Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome to launch preparations for the Synod of Bishops which will be held in October of 2023. The synod in 2023 will have this theme: “A synodal church has communion, participation and mission.” The preparations will have three stages. Stage one: the local level. The bishops of each diocese will ask their people, “What is the Holy Spirit saying to you in the depths of your hearts?” This stage will begin this month and end in April of 2022.
Stage Two: the national phase. The bishops of each nation meet and discern what they have heard from the Catholic people of their nation. They reflect upon what they have heard and send a summary of that reflection to the Vatican before April of 2023.
Stage Three: the international phase. In October of 2023 several hundred bishops will meet at the general assembly of the synod in Rome. They will make a report to Pope Francis who has said, “I want a summary of what has been said at all levels of the church concerning our goals of community building, participation in the life of the church and mission.”
Fr. Jerry Schik, osc