What Is The Synod?For many in the Church a synod is something that happens every 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 |
few 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.
In July, a regional report of the Synod responses from across the Atlantic provinces was submitted to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). The Atlantic Regional Synod report would be taken into account, along with the regional reports from across the county to inform the CCCB’s Synod report on behalf of the dioceses in Canada.
Locally, Archbishop Dunn and his staff have looked closely at over 800 local responses and have put together a local report. You can read this report by clicking here or going to www.halifaxyarmouth.org/synod This local feedback is important to the Archbishop as it will help inform the development of our diocesan pastoral plan.
Thank you to all who participated in the diocese phase of Synod 2021-2023. Let us continue to journey together!
You have the opportunity to respond to Pope Francis’ call for dialogue. As part of the 2021-2023 Synod, the faithful around the world are being asked to share the living voice of the Church as they experience it in their local context. In Halifax-Yarmouth, over 800 responses were sent in, with many more people wanting to share. And so, we are offering one more opportunity for all who wish to be a part of our Synod response to share their thoughts through this electronic survey. This survey shares what we have heard thus far and invites people to give further comment. You can find this survey by going to www.halifaxyarmouth.org/synod and clicking on the survey link.
The Pope's invitation to Synodality
The 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.
Synod Resources
General Resources
- General Information on the 2021-2023 Synod: www.synod.va
- Synod Process Infographic
- 2021-2023 Synod Preparatory Document
- 2021-2023 Synod Vademecm (Synod Handbook)
- Synod 2021-2023 FAQ (for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth) (pdf)
- Synod 2021-2023 FAQs-External Consultation (pdf)
Resources for Parish Synod Teams
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- A CCCB Report: This report gives an overview of themes and thoughts shared by all the dioceses across Canada.
