Synod

Bishop Pablo Virgilio "Ambo" David of Kalookan had an unforgettable encounter with Pope Francis during an early arrival at the Synod Hall.

The ten Study Groups of the Synod on Synodality are open to contributions from all Catholics until June
2025.

A Catholic theologian underlined the duty of every faithful to attend to each other’s questions to find
renewed ways of being a Church.

At the opening of the second session of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis underscored the importance of lay involvement in shaping a Church that is humble, inclusive, and guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Pope’s Video for the month of October prays for "for a shared mission," and calls on all faithful in whatever vocation they may have to do their best to contribute to a sense of co-responsibility in the Church, according to Vatican News.

Father Timothy Radcliffe, Dominican Friar and former Master of the Order of Preachers, urged participants of the Synod to embrace cultural diversity as central to the Church’s mission during his meditation on “Resurrection Fishing” at the Synod Retreat.

In a significant address to parish priests gathered for the International Meeting "Parish Priests for the Synod", Pope Francis issued a heartfelt appeal for priests worldwide to actively engage in the ongoing synodal process.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh held a Synod and Synodality Seminar at the CBCB Centre in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, from June 27 to 29.

"To listen and to exchange experiences and ideas is paramount," said Bishop David.

Archbishop Peter Machado said, “We need to move from synod to synodality, which includes a change of mindset and attitude.”

Three Filipino clergymen were chosen to participate in a worldwide meeting of parish priests later this month in the Vatican.

"Jesus, as a discerning shepherd, consistently acted following the will of His Father, exemplifying humility in his ministry. He guides us, as priests, to embrace humility," Cardinal Ferrão the Prelate.

"The Gift of the Priestly Vocation (Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis)," a foundational document on priestly formation from 2016 will be a key text in the conference.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said that everyone should emulate how God never walks with arrogance or pride.

“The Church [in Asia] can be a powerful laboratory for experimenting with the pastoral strategies intended to evangelize young people and form them as missionary disciples,” said Cardinal Mario Grech.

Pope Francis began the year 2023 by mourning Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013 and died on December 31, 2022.

“Especially in the last three years of the pandemic, the world has become more selfish, exclusionist, and sometimes even violent,” said the bishops

"Blessing same-sex couples will be feasible without the need for any form of ritualization or provision of the appearance of matrimony," said Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

These are guidelines with a concrete roadmap in which the deepening of synodality from a missionary perspective and the broadening of synodality experiences at the local level are the cornerstones on which the local communities are called to reflect.

“Beyond physical infrastructure, such a Catholic Hub can bring about a greater depth of communion," said Cardinal William Goh