Synod to Include Penitential Vigil with Confession and the Pope will Ask God for Forgiveness on Behalf of the Church
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The Vatican announced new Synod events details. Cardinals Grech and Hollerich, along with Father Costa and Monsignor Battocchio, outline the details of the October General Assembly of the Synod in a Vatican briefing moderated by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. The Pope will preside over a penitential celebration with testimonies from victims of abuse, war, and indifference to migration. Notable novelties include four public fora while two bishops from China will attend again.
(Image: Vatican Media Screenshot from the Synod in 2023)
Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, presented the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in Rome from October 2 to 27, during a press conference on Monday, September 16. He recalled that Pope Francis, at the opening of the synodal path on October 9, 2021, emphasized that “the main protagonist of the Synod is the Holy Spirit.”
Spiritual retreat and Penitential Vigil
Cardinal Grech explained that, like the first session, this second and final session of the Synod on Synodality will be preceded by two days of spiritual retreat on September 30 and October 1 at the Vatican, guided by meditations from Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe and Benedictine Mother Ignazia Angelini. They will lead prayers during the Synod, together with Camaldolese Father Matteo Ferrari, who will be responsible for the liturgies; and the monks of Camaldoli.
New this year will be a penitential vigil after the retreat, held on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, at St. Peter’s Basilica, and presided over by Pope Francis. Organized by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Diocese of Rome in collaboration with the Union of Major Superiors (USG) and the International Union of Major Superiors (UISG), it will be broadcast by Vatican Media and open to all, particularly young people, “because the message of the Church is entrusted to them,” Cardinal Hollerich said. He stressed that “young people suffer because of our sins and the sins within the Church.” The celebration will feature testimonies from three individuals who have experienced the sins of abuse, war, and indifference to the growing migration crisis. There will then be confessions of specific sins to “recognize ourselves as part of those who, through omission or action, become responsible for the suffering and harm endured by the innocent and defenceless,” Grech emphasized.
In particular, sins against peace, creation, indigenous peoples, migrants, women, family, youth; the sin of using doctrine as a stone against others, sins against poverty and synodality (such as the failure to listen, or sins compromising communion or the participation of all) will be confessed. The Pope will conclude by asking forgiveness from God and all humanity on behalf of all the faithful.
Ecumenical Prayer
An ecumenical prayer service will also be held on the evening of October 11 in the Vatican at Protomartyrs Square, where tradition holds that St Peter was martyred. This date marks the 62nd anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Finally, on October 21, there will be another day of spiritual retreat in preparation for discernment on the draft final document. As Cardinal Grech noted, there will be “an alternation between personal prayer, dialogue, and fraternal communion in mutual listening and love.”
The List of Participants in the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops does not present major changes compared to the list of participants in the First Session. It is divided into three macro sections: A) Members (i.e. those who have the right to vote) who are organised, as usual, according to the Title of Participation (i.e. ex officio, ex designatione and ex electione members); B) Special Invitees and C) Other Participants.
The list ends with the members of the General Secretariat of the Synod, the assistants and collaborators. To this list we have included an annex containing the members of the Commission for Information and the Commission for Disputes elected during the First Session and still in office at this session.
Knowing your attention to detail, the General Secretariat of the Synod has prepared a short sheet with statistical data (how many women, how many lay people or religious) and some details with respect to the numbers I have given you.
Thank you
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The Synod is a time of prayer, “it is not a convention,” but an “ecclesial assembly that prays,” a time for listening to the Word of God and the Spirit, and an opportunity to implore forgiveness from God for the Church’s sins.Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, presented the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in Rome from October 2 to 27, during a press conference on Monday, September 16. He recalled that Pope Francis, at the opening of the synodal path on October 9, 2021, emphasized that “the main protagonist of the Synod is the Holy Spirit.”
Spiritual retreat and Penitential Vigil
Cardinal Grech explained that, like the first session, this second and final session of the Synod on Synodality will be preceded by two days of spiritual retreat on September 30 and October 1 at the Vatican, guided by meditations from Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe and Benedictine Mother Ignazia Angelini. They will lead prayers during the Synod, together with Camaldolese Father Matteo Ferrari, who will be responsible for the liturgies; and the monks of Camaldoli.
