The Vatican released the definitive list of those who will take part in the Synod of the 4th to the 29th of October. With 464 participants, 365 members, of which 54 are women voters. The 2 Chinese bishops "proposed by the local Church in agreement with the authorities and appointed by the Pope". Prefect Ruffini said: "For communication, tell the Synod for what it is: a moment of discernment and prayer". Various events are scheduled, including a pilgrimage, a prayer for migrants and the Rosary in the Vatican Gardens.
The four weeks, involve various events, which will see cardinals, bishops, religious people and lay people from all over the world gathered in the Paul VI Hall dealing with new electronic tablets through which each of the participants will be able to vote, download and read documents "in order to avoid the waste of paper”.
On September 21st, the "complete and definitive" list of participants and the calendar of events for the upcoming meeting were published. They were presented in the Vatican Press Office by Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication and also president of the Information Commission, with Father Giacomo Costa, special secretary of the assembly, and Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
FULL LIST of Synod Participants Here: https://www.synod.va/en/news/the-participants-of-the-16th-general-assembly-of-the-synod-of-bishops.html
Newly added to the synod assembly are: Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa of Brasilia from the episcopal conference of Brazil, Sister Mary Theresa Barron, OLA, president of the International Union of Superiors General, Sister Maria Nirmalini, AC, superior general of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, Margaret Karram, president of the Focolare Movement
Who are the Bishops from China?
People's Republic of China:
Monsignor Antonio Yao Shun, bishop of Jining/Wumeng, of the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia
Monsignor Giuseppe Yang Yongqiang, bishop of Zhoucun, of the province of Shandong
It is not the first time that two bishops from China have participated in the work of the Synod. Already in 2018, on the occasion of the Youth Synod, Monsignor John the Baptist Yang Xiaoting, bishop of Yan' An (Shaanxi), and Monsignor Giuseppe Guo Jincai, bishop of Chengde (Hebei) were present. They had not participated in all the sessions of the assembly but their presence, even if only for a few days, was a strong signal following the signing of the China-Holy See Agreement for the appointment of bishops. A novelty for which Pope Francis had not held back his emotion, during the opening Mass of the Synod in St. Peter's Square: "Today, for the first time, two brother bishops from Continental China are also here with us. Let us give them our warm welcome", said the Pope, interrupted by tears.
At the Synod on synodality, in addition to Shun and Yongqiang, there will also be Monsignor Stephen Chow, bishop of Hong Kong, who will become a Cardinal in the Consistory of the 30th of September.
Events
Returning to the calendar, in more detail, as illustrated by Father Costa, all participants on the evening of September 30th, after the "Together" ecumenical vigil in St. Peter's Square, will move to Sacrofano for a spiritual retreat until October 3rd. Other "pillars" will then be the solemn inauguration with the Mass celebrated by the Pope on Wednesday 4 October; the daily Masses at the Altar of the Chair with all the participants; a pilgrimage still being defined on October 12th; on the 19th the prayer "together" for migrants and refugees, "in which the Pope would be very keen to participate"; on October 25th the recitation of the Rosary in the Vatican Gardens.
There will be 35 groups made up of 11 people and a facilitator: fourteen will be in English, 7 in Spanish, 5 in French, 8 in Italian, one in Portuguese. Half of the assembly chose English as their first language, considering Italian as their second.
Participants
Regarding the various participations, the assured presence of Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, forced to leave Baghdad due to political problems, and the withdrawal of Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who “he asked the Pope to be dispensed”.
Sources: Synod.va and Vatican News
Comments