The theme of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is For a synodal church: communion, participation, and mission. The synod began in Rome on October 9 and in local dioceses on October 17. The diocesan phase (originally scheduled to conclude in April) will now conclude in August 2022, and the entire synod will conclude in Rome in October 2023.

“We have heard, over and over again and from various quarters, the request to extend the duration of the first phase of the synodal process in order to provide a greater opportunity for the people of God to have an authentic experience of listening and dialogue,” the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, led by Cardinal Mario Grech, said in its statement.