Vision & Mission

Aware of the ecclesial, social and cultural challenges linked to the synodal process underway in the Catholic Church since the Synod on Synodality (2021-2024), the founding members have decided to create a 'Think TankThe aim is to collect, promote, analyze and support all experiences contributing to the implementation of synodality in Africa.

The Synodality Observatory is officially named Synodality Observatoryin short: SynObs. The abbreviation is intended to evoke the idea of a panoramic (synoptic!) view of synodal experiences underway on the African continent.

It is made up of the following main stakeholder groups:

• theologians acting as liaison with the various ecclesiastical regions;
• pastors from regional bishops' conferences and major superiors who serve as advisors;
• Master's and PhD students interested in conducting research on synodality.

SynObs' actions consist of :

• collect activities of all kinds related to synodality at local level, analyze them and make them available on the platform (website);
• suggest to the different regions the good practices that are being done or the possible actions to promote a more synodal church, through the bishops and major superiors in connection with SynObs;
• compile and make available to all documentation on synodality (that produced by the General Secretariat of the Synod and those produced on the African continent and other continents, and likely to accompany the process of synodal transformation of the Church in Africa).

The comparative advantage of SynObs is to enrich the transformational dynamic of the Family of God Church in Africa with data taken from its experience, research and possible innovations. SynObs can also serve as a laboratory for receiving gifts from other sister churches and sharing with them the gifts of African churches.