New this year will be a penitential vigil after the retreat, held on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, at St. Peter’s Basilica, and presided over by Pope Francis. Organized by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Diocese of Rome in collaboration with the Union of Major Superiors (USG) and the International Union of Major Superiors (UISG), it will be broadcast by Vatican Media and open to all, particularly young people, “because the message of the Church is entrusted to them,” Cardinal Hollerich said. He stressed that “young people suffer because of our sins and the sins within the Church.” The celebration will feature testimonies from three individuals who have experienced the sins of abuse, war, and indifference to the growing migration crisis. There will then be confessions of specific sins to “recognize ourselves as part of those who, through omission or action, become responsible for the suffering and harm endured by the innocent and defenceless,” Grech emphasized.
In particular, sins against peace, creation, indigenous peoples, migrants, women, family, youth; the sin of using doctrine as a stone against others, sins against poverty and synodality (such as the failure to listen, or sins compromising communion or the participation of all) will be confessed. The Pope will conclude by asking forgiveness from God and all humanity on behalf of all the faithful.
Ecumenical Prayer
An ecumenical prayer service will also be held on the evening of October 11 in the Vatican at Protomartyrs Square, where tradition holds that St Peter was martyred. This date marks the 62nd anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Finally, on October 21, there will be another day of spiritual retreat in preparation for discernment on the draft final document. As Cardinal Grech noted, there will be “an alternation between personal prayer, dialogue, and fraternal communion in mutual listening and love.”
The List of Participants in the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops does not present major changes compared to the list of participants in the First Session. It is divided into three macro sections: A) Members (i.e. those who have the right to vote) who are organised, as usual, according to the Title of Participation (i.e. ex officio, ex designatione and ex electione members); B) Special Invitees and C) Other Participants.
- After the listing of the President, the General Secretary, the 9 Presidents Delegate, the General Rapporteur and the 2 Special Secretaries, who have not changed, the 20 Members of the 15 Eastern Catholic Churches are presented.
- Then the 168 Members of the Bishops' Conferences. There were a few substitutions among the Bishops' Conferences.
- This is followed by the 2 Members in the category “Bishops without Bishops’ Conference” and the 5 Members who are Presidents of International Meetings of Bishops’ Conferences.
- Then the 10 members from the Union of Superiors General and the International Union of Superiors General are listed.
- Then there are the 21 members who go under the heading ‘Heads of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia’ and the 57 members of Pontifical Nomination.
- Then, we have the 68 members who are not vested with the episcopal munus as witnesses to the synodal process;
- Then the 2 under-secretaries of the General Secretariat of the Synod
- And lastly the 14 Ordinary Members of the Ordinary Council who will conclude their mandate with this assembly (Ep. Communio, 24).
- In all, there are 368 members, 272 of whom are vested with the munus episcopale and 96 non-bishops.
- Only 25 changes are recorded in all these categories, mostly replacements.
- Then, there are the 8 Special Invitees and the Fraternal Delegates, which increased from 12 to 16. Pope Francis allowed their number to be increased, given the great interest that the sister Churches have shown in this synodal journey.
- We conclude this presentation of the participants in the 16th Assembly with the category: Other Participants. In addition to the two spiritual assistants whom you already know (Fr. Radcliffe and Sr. Angelini) and Fr. Ferrari, the Camaldolese priest in charge of the liturgy, this year the 70 experts were divided into three categories (facilitators, theological experts and expert communicators).
The list ends with the members of the General Secretariat of the Synod, the assistants and collaborators. To this list we have included an annex containing the members of the Commission for Information and the Commission for Disputes elected during the First Session and still in office at this session.
Knowing your attention to detail, the General Secretariat of the Synod has prepared a short sheet with statistical data (how many women, how many lay people or religious) and some details with respect to the numbers I have given you.
Thank you
Sources: Vatican News and https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2024/09/16/0697/01394.html
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