Vatican City: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, is among 10 members of a special global commission Pope Francis has nominated to draft the final report of the bishops’ synod that begins on October 4 in Rome.
The ordinary synod that lasts until October 25 will reflect on the theme “Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the family.” It will gather 279 cardinals, bishops and representatives from all over the world.
The Vatican released the synod’s schedule and methodology with some novelties ahead of its launch. There will be no midterm report and a heightened emphasis on the small groups, reports catholicworldreport.com.
Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi and Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the synod of Bishops, presented the schedule and new method during an Oct. 2 press briefing.
Other members of the drafting commission are Cardinal Baldisseri, Hungary’s Cardinal Peter Erdo as Rapporteur General, Italy’s Archbishop Bruno Forte, U S Cardinal Donald Wuerl, New Zealand’s Cardinal John Atcherley Dew, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Bishop Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Mouila in Gabon, Italy’s Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Father Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, superior general of the Society of Jesus, representing the Union of Superiors General.
The final synod document will be voted on paragraph by paragraph with a required two third majority. However, the final approval of the report depends on Pope Francis.
The Pope will use the conclusions from the synod discussion to draft his first Post-Synodal Exhortation, which can be expected in 2016.
Cardinal Baldisseri, a former apostolic nuncio to India, explained that although there will be no midterm report during this year’s synod, all reports of the small groups will be published and available to the press.
The cardinal stressed that it is still unknown whether the document, including the details of the voting, will be published like last year’s. That decision, he said, depends on the Pope.
Among the 279 participants are 74 cardinals, including one cardinal Patriarch and 2 major archbishops; six Patriarchs; one major archbishop; 72 archbishops, including three titular; 102 bishops, among whom are six auxiliaries, three apostolic vicars and one emeritus; two parish priests and 13 religious.
Each day of the synod will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions, similar to last year. However, with a longer overall duration, the gathering will be divided into three parts, with each week dedicated to one of the three sections of the synod’s guiding document.
Released in June, the synod’s “Instrumentum Laboris” builds on the final report of last October’s extraordinary synod, and incorporates suggestions from Church entities like bishops’ conferences and even individuals who freely sent their opinions.
The first part, titled “Listening to the challenges of the family,” focuses mainly on themes surrounding last year’s synod, and will be the topic of the first five days of this year’s ordinary synod.
Afterward, discussion will shift to the second part, titled “Discernment of the family vocation,” before culminating with the third, “The mission of the family today.” Both of the final parts will address the new themes to be discussed this year.
Divided by language into 13 groups with around 20 members each, there will be one German group, four in English, three in Spanish, two in Italian and three in French. Groups were determined by both the language of participants and the requests of the synod fathers.
Fr. Lombardi said that the publication of the small group reports is really “the novelty” of this synod, since last year they were only published once, and now they will be published after each of the three synod phases. Small groups will meet in total 13 times throughout the three-week gathering.
Also distinct from last year is the fact that there will be no midterm report. However, the synod fathers will draft an initial report summarizing the discussions of the first week, and will continue to develop the document throughout the following two weeks of discussion.
Pope Francis will officially open the synod with a special inauguration Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 4.
Discussion will formally begin the following day with speeches from Cardinal Baldisseri as well as the synod General Relator, Cardinal Peter Erdo, who will expose the first theme. Afterward, a married couple auditing will have the chance to speak.
The synod will also have 24 experts and collaborators, 51 auditors, both couples and individuals, and 14 fraternal delegates.