In October 2021 Pope Francis invited the Church to come together to engage in a Synod entitled

For a Synodal Church: Communion Participation Mission

A Synod is an Assembly which decides on an important issue. 

This Synod is very different from previous ones where the Bishops of the Church would consider the issues of the day, and then, following discussions, the Pope presents advice and guidance to the whole Church in the form of an Apostolic Exhortation.

In this Synod the Pope is asking for the participation of the whole Church. He wants us, the People of God, to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another so that we can scrutinize the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel” (Gaudium et spes 4). That means taking account of the challenges, economic and environmental, faced by the world and those faced by the Church itself. The Pope asks us to come together to do this in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity. It is not only the laity who are urged to listen and share with one another but the clergy and laity listening and sharing mutually; this means we come together sharing our experience and our wisdom to imagine a different future for the Church and her institutions, in keeping with the mission received from God.

In launching the Synod, the Pope said, “All the baptized are called to take part in the Church’s life and mission.”  He acknowledged the frustration and impatience felt by many pastoral workers, members of diocesan and parish consultative bodies and women, who frequently remain on the fringes. He stressed that, “Enabling everyone to participate is an essential ecclesial duty!” and he highlighted encounter, listening and reflection.

This video provides an Introduction to what will be a very new and exciting experience for us all.

This is the link to a Video introducing the Synod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lAktuejwo 

There is a video offered by the Archdiocese of Cardiff Father Christopher Thomas General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) and Father Jan Nowotnik, Director of Missions at CBCEW, discuss the Synodal process and explain this invitation to communion, participation and mission. Here is the link https://rcadc.org/for-a-synodal-church/ 

And if you wold like to read further https://www.cbcew.org.uk/pope-on-synod-the-participation-of-everyone-guided-by-the-holy-spirit/ directs you to an article published on 9^th October by the Bishops Conference of England and Wales introducing the Pope talking about the Synod where he calls for the participation of everyone guided by the Holy Spirit.

Further information and ongoing feedback will be posted on the website and in other ways, the Church Notice Board and social media (Facebook) to promote access to information and engagement for all.