Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis expressed his desire to strengthen the collegial aspects of the Church's governance,[5] and he argued for more recognition of charismatic gifts in the Church.[6] On September 15, 2018, Francis approved the new apostolic constitution Episcopalis communio (Episcopal communion).[7][8] The constitution states that the Synod's final document, if approved by the members with "moral unanimity" and, if the Pope has "granted deliberative power to the Synod Assembly," it becomes part of the ordinary Magisterium of Catholic teaching "once it has been ratified and promulgated by him."[9] The new constitution also provides for the laity to send their contributions directly to the synod's secretary general.[10][8] Some analysts surmise that the greatest achievement of Francis' papacy may be his creation of a more synodal Catholic church, where synods serve as a platform for open and energetic debate.[11]

Pope Francis announced the Synod on Synodality on March 7, 2020.[12]

On 24 May 2019, Nathalie Becquart was appointed, along with four other women and one man, as consultor to the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church. It is the first time for women to be appointed to that position.[13] Becquart saw the appointment as a part of Pope Francis's effort "to implement synodality at every level of the Church’s life" and to benefit from the important contribution that women can make.[14] Becquart proposed a symbolic step of asking a woman to lead the retreat for the Roman Curia one year.[15][16] On 6 February 2021, Pope Francis appointed Becquart as an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops,[17] making her the first woman to have the right to vote in the Catholic Synod of Bishops.[18]

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, said that the synod was not like a parliament, where one sides stands to gain as the other loses. It is also not as important who has a vote on the final document, he said, as much as Catholics around the world "dialogue, converse, discern together in order to" find consensus.[19]

Several months before announcing the synod, Pope Francis said that "Synodality is a style, it is a walk together, and it is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium." According to the International Theological Commission, synodality is "the action of the Spirit in the communion of the Body of Christ and in the missionary journey of the People of God." It is more commonly understood as a process by which the Church undergoes discernment on a variety of issues. Aided by the Holy Spirit, the laity, priests, bishops, and religious each use their own gifts and charisms to help the Church make decisions. The notion of the Church as "synodal" by its very nature requires "careful theological clarification," according to the Commission, as it is a relatively new concept.[12]

In September 2021, the Vatican released a preparatory document and "handbook" to diocese around the world to help them prepare for the synod. According to the document:[19]

The purpose of this synod is not to produce more documents. Rather, it is intended to inspire people to dream about the church we are called to be, to make people's hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts, and restore strength to our hands for our common mission."

The handbook offers guidance to bishops for how to solicit the thoughts of lay Catholics, as well as non-Catholics and non-Christians, particularly those on the margins of society. It includes a number of questions and discussion prompts in 10 general themes to help promote reflection and the collection of input from a wide variety of stakeholders. The most basic question, according to the document, is "How does this 'journeying together,' which takes place today on different levels -- from the local level to the universal one -- allow the church to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the mission entrusted to her; and what steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow as a synodal church?"[19] Several of the suggested questions include:[19]

• To whom does our particular church 'need to listen to'" and "how are the laity, especially young people and women, listened to?
• How do we integrate the contribution of consecrated men and women?
• What space is there for the voice of minorities, the discarded, and the excluded?
• Do we identify prejudices and stereotypes that hinder our listening?
• How do we listen to the social and cultural context in which we live?

Pope Francis officially opened the synodal process on 10 October 2021 at the Vatican. The diocesan phase will run from October 2021 to April 2022.[2]

• Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
• Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
• Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
• Synodal Path

• Official website