At the Spring General Meeting 2021 the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference decided to embark on a synodal pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to the holding of a National Synodal Assembly within the next five years. See www.synod.ie
Initial Two-Year Phase of Embarking on the Synodal Pathway
The initial two-year phase of embarking on the Irish Synodal Pathway (2021 – 2023) and leading, in time, to a National Synodal Assembly or Assemblies, helpfully coincides with preparation for the 2023 Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops in Rome entitled, For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. The diocesan phase of this Universal Synod is happening in dioceses around the world from October 2021 – May 2022. See www.synod.va
The Planning Phase – Preparation for a National Synodal Assembly
The planning and preparation phase for a National Synodal Assembly or Assemblies in Ireland will bring together and seek to implement the fruits and recommendations from the Initial Phase. It will, in particular, take account of the conclusions of the General Assembly in Rome in 2023, together with any Apostolic Exhortation by the Holy Father emerging from the General Assembly. The aim of this phase will be to design the particular form of our National Synod and prepare directly at local, regional and national level for the holding of the Synod.
Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon outline the process for the Irish Synodal Pathway and the Universal Synod.
Dr Jessie Rogers speaks about the Spirituality of Synodality