In recent years, the word Synodality has become one of the most repeated slogans in the Catholic Church. It is on the lips of bishops, priests, theologians, and even nuns. But many ordinary Catholics are still asking: what exactly does it mean?

A religious sister, the under-secretary of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops, in one interview, gave a blunt answer: Synodality is basically Vatican II in a nutshell. That short phrase may be the most honest definition we have so far. Synodality is the attempt to restart the “spirit” of Vatican II, with even more meetings, more discussions, more “listening sessions,” and more committees, as if the Church were some kind of political party or corporation in need of rebranding.

Synodality did not just appear out of nowhere. Pope Francis, from the start of his papacy, spoke about wanting a “synodal Church.” He said it should be a Church that “walks together,” where the people of God are constantly consulted, where decisions are made through “listening and discerning.”

Behind these words is a liberal vision: that doctrine is not something firmly handed down, but something that can change with time, depending on what the people say. This is why Synodality was launched as a worldwide process of surveys, gatherings, and documents.

And now, with the election of Pope Leo XIV, we are told this journey will continue. Already, commentators close to him say that Synodality will remain the “path forward” for the Church. This shows us that even with a new pope, the machinery of Synodality is still moving and pushed by those who want to see the faith of our fathers reshaped into something new.

In his recent article at Crisis Magazine, Fr. John Perricone gave words to what many Catholics feel deep down: Synodality is nothing more than sloth in disguise. He wrote that all these endless new “synodal ideas” show “a growing tiring of God.”

The Church, from Pentecost onward, was given fire, the blazing fire of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles went out to preach, to convert, to baptize, to suffer and to die for Christ. They were filled with zeal. They carried within them a faith that moved mountains.

But what do we see in Synodality? We see committees, consultations, endless talking. Fr. Perricone reminds us that this reveals a soul that is tired, a soul that has lost the joy of God. Instead of burning with love, it slumps in laziness. Instead of converting the world, it holds another meeting.

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Here are some of the key points he made:

1. Synodality is endless chatter. Instead of proclaiming Christ, it keeps Catholics busy with shallow discussions and workshops.

2. It avoids the hard work of holiness. Real sanctity requires prayer, sacrifice, fasting, and conversion. Synodality offers the easy way: just sit and talk.

3. It is rooted in weariness. A tired soul finds excuses to avoid God. Synodality creates those excuses and wrapping them in nice language about “listening” and “walking together.”

4. It feeds laziness. Instead of acting on the Great Commission, it delays with more processes, more drafts, more “journeys.”

In short, Synodality is the Church falling asleep when she is called to be awake. It is spiritual sloth.

Another priest, Fr. Gerald Murray, a respected canon lawyer, gave a clear theological reminder: Synodality is not a mark of the Church. The true marks of the Church are the same as they have always been: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Never synodal.

Fr. Murray pointed out that the mission of the Church is not simply to “listen.” Listening has its place, but it is not the essence of the Church. The Church was sent by Christ to proclaim — to proclaim the Gospel so that all may be baptized and so that all may be one in Christ. Synodality reverses the mission, making the Church more interested in hearing itself talk than in announcing the Good News of salvation.

Of course, many good bishops know this. They see through the empty slogans. They know that Synodality leads nowhere except confusion. But the problem is: the way the Church is governed today makes bishops act more like diplomats or regional managers of a corporation than successors of the Apostles.

They report to the Vatican as though the Pope were a CEO, and they rarely take a stand against bad ideas. To speak up would risk their position, their reputation, or even their career path. So, instead of resisting Synodality, most remain silent.

But silence is not neutral. Silence is complicity. And one day these bishops will stand before God. How will they explain their silence? How will they defend their lack of courage? They were consecrated to defend the faith, not to hide behind protocols.

The Church tells us that sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. It is not only laziness in work, but worse: laziness in loving God. A slothful soul avoids prayer, avoids sacrifice, avoids the call of Christ. It finds excuses, it prefers comfort, it delays.

This is exactly what Synodality does to the whole Church. It turns the Bride of Christ into a sleepy, slow, tired institution. It says, “Let us meet again, let us listen again, let us journey again,” instead of saying, “Arise, let us go to Christ.”

Synodality is not renewal. It is not zeal. It is not Pentecost. It is tiredness dressed up as progress. It is sloth disguised as charity. And it is deadly.

This is why faithful Catholics must resist. We must refuse to be swept into the lazy current of Synodality. If there are invitations to join parish listening sessions or synodal workshops, the best thing to do is to politely decline. Why? Because to join is to participate in this sloth. To join is to lend our energy to a process that weakens the faith.

The Church does not need another version of Vatican II. She does not need more slogans. She needs saints. She needs fire again. She needs Catholics who pray, who kneel before the Eucharist, who cling to Sacred Tradition, who defend the Deposit of Faith.

So let us not grow weary of God. Let us not tire of His majesty. Let us not fall into sloth. Instead, let us burn with zeal for His glory, with courage for His truth, and with love for His unchanging Bride, the Holy Catholic Church.

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