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The Synod: Our Shared Experience

What Is The Synod?

For many in the Church a synod is something that happens every infografica EN 450x300few years at the invitation of the Pope. These gatherings bring together bishops from around the world to discuss and discern important matters of faith and Church teaching. Recent synods have looked at New Evangelization, Family Life, and Youth.

On October 10, 2021 Pope Francis will open the 16th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops with the theme: For a synodal church: communion, participation, mission. Previous synods have sought to understand how the faithful around the world are journeying together by hearing reports from delegates - usually bishops - as they gather at the specified date. This year however, Pope Francis is shifting the synod from being an event to being a process ;  a process the lives out synodality. Synodality in this context refers to a process of discernment that is led by the Holy Spirit and involves clergy, religious and laity – each according to their gifts and charism. The Holy Father seeks the participation of the whole People of God in the mission of the Church. This monumental work is the task that we begin together in October of 2021 and will continue until the assembly of bishops planned for October 2023.  This three-year synodal journey has three phases of consultation and discernment: diocesan, continental, universal. The diocesan consultation period begins in October and goes until April of 2022. 

The General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican produced a helpful infographic describing this three-year process. You will find the infographic by clicking here.

For more information and to keep updated on the 2021-2023 Synod go to: www.synod.va

Synod Survey: Round 2

As a key part of the 2021-2023 Synod process, Pope Francis asked to hear the voice of the living Church and you answered. In our parish synod sessions, over 800 of you answered, in fact! We know that many people at all our parishes made this happen – thank you! We know it has not been easy given the usual high level of activity of our parishes, not to mention the ever−changing circumstances of the ongoing global pandemic. So as we begin to develop our part of the report that goes onward to the Holy Father, we want to give you – and anyone or everyone you know! – one more chance to give further comment on what we’ve already heard. Tomorrow, Friday, April 1, 2022 the link to the survey will be live.  You will find it here: www.halifaxyarmouth.org/synod  at the top of the webpage. It is available in French and English and we invite you share the link widely. The survey will be open until the end of April.

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External Consultation Survey Extended

We have extended our external consultation survey for an extra week – the survey will now close on Monday, March 7. As part of our local synodal process, we want to hear from those who aren’t engaged in our Church to start a conversation and see how we can better welcome and serve them. Please continue to invite people you know who don’t participate in our Church to fill out this brief, anonymous survey.

The survey can be completed online at www.halifaxyarmouth.org/survey or downloaded and printed from our website in English (pdf) or French (pdf) at www.halifaxyarmouth.org/synod.

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The Pope's invitation to Synodality

Pope Francis 58The Holy Father hopes that this synod, that focuses on synodality, the act of journeying and discerning together, can be a first step in the whole Church journeying together. 

All the People of God have a role in the Church and the Pope wants to hear from you.  Thank you for sharing your experience of the Church at this particular time and place in our world.

 

Reports on the Findings from Diocesan Phase Synod Responses

In July 2022 the reports from the diocesan phase of the Synod 2021-2022 were submitted. These reports included:  

  1. A Diocesan Report: Findings from over 900 responses from both church goers and non- church goers were summarized.  This reprsents our diocesan response to Pope Francis’ request for all to take part in the synod. And secondly, the summary helps Bishop Dunn discern the pastoral needs and concerns of the local church. 
  2. An Atlantic Region Report: This report is a summary of the responses from all 13 dioceses in the Atlantic region and was submitted to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to be included in their synod responses report for Canada.
  3. A CCCB Report: This report gives an overview of themes and thoughts shared by all the dioceses across Canada. 

 

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