Blessed Charles de Foucauld will finally be canonised 15 May 2022, the Vatican announced on 9 November. Along with Blessed de Foucauld, the spring ceremony will see the canonisation of the Indian martyr Devasahayam Pillai and five founders of religious orders.

“I am sure that all of those who went with goodwill (to war), called by their country to defend it, are with the Lord,” Pope Francis said, celebrating Mass on the feast of All Souls, on Tuesday 2 November at the French Military Cemetery in Rome.

Pope Francis left the Vatican in the morning to attend the general chapter, which was held in Rome from 11 Sept to 24 Oct. The theme of the assembly was “Generative Communities of Life in the Heart of Contemporaneity.”

The Synod Office, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Women’s International Union of Superiors General have joined forces not only to encourage prayers, but to collect them, share them using an updated version of Click to Pray, an app and website run by the prayer network – www.prayforthesynod.va.

Australian lay woman Susan Pascoe AM, who been assisting in the process of the current Synod of Bishops, says the Church in Australia has been a key supporter of the Synod.

The official logo for the Synod of Bishops. Image: CNS. Dioceses across Australia will this weekend hold launches to mark the commencement of local participation in the two-year journey towards the 2023 Synod of Bishops. Last Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass to launch the global process for the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which has the theme “For a Synoda...

The upcoming Syod of Bishops, opened by Pope Francis at the Vatican 9 to 10, and the bishop of every diocese should open the process in his diocese 17 October – will focus on listening to and consulting the people of God. Pope Francis said that as the bishop, it was important he explain how the synodal process should work and why.

Pope Francis is welcomed by hundreds of men, women and children at Bratislava international airport 12 September. After his arrival in Bratislava, Pope Francis was whisked away to the apostolic nunciature, where he met with ecumenical leaders and reflected on the freedom shared in the country.

The Vatican has this week issued the preparatory document and a “handbook” for dioceses as part of the global church’s preparation for the 2023 assembly of the Synod of Bishops, discussing the theme, “For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission.”

Pope Francis has last weekend told members of the organisation, Leaders Pour la Paix (Leaders for Peace) that it is important to promote a ‘culture of faces,’ which places the dignity of the person at the centre, a respect for his or her story, especially if they are wounded and marginalised.