With the Spirit’s inspiration, the two years of preparation leading to the Synod of Bishops on synodality called by Pope Francis for October 2023 will provide the framework for what the pope envisions as a synodal church — one in which people are “walking together on the same road” to respond to God’s call to serve one another.
Prelates see synodal process as Holy Spirit’s realm to inspire the church
Vatican extends until August initial listening phase for Synod of Bishops
To ensure all Catholics have an opportunity to share and to listen as part of the initial process leading up to the Synod of Bishops in 2023, the Vatican has extended the local phase by more than three months.
Eucharistic revival could ‘move needle’ on understanding of Real Presence
A 2019 Pew Research Center study showed that 69% of all self-identified U.S. Catholics said they believed the bread and wine used at Mass are not Jesus, but instead are “symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” The other 31% said they believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Call to prayer for the synod finds home online, in app
A new version of the Click to Pray 2.0 app, available for iOS and Android phones, encourages prayers for the Synod of Bishops. The app is an initiative of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
Altar bread-baking sister hopes Communion discussion prompts understanding
As Sister Anne sees it, discussion about the Real Presence is a way for God to work because it shows how “Catholics need to be awakened to the understanding —more than head knowledge” of what they are receiving in the Eucharist.
Initiatives on Eucharist aim to give Catholics better understanding
Two U.S. bishops spoke recently on a recorded video roundtable produced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to further explain just what the bishops hope to achieve through the upcoming revival and document on the Eucharist.
By listening to Holy Spirit, synod can be process of healing, pope says
A synod calls on everyone to become experts in “the art of encounter” in a way that is uplifting and transformative, Pope Francis said, formally opening the process leading up to the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2023.
Pope warns that synod could be ‘elitist’ exercise unless all have a voice
While a Synod of Bishops is not a parliament and its preparatory process is not “an opinion poll,” Pope Francis insisted that involving as many people as possible in the process and prayerfully listening to all of them is the only way to recognize the call of the Holy Spirit.