Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Bible

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to turn out a post-syndol apostolic exhortation on the Bible at some point in the next few months. Last time that he had an October Synod (2005), the exhortation came out in February 2007, about a year and half later. The Bible Synod took place last October 5-26, 2008. Cardinal Marc Oullet, archbishop of Quebec, requested that Pope Benedict write an encyclical on the Bible and biblical interpretation at the Synod last fall (see Zenit). While I do not think it likely for the Pope to produce both an apostolic exhortation and an encyclical on the Bible in a relatively short period of time, it is possible. We can expect he will be spending extra effort on the exhortation in order to sum up the synod and clearly re-state the Church's views on the Bible. If Benedict remains with us for several years after the exhortation, it is possible he could produce an encyclical as well. However, I bet he will invest the exhortation, which he is obligated to provide, with a great deal of thought and energy. It should make for good reading. I imagine it will re-affirm what Catholics believe about the Bible and provide a good synthesis of post-Vatican II teaching.

Another Synod Site

Catholic News Service has put up their own site about the Bible Synod which starts on Sunday. The site has links to several CNS stories about different aspects of the synod plus interviews and other articles with people somehow related to the synod. It looks like they'll use this site to post news stories about the synod over the next couple weeks. Just keeping you up to speed on the resources you'll need to follow the events...

Oh yeah, and the CNS blog has been tracking things. Here's a post with some random items about the synod.

New Website on the Scripture Synod

Jeff Cavins just launched a website that will be keeping track of what goes on at the synod which begins Monday. In the intro video on the site, he says the site will be posting articles, audio and video of synod events. I'm hoping it will be a valuable resource for everyone over the next couple weeks. The site is called scripturesynod.com.

Why is this synod so important? Well, it's the first time in over 40 years that the highest echelons of Church authority are officially discussing the Bible. Yes, the last major document on the Bible was Dei Verbum. A few things have been released by the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the Popes have a made a few comments, but the Magisterium has not grappled with the biblical question in a serious way since the early 1960's. So I think the next couple weeks could be really important in Catholic biblical thought and biblical theology for the next 40 years or so. I could be wrong.

Americans at the Synod

There's an interesting CNS story about various people the Pope has invited to attend the synod next week. I thought I'd scour through the official Italian list to find the Americans (Zenit has it in English). I only came up with four:

1. Fr. Peter Damian Akpunonu, professsor of biblical exegesis at St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Chicago and member of the International Theological Commission (expert consultant)
2. Sr. Sara Butler, professor of dogmatic theology at St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers, NY (expert consultant)
3. Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus (official observer)
4. Ricardo Grzona, president of the Foundation Ramon Pane of Honduras and Catholic consultor to the United Bible Societies of the Americas (official observer)

According to Zenit there are 32 voting members, 41 experts and 37 observers. I thought it a bit disappointing that the US didn't get a voting member at all, but oh well. (This is not correct, see this more recent post for correction.) I also thought the selection of these four people to represent the American perspective at the synod was a bit mercurial. I mean, these are not the names that leap to mind when I think of "American Catholic Biblical Scholarship." But I don't get a phone call from Rome before these things happen. If only...just kidding! Now I will say that the pool is quite small--only 32 votes--so I suppose not every country can get a seat at the table.

It is also a little odd that Fr. Akpunonu is not from the US, but from Africa. Here's his bio at the Mundelein website:

• REV. PETER DAMIAN AKPUNONU, S.S.L., S.T.D.
  Professor, Department of Biblical Exegesis and Proclamation.
  S.S.L., Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome;
  S.T.D., Pontifical Urban University, Rome.
  Former Associate Pastor 1966-67;
  taught at Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, Nigeria 971-1978;
  and Rector of the same 1979-1989;
  President of Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria 1989-1997.
  Author of: The Vine, Israel and the Church
  and The Overture of the Book of Consolations (Isa 40: 1-11).
  Contributor to Bigard Studies and CIWA Studies.
  Member of the International Theological Commission, Vatican City.
  Member of Catholic Biblical Association of America, Conference of Catholic Theological Institutions, Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians.

But I suppose being a member of the International Theological Commission probably puts him in good stead to be an expert consultant at the synod. Ah, yes, this must be the case. Turns out Sr. Sara Butler is also a member of the ITC. Here's her bio from the St. Joseph Seminary website:

• "Sister Sara teaches dogmatic theology at St. Joseph's Seminary. She recently published The Catholic Priesthood and Women: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church (Hillenbrand Books). Her articles have appeared in Worship, The Thomist, Theological Studies, Theology Digest, Anglican Theological Review, Communio, Ephemerides Mariologicae, Chicago Studies, and the New Catholic Encyclopedia. In 2004 she was appointed to the International Theological Commission, and she has served on the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission since 1991. Sister Sara belongs to the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity."

At her bio page she has an interesting paper on women's ordination.

The other thing is that the synod is not an exegetical conference, but a pastoral synod. The most important things to discuss is how the Bible functions in the life of the Church as a whole--not the intricacies of biblical scholars opinions on minute topics. So the most important members are the pastors of the Church--the cardinals, archbishops and so on. They represent the authority and pastoral intelligence of the Church. Thank God the Church is not run by Bible scholars!

Oh yes, the other two. I find the official observers less interesting to talk about because, well, I imagine them just sitting in the back of the room shaking hands with people and such--not actually participating in the work of the synod. But anyway. You probably know who Carl Anderson is. He just wrote a new best-selling book and you'll find him wherever the Knights may go. But Ricardo Grzona...hmmm...well, I found a picture of him handing a book to the Pope. According to the American Bible Society, he's a Spanish speaker and has been active in promoting Lectio Divina with the UBS. Unfortunately, most of the stuff about him on the web is in Spanish so I can't do much with it.

A Synod on Scripture

Pope Benedict XVI has called a synod of bishops to meet on the theme "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church." For those of us not in the ecclesiastical know, this is a big deal. The synod is going to meet Oct 5-26 and talk about the Bible in Catholic life--something that has not been done in an official, serious way since the publication of Dei Verbum 40 years ago.

A little controversy was ginned up back in January when Cardinal Martini wrote a piece giving his opinion on what the synod should avoid saying.

The important thing that will come out of this is an official document penned by Benedict himself that presents the results of the synod and a way forward for the Church regarding Scripture. While I try to avoid predicting the future too much, I'll bet some of his views from his famous Erasmus lecture in 1988 will resurface, albeit in disguised form. This lecture has guided much discussion on biblical hermeneutics in Catholic circles in the United States. I project that the document coming from this synod will be equally important for future discussions. If nothing else, the synod promises to be an important and much needed moment for reflection on Scripture by our Church's leadership.

Here's a couple articles on the synod:
Chinese Catholics Prepare...
Zenit
From CNS
CNA

And here's the official synod preparation document.