Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod’s General Secretariat, has announced that Pope Francis has approved the convocation of a post-synodal Ecclesial Assembly to be held in the Vatican in October 2028. This gathering will serve as the culmination of a three-year process accompanying the implementation of the outcomes of the recently concluded Synod on Synodality.
A Three-Year Implementation Process
In a letter addressed to bishops, eparchs, patriarchs, and major archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Cardinal Grech clarified that this Assembly will not be a new Synod but rather a moment of reflection and evaluation of the implementation phase of the Synod held from 2021 to 2024, under the theme: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.”
Pope Francis, at the conclusion of the Synod in October 2024, affirmed that its Final Document is part of the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter and must be received as such. Cardinal Grech emphasized that local Churches and Church groups must commit to implementing its guidelines through discernment and decision-making processes appropriate to their cultural and community needs.
Active Participation from the Entire Church
The implementation phase is not merely an application of directives from above but a process of reception, dialogue, and discernment within the Church at all levels. To ensure this, Cardinal Grech highlighted the crucial role of:
- Synodal teams composed of priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and laypeople led by their bishops.
- Study Groups established by Pope Francis in March 2024, tasked with examining key issues that arose during the Synodal Assembly.
- The Canonical Commission, active since 2023, which supports the implementation of synodal outcomes in collaboration with the Dicastery for Legislative Texts.
Key Milestones Leading to the 2028 Assembly
The Synod’s implementation process will unfold in several stages:
- May 2025 – A detailed document outlining the execution of the implementation phase will be published.
- October 24-26, 2025 – A Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies will take place, placing the synodal journey within the broader spiritual theme of the Holy Year of Hope.
- 2027 – Evaluation Assemblies will be held at diocesan, eparchial, national, and international levels.
- Early 2028 – Continental Evaluation Assemblies will be conducted.
- October 2028 – The Ecclesial Assembly in Rome will conclude the three-year process, guided by the Instrumentum Laboris to be published earlier that year.
A Call to Prayer for Pope Francis
Cardinal Grech concluded his letter by inviting the faithful to pray for Pope Francis’ health, as the Holy Father remains hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since 14 February.
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