The ecclesiological turn of the 20th century

From jurisdicism to synodality

Abstract

This article, following a theoretical and bibliographical methodology, analyzes the ecclesiological transformation that occurred in the 20th century, marked by the shift from the legal-institutional paradigm, consolidated after the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council, to an ecclesiology of communion, participation, and shared mission, further developed and matured by the Second Vatican Council and updated during the pontificate of Pope Francis. The societas perfecta model, based on hierarchical centralization and canonical normativity, proved insufficient in the face of the demands of a rapidly changing world, marked by wars, cultural crises, and processes of secularization. The Second Vatican Council represented a milestone of renewal, redefining the Church’s self-understanding as Mystery, rooted in Trinitarian communion, and the People of God, the universal sacrament of salvation. Texts such as Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes inaugurated a new horizon, guided by the co-responsibility of the baptized, episcopal collegiality, ecumenical dialogue, and solidarity with human history. This “Copernican revolution” in ecclesiology shifted the focus from normative authority to the active participation of all the faithful, reclaiming the sensus fidei. It is based on the premise that fidelity to the living Tradition of the Church requires constant updating, a continuous aggiornamento, so that the recovery of the synodal perspective, proposed by Pope Francis, aims to make the Church more welcoming, co-responsible, and sensitive to the journey of today’s people.