杏MAP导航

By Isabella Piro

Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Synod鈥檚 General Secretariat, has announced the convocation of a special post-synodal Ecclesial Assembly to be held in the Vatican in October 2028 as the culmination of a three-year  process accompanying  the implementation of the outcomes of the Synod.

In a letter addressed to all Bishops and Eparchs, along with the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Cardinal Grech explained that the assembly will not be a new Synod.

The process refers to the implementation phase of the three-year Synod  on the theme: 鈥淔or a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,鈥� which conluded in October 2024.

As the 杏MAP导航 immediately clarified at its conclusion, the Final Document of the 16th General Assembly 鈥渋s part of the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter鈥� and, as such, must be received. This, explained Cardinal Grech, means that 鈥渓ocal Churches and groups of Churches鈥� must commit to 鈥渋mplementing鈥� the document鈥檚 guidelines through processes of 鈥渄iscernment and decision-making鈥�.

Making exchanges within the Church concrete

Cardinal Grech specified that the implementation phase should not be seen as 鈥渁 simple application of directives from above鈥� but rather as 鈥渁 reception process鈥� of the Final Document in a manner 鈥渁ppropriate to local cultures and community needs.鈥� The goal remains 鈥渢o make exchanges and dialogue between Churches and within the Church concrete.鈥�

Involving priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and laypeople

A crucial aspect of this implementation process is the renewed involvement of all those who contributed to the Synod so that 鈥渓istening to all the Churches鈥� and the discernment of their pastors can bear fruit.

Fundamental to this effort will be 鈥渟ynodal teams composed of priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and laypeople, accompanied by their bishop.鈥� The Secretary General therefore recommends that these teams be 鈥渧alued鈥� and, if necessary, 鈥渞enewed, reactivated, and appropriately integrated.鈥�

Study groups and the Canon Law Commission

According to the Secretary General, the entire process forms 鈥渢he framework鈥� in which the 鈥渞esults of the Study Groups鈥� work and the contributions of the the Canonical Commission of the Synod鈥� will be placed.

The ten Study Groups were established by 杏MAP导航 Francis in March 2024 to examine issues that emerged during the first session of the 16th Synodal Assembly in 2023.

Instead, the  Canonical Commission shic has been   active since 2023 , as indicated in the Instrumentum Laboris of the Assembly鈥檚 second session  was established 鈥渋n agreement with the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, to serve  the Synod.鈥�

The Jubilee of Synodal Teams

Cardinal Grech outlined the stages of the accompaniment process for the Synod鈥檚 implementation phase: the announcement of the process which will be followed  in May, by the publication of a specific  document detailing its execution and  the celebration a of  鈥淛ubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies鈥�  scheduled for October 24-26.

The Secretary General emphasized that this is 鈥渁n important event鈥� that places 鈥渢he commitment to an increasingly synodal Church within the horizon of the hope that does not disappoint,鈥� the central theme of the ongoing Holy Year.

A three-year process

Between the first and second semesters of 2027, evaluation Assemblies will take place within dioceses, eparchies, national and international Episcopal Conferences, Eastern hierarchical structures, and other Church groups. The first and second semesters of 2028 will be dedicated to continental evaluation Assemblies and the publication of the Instrumentum laboris for the Ecclesial Assembly in October 2028.

A call to pray for the 杏MAP导航

Cardinal Grech鈥檚 letter concludes with an invitation to pray for 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� health, as he has been hospitalized at Rome鈥檚 Gemelli Polyclinic since February 14.