JULIEANN MORAN: Synodal Pathway Update
| Pathways Document for Implementation Phase of Universal Synod Now Live! |
| Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod is now live on the Synod website and can be found here. This document has been created as a tool to accompany the final phase of the universal synodal process. The text serves as a means of fostering dialogue between local Churches and the General Secretariat of the Synod and promoting the exchange of experiences among the Churches. The text is structured around four chapters, and aims to provide an interpretive key for understanding the implementation phase of the synodal process: “the synodal form of the Church is at the service of its mission.” It then focuses on the intended recipients of the guidelines: primarily the diocesan bishop and the synodal teams. The third chapter offers a set of fundamental criteria to help ensure that local implementation remains in harmony with that of the universal Church and the final chapter addresses the question of methodology and tools. The point of reference for this phase is the Final Document of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the result of listening and discernment carried out since the beginning of the synodal process. According to the Secretariat of the Synod, this phase belongs above all to the local Churches, which are the true protagonists. They are called to “implement, in their different contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the Document through the processes of discernment and decision-making provided for by law and by the Document itself” (cf. Accompanying Note by the Holy Father Francis). The Synod Office also highlights that in order to safeguard the underlying ecclesiological vision and foundational criteria of the Final Document, the Pathways document is to be understood as a set of guidelines developed in response to questions received in recent months by the General Secretariat of the Synod. These Pathways reflect the principle of circular dialoguebetween local Churches and the General Secretariat of the Synod, a hallmark of the synodal journey since its beginning. A useful infographic on the implementation phase of the Universal Synod is available below. |
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| The Ten Study Groups |
| The ten study groups were due to make their reports to the Holy Father in June. However, due to the death of Pope Francis, RIP, and the election of Pope Leo XIV, those groups are now reporting in full by 31 December. Their initial and/or interim reports, along with short video content, can all be found on the synod website at synod.va |
| The Irish Synodal Pathway Continues… |
| As the Irish Synodal Pathway continues, the National Synodal Team has been prayerfully discerning the voice of the Spirit across Ireland. While the wider Universal synodal process also continues, our local journey is woven into it and through it. We are, after all, sharing in the same Spirit-led momentum.A key focus emerging for the Irish Synodal Pathway is the call from local level to rediscover our baptismal identity as the foundation for all participation, co-responsibility, and missionary discipleship. This will shape the Pre-Synodal Assembly taking place in Kilkenny on 18 October 2025.Let us keep praying, stay engaged, and continue to walk the synodal path in our own local communities — remembering that one Baptism and many voices is at the heart of renewal! |