The Vatican has announced a special ecclesial assembly set for October 2028 to evaluate how Catholic communities worldwide have implemented the recommendations from the recently concluded Synod on Synodality. The gathering, which has been directly approved by Pope Francis, aims to ensure that local Churches are walking in a truly synodal manner, fostering greater collaboration and shared responsibility.
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, detailed the plans in a letter addressed to bishops around the world, clarifying that this event “will not constitute a new synod but rather serve as the culmination of a structured three-year implementation process,” according to the Vatican’s announcement. Grech further emphasized, “The goal is not to add work upon work but to help Churches walk in a synodal style.”
A Three-Year Implementation Process
The process of implementing the synod’s recommendations will unfold over the next three years, beginning in May 2025 with the release of detailed guidelines. In October 2025, a “Jubilee of Synodal Teams” will be held to bring together key figures involved in the implementation process.
Throughout 2027, evaluation assemblies will take place at various levels—diocesan, national, and international—culminating in continental gatherings in early 2028, leading up to the final assembly in October of that year.
Role of Synodal Teams
A critical aspect of the implementation process will be the work of local synodal teams. Grech highlighted their essential role, explaining that these teams will be composed of “priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and laypeople” who will collaborate with their bishops. These teams should be “valued” and, when necessary, “renewed, reactivated, and appropriately integrated,” according to the Vatican’s statement.
Grech reassured local Churches that this process “does not diminish the role of each Church in receiving and applying the fruits of the synod in its own unique way.” Rather, he emphasized that it “encourages a great co-responsibility that values local Churches while associating the episcopal college with the pope’s ministry.”
A Call to Prayer for Pope Francis
Cardinal Grech concluded his letter with an invitation to pray for Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since February 14. The Pope, who has been a leading advocate for synodality within the Church, continues to call for deeper engagement and shared responsibility among Catholics worldwide.
As the Church embarks on this structured three-year process, Catholics are encouraged to embrace the synodal path with openness and faith, ensuring that the fruits of the Synod on Synodality take root in every parish and diocese.
