consideration, and which in practice the pope uses as the basis of "post-synodal apostolic exhortations" on the themes discussed. While an assembly of the Synod of Bishops thus expresses its collective wishes, it does not issue decrees, unless in certain cases the pope authorizes it to do so, and even then an assembly's decision requires ratification by the pope.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P18.HTM |title=Code of Canon Law, canon 343 |publisher=Vatican.va |date= |accessdate=2023-08-22}}</ref> The pope serves as president of an assembly or appoints the president, determines the agenda, and summons, suspends, and dissolves the assembly.

Modern Catholic synod themes:
* X "The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST for the hope of the world" 1998
* XI "The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church" 2005
* XII "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church" 2008
* XIII "New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith" 2012
* Extraordinary General "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization" 2014

====Councils====

Meetings of bishops in the Roman empire are known from the mid-third century and already numbered twenty by the time of the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (325). Thereafter they continued by the hundreds into the sixth century. Those authorized by an emperor and often attended by him came to be called ecumenical, meaning throughout the world (as the world was thought of in Western terms).<ref>MacMullen, Ramsay. ''Voting About God in Early Church Councils'', Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-300-11596-3}}</ref> Today, ''Council'' in Roman Catholic [[canon law]] typically refers to an irregular meeting of the entire episcopate of a nation, region, or the world for the purpose of legislation with binding force.  Those contemplated in canon law are the following:
* An ''[[Catholic Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical council]]'' is an irregular meeting of the entire episcopate in communion with the pope and is, along with the pope, the highest legislative authority of the universal Church (can.&nbsp;336).  The pope alone has the right to convoke, suspend, and dissolve an ecumenical council; he also presides over it or chooses someone else to do so and determines the agenda (can. 338).  The [[sede vacante|vacancy]] of the [[Holy See]] automatically suspends an ecumenical council.  Laws or teachings issued by an ecumenical council require the confirmation of the pope, who alone has the right to promulgate them (can. 341).  The role of the pope in an ecumenical council is a distinct feature of the Catholic Church.
* ''Plenary councils'', which are meetings of the entire episcopate of a nation (including a nation that is only one [[ecclesiastical province]]), are convoked by the national [[episcopal conference]].
* ''Provincial councils'', which consist of the bishops of an ecclesiastical province smaller than a nation, are convoked by the [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]] with consent of a majority of the [[suffragan bishop]]s.

Plenary and provincial councils are categorized as particular councils.  A particular council is composed of all the bishops of the territory (including coadjutors and auxiliaries) as well as other ecclesiastical ordinaries who head particular churches in the territory (such as [[territorial abbot]]s and [[vicar apostolic|vicars apostolic]]). Each of these members has a vote on council legislation.  Additionally, the following persons by law are part of particular councils but only participate in an advisory capacity: [[vicar general|vicars general and episcopal]], presidents of [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] universities, deans of Catholic departments of theology and canon law, some major superiors elected by all the major superiors in the territory, some rectors of seminaries elected by the rectors of seminaries in the territory, and two members from each cathedral chapter, presbyterial council, or pastoral council in the territory (can. 443).  The convoking authority can also select other members of the faithful (including the laity) to participate in the council in an advisory capacity.

Meetings of the entire episcopate of a supra-national region have historically been called councils as well, such as the various [[Councils of Carthage]] in which all the bishops of North Africa were to attend.

During the Middle Ages, some councils were [[legatine council|legatine]], called by a papal legate rather than the pope or bishop.<ref>{{cite book |author=Robinson, I. S. |title=The Papacy 1073–1198: Continuity and Innovation |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=1990 |page=150 |isbn=0-521-31922-6 }}</ref>

====Synods====
Synods in [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] are similar to synods in Orthodox churches in that they are the primary vehicle for election of bishops and establishment of inter-diocesan ecclesiastical laws.  The term ''synod'' in [[Latin Church]] canon law, however, refers to meetings of a representative, thematic, non-legislative (advisory) or mixed nature or in some other way do not meet the qualifications of a "council". There are various types.

{{anchor|CatholicDiocesan}}<!--[[Diocesan synod (Catholic)]] redirects here-->'''[[Diocesan synod (Catholic Church)|Diocesan synod]]s''' are irregular meetings of the clergy and laity of a [[particular church]] summoned by the diocesan bishop (or other prelate if the particular church is not a diocese) to deliberate on legislative matters.  Only the diocesan bishop holds legislative authority; the other members of the diocesan synod act only in an advisory capacity.  Those who must be invited to a diocesan synod by law are any [[coadjutor bishop|coadjutor]] or [[auxiliary bishop]]s, the [[vicar general|vicars general and episcopal]], the ''[[officialis]]'', the [[vicar forane|vicars forane]] plus an additional priest from each vicariate forane, the presbyterial council, [[Canon (priest)|canon]]s of the cathedral chapter (if there is one), the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the seminary, some of the superiors of religious houses in the diocese, and members of the laity chosen by the diocesan pastoral council, though the diocesan bishop can invite others to attend at his own initiative. (can. 463)

====Episcopal conferences====

National [[episcopal conference]]s are another development of the Second Vatican Council.  They are permanent bodies consisting of all the Latin Church bishops of a nation and those equivalent to diocesan bishops in law (i.e. [[territorial abbot]]s). Bishops of other ''[[sui juris]]'' churches and papal [[nuncio]]s are not members of episcopal conferences by law, though the conference itself may invite them in an advisory or voting capacity (can. 450).

While councils (can. 445) and diocesan synods (can. 391 & 466) have full legislative powers in their areas of competence, national episcopal conferences may only issue supplementary legislation when authorized to do so in canon law or by decree of the [[Holy See]]. Additionally, any such supplemental legislation requires a two-thirds vote of the conference and review by the Holy See (can. 455) to have the force of law. Without such authorization and review, episcopal conferences are deliberative only and exercise no authority over their member bishops or dioceses.