Lumen et Vita

From 2021 to 2024, the Catholic Church held a Synod on Synodality to discern how the Church is being called to improve its communion in order to live out its identity as the body of Christ. In March 2024, Lumen et Vita held a conference entitled "Synodality, Dialogue, and Reconciliation," exploring these issues and their wide relevance in the twenty-first century Church. This volume of the journal includes two of these papers.

In "The Concept of the African Family as a Symbol for Ecumenical Dialogue and an Inclusive Theology," Felix Barutwanayo explores how the symbol of the family, important in all cultures but with a particular expression in the African context, can be used as a model of communion. He explores reasons why it is more easily applicable to ecumenical than to interreligious discussions. In "Centesimus Annus and Lessons for Modern Organizational Leadership," Joseph Markey outlines the most important themes of Catholic social teaching and their applicability in the business world. He finds that the links are considerable even though they are seldom explicitly drawn.

We hope that this volume contributes to the Church's ongoing discernment of how to live out its synodal identity.

(Image: Sarah Ruiz, Creative Commons license)