The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales issued The National Synthesis Document on 22 June 2022.
“This synthesis describes the diocesan phase of the synod on synodality between November 2021 and March 2022, seeking to capture the essence of what emerged from the unprecedented participation by the People of God in England and Wales in a world-wide synod process. It is drawn from over 700 pages of reports from the dioceses and other church organisations, associations and movements that were sent to the national synthesis team.”
The full text of the synthesis is available here.
It consists of the following chapters:
Introduction
The People of God and the Pandemic
The Experience of the Synod
A wounded Church called to conversion
Truth, Mercy and Welcome
Towards a synodal Church in England and Wales.
More information can be found on the Synod2023 page of Vatican News.
Pope Francis formally launched the two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality on Sunday 10th October 2021 with a call to ‘look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say.’ Preaching at a Mass at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis said that Catholics taking part in the synodal path should strive to ‘become experts in the art of encounter … Not so much by organizing events or theorizing about problems, as in taking time to encounter the Lord and one another,’ he said. ‘Time to devote to prayer and adoration — this prayer that we neglect so much: to adore, to make room for adoration — listening to what the Spirit wants to say to the Church.’
Synodal Prayer
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name,
With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find You our unity
so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son, for ever and ever.
Amen.
