VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Members of the Synod of Bishops will issue a “Letter to the People of God” at the close of the first session of the synod assembly, which ends on October 29, the Vatican said.
The letter, the drafting of which was approved by the synod assembly, will be discussed both during small group working sessions and among the entire assembly on October 23 after a Mass for synod participants in St Peter’s Basilica, the synod general secretariat announced in a statement on October 19.
It added that additional time will be made for synod participants to discuss the methodology and steps for the next phase of the synodal process to take place between the first session’s close on October 29 and the second session scheduled to take place at the Vatican in October 2024. The statement said the assembly’s synthesis document will not be presented to and discussed by synod participants in two parts – “A” and “B” – as originally indicated on the synod’s schedule.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, relator general of the assembly, will present the outline for the synod’s synthesis document to participants on October 25, which will be read by each participant individually before being discussed both in small groups and at a general congregation the afternoon of October 25 and the morning of October 26.
The entire synod assembly will meet in a general congregation in the afternoon of October 26 “to gather proposals on methods and stages for the months between the first and second sessions” of the synod assembly, rather than hold small group working sessions to discuss the synthesis document, as was originally scheduled.
The synod general secretariat announced that working sessions originally scheduled for the afternoon of October 23 and for the whole day of October 24 will not be held.
Participants were also encouraged to attend a prayer for peace in St Peter’s Basilica on October 27, on which no sessions were scheduled.
Photo: Pope Francis and participants begin a working session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
The Holy Spirit is at work evangelizing the participants at the historic Synod of bishops in Rome. People of goodwill keep praying for the health and well being of the participants.