This page provides information relating to the synod on "A Synodal Church".
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You can find out more about the Synod, its purpose, our parish’s involvement and the outcomes of the various stages of the Synodal process.
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What is the synod? and other FAQ - What is this all about and why is it relevant to me?
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The Synodal Process:
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Phase 1
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The beginning of the Synod. This was an opportunity for us to ‘walk together’, to share in the work of discernment, to listen together to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us about how the Church should be in the 21st century. Pope Francis asked each interested person to get involved. He invited all the baptised, including those who rarely or never practise their faith, to have their say. Those of other or no faith tradition who encounter the Catholic Church in their lives were also warmly invited to contribute their views.
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Our Parish, as well as many others in our diocese gathered together to walk together and discern over the course of multiple small and large group sessions.
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Our outputs were summarised and submitted to the diocese. Our Report to the Diocese – Read our submission to the diocese and additional notes for our parish.
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Portsmouth diocese collated all feedback and provided it’s submission to the Vatican in preparation for Phase 2 (see below). Diocese of Portsmouth Synod document
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National Synthesis Document and the Bishops' Reflection (Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales)
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Phase 2
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Session 1 – Summary document and Full report of the Vatican's Synod Findings in October 2023
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Bishops, clergy religious and laity spent the month of October of 2023 in discussion in the Vatican. The summary that follows is an attempt to capture the key issues of their discussion as they left Rome to return to their local parish communities
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The report is a comprehensive document that outlines the key themes and findings from the synodal process
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Session 2 - Takeouts resource and Full report of the second Vatican Synod session in October 2024
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In October 2024, the members of the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops approved the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality. Pope Francis approved its publication. “The Final Document contains proposals that, in the light of its basic orientations, can already now be implemented in the local Churches and groupings of Churches, taking into account different contexts, what has already been done, and what remains to be done so that the style proper to the missionary synodal Church can be ever-better learned and developed” – Pope Francis
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The accessible ‘take-outs’ resource has been produced by the Diocese of Westminster to help Catholics engage with the Final Document (FD). The resource is particularly useful ahead of the ‘Implementation Phase’ that Pope Francis has recently commissioned the Church to move into as we journey to the celebration of an ecclesial assembly in the Vatican in October 2028
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Additional Information:
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Meetings – Details of parish meetings about the synod​
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