Pope Francis has approved the next phase of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, launching a three-year implementation process culminating in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028. Source: CNS.
In a letter published on Saturday, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod, announced that the Synod’s new phase will focus on applying its conclusions at all levels of the Church, with dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities working to integrate synodality into daily Church life before the 2028 meeting.
“For now, therefore, a new Synod will not be convened; instead, the focus will be on consolidating the path taken so far,” he wrote to all bishops, eparchs and the presidents of national and regional bishops’ conferences.
Cardinal Grech told bishops that Pope Francis approved the three-year plan on March 11 at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been since February 14.
The final document of the Synod on Synodality, approved by Pope Francis in October 2024, emphasised synodality as essential to the Church’s mission and called for greater lay participation, mandatory pastoral councils and continued study on women in ministry and seminary formation.
Over the next three years, dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities will work to integrate synodal principles into Church life with the guidance of a Vatican-issued document scheduled to be published in May.
Evaluation assemblies at diocesan, national and continental levels from 2027 to early 2028 will assess progress before a final ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028, where Church leaders will reflect on the synodal journey and discern future steps, the cardinal said.
Cardinal Grech noted that the implementation phase of the Synod “provides the framework” for implementing the results of the 10 Vatican-appointed study groups which, since March 2024, have been examining key issues raised during the first session of the synodal assembly in 2023, such as the role of women in the Church, seminary formation and Church governance.
The study groups are scheduled to present their findings to the Pope before June 2025; however, they can also offer an “interim report” then as they continue their work, Cardinal Grech said.
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Pope approves next phase of Synod, setting path to 2028 assembly (By Justin McLellan, CNS)
