Pope Francis has launched synodal study groups to analyse key issues ahead of October’s Synod on Synodality assembly, the Vatican announced on Saturday. Source: CNA.
The Vatican also announced the appointment of Australian theologian Fr Ormond Rush as one of six additional consultors to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
Pope Francis issued a chirograph asking the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia to collaborate with the General Secretariat of the Synod to establish the study groups for “in-depth analysis” of some of the themes that emerged in the first Synod on Synodality assembly.
The Pope did not specify in the chirograph how many groups will be formed, what topics will be studied, or who will participate in the study groups.
According to Vatican News, the study groups will require a substantial amount of time and will not “directly constitute the material up for discussion in the next session of the Synod, which will focus on synodality itself”.
The General Secretariat of the Synod, led by Cardinal Mario Grech, will coordinate the work of the study groups among the dicasteries, which will “involve experts from all continents” following a synodal process, the Vatican’s state media outlet said.
The Vatican also announced on Saturday the dates for the second Synod on Synodality assembly and the appointment of six new consulters to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
The 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops’ second session will take place from October 2 to October 27. The participants in the assembly will arrive in Rome on September 29 to participate in a two-day spiritual retreat ahead of the start of the assembly.
Fr Rush was named alongside Dr Tricia Bruce, Dr Maria Clara Lucchetti Bingemer, Sr Dr Birgit Weiler, Msgr Alphonse Borras and Fr Gilles Routhier as the additional consultors. They will join the previously named 10 consultors, including Perth Archbishop and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB.
Pope Francis launches study groups to analyse Synod on Synodality’s key issues (CNA)
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Pope creates study groups to explore themes from Synod’s first session (Vatican News)
