Last Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated Mass to mark the global launch of the Synod of Bishops with the theme For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. In dioceses around the world, local launches will take place this coming weekend, ushering in a period of local consultation that will assist with the two-year process culminating in the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. The Church in Melbourne joins the rest of the world as we embark on this intentional process of mutual listening.
On September 7, 2021, the preparatory document and the vademecum (handbook) for the synodal journey were released. With the convocation of the Synod of Bishops on the themes of communion, participation and mission, Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: “It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium. This journey, which follows in the wake of the Church’s ‘renewal’ proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task.”
On Sunday, October 17, dioceses around the world will launch local preparations for the Synod of Bishops, which has the theme: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission”. The Catholic Church in Australia will invite the People of God to make submissions via an online portal that will open on October 17. Those submissions will help the Bishops develop a national report to support the global process leading to an international gathering in 2023. Find out more at: http://www.catholic.org.au/synodalchurch
