Synod: Two study fora dedicated to role of bishop and people of God

By Vatican News

The ongoing Synod at the Vatican is "splitting" into sessions to delve into key aspects of the reflection currently engaging the participants.

This will take place on Wednesday, October 9, and again on October 16, with four theological-pastoral fora open to the public, both in person and via streaming.

Wednesday's fora

The first two events, scheduled from 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM on Wednesday, will take place simultaneously.

One will address “People of God as the Subject of the Mission”, hosted in the main hall of the Jesuit General Curia (click here to follow the live streaming), and the other will explore “The Role and Authority of the Bishop in a Synodal Church,” held in the main hall of the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum (click here to follow the live streaming).

Each forum will feature theologians, experts in canon law, and a bishop, with the first part of the meeting dedicated to presentations and the second part open to questions from the audience.

A Synod enriched by contributions from various experts

According to a note, these fora respond "to the need, which emerged during the First Session of the 16th Assembly, to continue the theological, canonical, and pastoral exploration of the meaning of synodality in various aspects of the Church’s faith and to offer theologians and canonists the opportunity to contribute to the Assembly's work."

The fora on October 16

Next Wednesday, two additional theological-pastoral forums will be held in a similar format.

One will focus on the “Mutual Relationship between the Local Church and the Universal Church” (at the Jesuit General Curia), while the other will address “The Exercise of Primacy and the Synod of Bishops” (Augustinianum).

In addition to Synod participants, accredited journalists from the Holy See Press Office and anyone interested—subject to the availability of seats—are invited to attend these events.