By Christopher Wells
In “an atmosphere of great fraternity” marked by moments of prayer and personal reflection, the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod have last week met in Rome to discuss the working document for the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
The document, which is set to be published in early June, will guide discussions at the first meeting of the General Assembly in October. The Assembly will meet for the second part of its deliberations the following year.
During their meeting, members of the Council along with various consultants “reviewed, amended, and approved the Instrumentum Laboris,” as well as the methodology for the upcoming Assembly.
Spiritual preparation for the General Assembly
Specifically, participants also discussed the spiritual retreat for participants in the Assembly and the Together 2023 Ecumenical Prayer Vigil, both of which will precede the gathering.
The Together2023 initiative is aimed at gathering young representatives of different churches and ecclesial communities for moments of praise and silence as they listen to the Word of God; more information can be found on the website www.together2023.net.
The General Assembly of the Synod pertains to the celebratory phase of the synodal process, following in continuity from the first, preparatory phase, which involved consultation with the people of God in the Particular Churches and the subsequent phases of discernment.
According to the General Secretariat, “the Instrumentum Laboris that will form the basis of the work for the October Assembly is the fruit of this process of listening at all levels of the Church.”
