The Synod of Bishops on synodality does not aim only at bridging the gap between factions within the Catholic Church, but it also must grapple with the immense diversity of its 1.3 billion members spanning across cultures and countries, a spiritual adviser to the synod said.
Hundreds of parish priests from around the world will spend three days praying and talking about experiences of synodality and discernment in parishes and dioceses before having a two-hour dialogue with Pope Francis May 2.
Tradition is a source of inspiration for seeking out new paths to take with Jesus and for avoiding the traps of stagnation or impromptu experimentation, Pope Francis said.
On Feb. 15, the final catechetical session concluded. This represented the end of one phase of the diocesan synodal process and the beginning of another. On March 26, the first public listening session will take place. Because these terms might be unclear, I thought it would be helpful to distinguish between the two and provide more information about these upcoming listening sessions.
