Belonging to One People of God: Consecrated Vocations in Synodal Communion with the Church’s Hierarchy

Abstract

This article addresses common misunderstandings in Vietnam about “religious” and “diocesan” vocations that can lead consecrated life to be treated as foreign or secondary within the local Church. On the theological basis of the Church as one yet diverse Body, it argues that hierarchy and consecrated life are two essential, complementary dimensions of the same ecclesial mystery. Drawing on Christus Dominus (1965) and Mutuae Relationes (1978), the paper highlights their shared mission of proclaiming the Gospel and calls both clergy and religious to live synodality through communion, mission, and participation. It also stresses mutual responsibility in formation. In this framework, religious superiors and diocesan bishops are invited to discern together beyond a “permission” logic, so that diverse apostolates serve the unity of the diocesan family as the Church in Vietnam advances on the synodal path.