The theme Pope Francis chose for the synod is: “For a Church that Journeys Together: Fellowship, Participation and Mission.” It will meet at the Vatican from 4 to 29 October 2023.

The Synod’s General Secretariat has published Lenten resources in multiple languages for use around the world as the continental stage of the Synod continues. Photo: Adobe

In his homily for the missioning Mass, concluding the quadrennial Assembly of Bishops from across Oceania in Fiji, Samoa Pago Pago Bishop Peter Brown CSsR urged his brother bishops – at the end of a week in which they focused often on God’s creation – to reflect on their place in the Church.

In helping set the scene for synodality, not solely in the context of the current process preparing for the Synod of Bishops for a Synodal Church, Undersecretary of the Holy See’s Synod of Bishops General Secretariat Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ explained that “we don’t learn synodality in a book, or with a beautiful academic presentation”.

Addressed to the world’s bishops, the letter focused on the current “continental” stage of the synodal process, and the role of the bishop in the synodal process.

The discernment and writing group was convened to prepare a draft report from Oceania to be considered at next month’s assembly of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO) in Fiji.

The multilingual course on synodality will look at topics related to the synodal process, including What is synodality? Is it in line with what is expressed in the Magisterium of the Church and Canon Law? How is it possible to live it in the Church?

Meeting Pope Francis on 28 November, Relator General of the Synod, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxemborg, said the synod process has faced “temptations” along the way. Particularly in the media, he said, there is a temptation to politicise the church, looking at it “with the logic of politics.”

In their first private one-on-one conversation, Perth Archbishop and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, told Pope Francis, “The church in Australia is alive!”
America Magazine journalist Gerard O’Connell recently spoke with Archbishop Costelloe via zoom.

Pope Francis has recently personally expressed his thanks to the four dozen people who read through hundreds of reports about the listening phase of the Synod of Bishops.

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, was in Rome for the occasion, which included reviewing the 112 syntheses submitted by national bishops’ conferences from around the world, as well as syntheses from the Eastern Catholic churches, religious orders, church organisations and movements, offices of the Roman Curia and individuals.