Global Synod

The Catholic Church is in synod! What does that mean? A synod is a gathering of the Church for discernment or decision-making.  The word synodality comes from two Greek words that mean "a way together." Our Holy Father Pope Francis convened the Synod on Communion, Participation, and Mission which began in October 2021 and will conclude in 2024. This journey follows in the wake of the renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).  The themes of the synod are communion, participation, and mission.

The Synod began with the Diocesan Phase in 2021 which invited all of the Catholic dioceses around the world to engage members in listening sessions. Every conference of bishops around the globe submitted a national synthesis. To view the US National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America, click here.  All of the input from these sessions were synthesized by a gathering of experts in Rome. Enlarge the Space of Your Tent, also called the Document for the Continental Stage, was published on October 22, 2022 and is a synthesis of all the input gathered from Catholics around the world. 

The next step in the process was the Continental Phase. From January - March 2023, continental assemblies were held on each continent:  Bangkok (Asia), Prague (Europe), Bogota (Latin America), Suva (Oceania), Orlando (U.S. and Canada), Addis Ababa (Africa) and Beirut (the Middle East) and a digital synod gathering.  The continental assemblies included meetings, communal and private prayer, and various liturgical events. After these gatherings, the Instrumentum Laboris was published in June 2023. This document is a series of worksheets created to guide the Synodal assembly in October 2023. 

All of the work of the Synod that has happened to this point has prepared the way for the gathering of delegates in Rome for the Synodal assembly in October 2023. This is the first time ever in Church history when voting members will not only include bishops, but also laymen and women selected by Pope Francis. One of the representatives is from the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns, who serves in ministry at St. Joan of Arc parish in Minneapolis. The Synod delegates will gather again in October 2024. During this interim stage, all the faithful are invited to participate in listening sessions organized by national bishops' conferences and hosted by dioceses and archdioceses. Here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, those listening sessions will be held on Sunday, February 25 and Tuesday, February 27. 

The work of the bishops and delegates who gather in Rome in October will be guided by the Instrumentum Laboris. That document's focus are questions focused on how the Church can foster communion, strengthen participation, and better carry out its mission. Some topics considered include care for creation, ecumenism (relationships with non-Catholic Christians), the role women, and the inclusion and welcome of marginalized groups. 

Among the questions, concerns, and hopes that emerged from the synodal listening sessions held around the globe was the need to "rethink women's participation." This was named as "critical and urgent," emerging from every part of the world. Specifically, women's preaching, women in governance, and the women's diaconate were named as areas that were lifted up for consideration. 

Click here to view the Synod synthesis document that summarizes the work of the October 2023 assembly.