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, analyse 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 the synodal experiences underway on the African continent.

It is made up of the following main stakeholder groups:

• theologians acting as liaisons with the various church regions;
• Pastors from regional bishops' conferences and major superiors who serve as advisors;
• Masters and PhD students interested in conducting research on synodality.

SynObs' actions consist of :

• collect activities of all kinds related to synodality implemented at local level, analyse them and make them available on the platform (website);
• to suggest to the various regions the best practices that are being used or possible actions to promote a more synodal church, through the bishops and major superiors in connection with SynObs;
• to compile and make available to all documentation on synodality (that produced by the General Secretariat of the Synod and that 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 that it enriches the transformational dynamic of the Family of God Church in Africa with data taken from its experience, research and possible innovations. The SynObs can also serve as a laboratory for receiving gifts from other sister churches and sharing with them the gifts of the churches in Africa.