St Paul the Apostle Parish

SYNOD OF BISHOPS – 2021 to 2023

WHAT IS A SYNOD IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Synods in the Catholic Church generally feature an assembly of bishops, who come together to assist the Holy Father in addressing the needs of the Church.  Initially, many of these synods were held locally, within various regions of the world, to deal with local disciplinary issues.  Synods of this type, date back to the 4th century.

​​Pope Paul VI revived the idea of the synod and established the Synod of Bishops in 1965 with the Motu Proprio Apostolica Sollicitudo.  The current Code of Canon Law details the purpose of this smaller group of bishops who meet to discuss various topics.

“It is for the synod of bishops to discuss the questions for consideration and express its wishes but not to resolve them or issue decrees about them unless in certain cases the Roman Pontiff has endowed it with deliberative power, in which case he ratifies the decisions of the synod.”

Pope Francis has convoked multiple synods during his pontificate, and in 2021 initiated a synod on the theme “For a Synodal Church”.  This synod will include both an Ordinary General Assembly and local Diocesan synods connected to it. This synod will end in 2023, concluding a two-year synodal process.

SYNOD AND DIOCESAN PASTORAL PLANNING & SURVEY

Pope Francis has announced that in preparation for the next Synod of Bishops, there will be a worldwide conversation in the Church – a “synod” about community, engaged participation, and the mission of evangelization.  This conversation will follow a two-year path and involve the People of God – everyone, everywhere.  On Sunday, October 17, 2021, +Most Reverend Bishop Miehm celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains to launch the synod locally.  This celebration rooted the synod in prayer, sacrament, and community.  View the Mass here.  

To open the conversations, the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee has launched a survey inviting the input of all the People of God.  This input will be part of both the worldwide and local conversations to establish pastoral priorities within the Church.  The survey is open until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 26th, 2021.  The survey is offered in two formats.  The Thought Exchange format will give you the opportunity to see what others (without names) have entered on the survey, and the Google Form format has questions specific to communion, participation, and mission.  Please feel welcome to choose the survey format that is the most convenient for you.