All parts and paragraphs of the 40-page document were approved in votes that lasted several hours. A two-thirds majority was required.
The document titled “The Synodal Church in Mission” stressed the following: “Among us were present sisters and brothers from the nations – victims of war, martyrdom, persecution and famine. The situation of these peoples, who often did not have the opportunity to participate in the Church” The synodal process, was present In our mutual expressions and in our prayers, it awakened our sense of fellowship with them and our determination to work for peace.
“This process has renewed our experience and our desire for a Church that is the House and Family of God. With this experience and this desire for a Church that is more personal, less bureaucratic and more relational, the Church can become the House of God and His Family. The terms “synodalism” and “synodality” are related,” This was stated in the document. It was also acknowledged: “We know that ‘synodalism’ is an unknown term to many members of the People of God.”
The document was announced at the conclusion of the first session of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The second session will be held in October 2024.
The synod was held under the slogan “Towards a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.”
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