Among the people working on the new synod document are U.S. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas; Sister Nathalie Becquart; and Jesuit Father Giacomo Co.
Synod on Synodality logo / Courtesy USCCBRome Newsroom, Apr 12, 2023 / 09:25 am (CNA).A committee of 22 people this week kicked off the writing process for the Synod on Synodality s working document that will be the blueprint for discussions during the meeting of bishops in October. According to a statement from the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops on April 12, a "group of experts from five continents" is meeting at the Vatican until April 19 "with the aim of starting the reflection that will lead at a later stage to the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops."The Instrumentum Laboris, Latin for "working document," frames the discussions of the Synod of Bishops. During a synod, bishops make comments and observations on the working document and meet in small discussion groups to propose changes to the text or to suggest new texts and additi
Pope Francis greets pilgrims before his general audience Feb. 26, 2020. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA.Vatican City, Feb 23, 2023 / 02:45 am (CNA).The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis is suffering from a heavy cold.The Feb. 23 message said that due to a "strong cold," the pope distributed copies of his speeches at two morning appointments, rather than read them aloud as usual.Francis still took part in the two audiences: the first with young priests and monks from Eastern Orthodox Churches and the second with a delegation from the German NGO and non-profit Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science.The Vatican did not indicate in the morning whether there would be further changes to Pope Francis Feb. 23 schedule due to being under the weather.The Vatican later said at noon Rome time that Pope Francis last appointment of the day, a meeting with the YMCA Italy, had been canceled.It also confirmed that other meetings went forward as planned.The pope met with the former pres