01/07/2026 09:00 - 17:10

HALL: Parenzo - A18

Contact: Witherington D.

Chair: Witherington D.

The world is increasingly marked by many crises including political polarization, many forms of inequality, pending environmental catastrophe, war and violence, and the rise of militant and exclusive forms of nationalism. In such a context, the Church is called to be a prophetic voice of peace, reconciliation, and inclusion. The papacies of Pope Francis and Pope Leo have served as a call to openness and solidarity, embodying in both word and deed the prophetic vocation the Church is called to embody in our increasingly wounded world. The call to synodality initiated by Pope Francis and continued under Pope Leo has been an especially potent sign of the direction and posture the Church is called to take at this time, namely, one of humility, dialogical openness, and receptive listening, all in service of creating missionary disciples who are able to proclaim the Kingdom of God prophetically and effectively.


And yet, despite the Church's external commitment to its prophetic and synodal vocation, many ecclesial structures, positions, and mentalities remain seemingly closed to dialogue, growth, and critique (i.e. questions of sex and gender, womens' sacramental leadership, and addressing the causes of sexual abuse, to name a few of the most glaring instances). Moreover, the Church in some part of the world (i.e. Eastern Europe and parts of the United States) uncritically adopting far right political ideologies and the piecemeal and ideologically motivated implementation (or lack thereof) of synodality remain challenges to the Church in fully embracing its prophetic and synodal vocation. All of these realities witness to various "inequalities" within the Church which the Church must respond to faithfully, creatively, and critically. This panel will offer such responses, highlighting how tools within our theological tradition, creatively and critically employed, can enable the Church to better embody its prophetic and synodal vocation.