Changing to Be Faithful: Living Tradition in a Synodal Church

In Changing to Be Faithful, Fr Eamonn Conway explores the vision, the promise and the challenges of a synodal Church. In speaking to the fears and anxieties and the joys and hopes of those living through this change in the Church, Conway shows how the Catholic Church can remain faithful to its tradition while responding to the issues of the day.

What does synodality mean for the Catholic Church today?

Since Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality (2021–2024), the word synodality has become central to Church discussion. For some, it represents hope, renewal and a more listening Church. For others, it raises questions about change, authority, parish life and Church identity. Conway addresses these tensions directly, offering a clear and theological account of what synodality is, why it matters, and how it can have practical applications in decision-making for the Catholic Church. He turns the discussion around synodality on its head: We change so that we remain faithful. Synodality is what will hold us together, not drive us apart.

Rooted in the theology of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), this book presents the Church as a pilgrim people journeying together in the Holy Spirit. A central principle of Vatican II was the dignity and equality of all those baptised, whether they remained as lay believers or went on to religious life and ministry. Changing to be Faithful explains how synodality can support co-responsibility, discernment, dialogue and decision-making in the life of the Church, with a pragmatic focus on implications from the universal Church to the local parish.

This is a timely and practical book for anyone seeking to understand:

• what synodality means in the Catholic Church.

• how Vatican II shaped the modern Church.

• why synodality matters for Church renewal.

• how synodal processes can support parish and diocesan life.

• what the Synod on Synodality means for Catholics today.