XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

The journey towards the celebration of the Synod in October 2023 solemnly opened on October 9-10, 2021 in Rome.

On September 7, 2021, the preparatory document and the vademecum (handbook) for the synodal journey were released. With the convocation of the Synod of Bishops on the themes of communion, participation and mission, Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: “It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium. This journey, which follows in the wake of the Church’s ‘renewal’ proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task.”

The Continental Phase Document has been released and may be accessed here. The Synod of Bishops has now been extended to October 2024 to allow for greater consultation of the faithful. The entire Church have been invited to respond on the online portal which will be available from Friday, November 4 to Friday 9 December.

Key Dates:

1. Monday, 31 October 2022: Document and Reflection Guide made available on Synod website.
2. Friday, 4 November 2022: Online Portal opens to accept submissions. Submission Link will be available on Synod website.
3. Saturday, 19 November 2022 Sydney Archdiocese Celebration of Plenary Process and Discussion of Continental Stage Document
4. Friday, 9 December 2022: Online Portal closes.
5. Monday, 12 December 2022: NCPR begin preparing Australian Feedback Summary Report.
6. Wednesday, 21 December 2022: Report Submitted to Oceania Taskforce.