The Vatican has released the full list of participants for the upcoming Synod on Synodality assembly in October. This will be the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, and nearly a third of the 364 voting delegates were chosen directly by Pope Francis. The chosen delegates include notable figures such as American Jesuit Father James Martin, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago.
In a historic move, laypeople will not only participate in the assembly but will also be full members with the right to vote on the final document. Pope Francis has handpicked 120 delegates, including American Cardinals Wilton Gregory, Paul Etienne, Sean O’Malley, and Robert McElroy. The U.S. bishops’ conference has also elected five members to attend the assembly.
During the assembly, delegates will discuss various topics outlined in the recently released Instrumentum laboris. These topics include women deacons, priestly celibacy, LGBTQ outreach, and the desire for new institutional bodies to allow for greater participation in decision-making by the People of God.
The assembly will also introduce the synodal method of spirituality, which emphasizes listening to the Holy Spirit and discerning the signs of the times. It calls for new formation programs to train candidates for ordained ministry in a synodal style and mentality.
Several German bishops, including Bishop Georg Bätzing, Bishop Franz-Joseph Overbeck, and Bishop Bertram Johannes Meier, have been chosen as representatives, along with Cardinal Müller. Notably, Bishop Stefan Oster, one of four German bishops who voted against funding the controversial German synodal reform process, is also participating.
More than 50 women will participate as voting members in the synod assembly. Among them is Sister Xiskya Valladares, known as the tweeting nun, who is a professor and journalist based in Spain. Lay delegates selected by the Pope include Cynthia Bailey Manns, the director of adult learning at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community, and Wyatt Olivas, a young adult musician.
Key cardinals nominated by Pope Francis to attend the assembly include Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, and Cardinal Óscar RodrÃguez Maradiaga. Cardinal Kevin Farrell and Cardinal Joseph Tobin will also participate, with the latter automatically serving as an ordinary member of the synod council.
Religious orders will be represented by Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa and Sister Elizabeth Mary Davis, R.S.M., among others. Father Timothy Radcliffe, a prominent British theologian, will serve as a spiritual assistant for the assembly.
The Synod on Synodality is an ongoing process that began in October 2021 and will conclude in 2024. At the end of the process, the synod assembly participants will vote on an advisory final document that will be presented to Pope Francis, who has described the Holy Spirit as the heart of synodality.
The article highlights the diverse group of participants chosen for the Synod on Synodality and emphasizes the significance of laypeople being full members with voting rights. It also mentions some of the key topics that will be discussed during the assembly and provides a brief overview of the synodal method of spirituality. The article maintains a neutral tone and presents the information in a clear and concise manner.
