Embarking on the Synodal Journey Guided by the Holy Spirit As the Universal Church is about to embark on the synodal journey, Pope Francis on October 9, 2021, invoked the Holy Spirit on the People of God so that they will be able to move forward together, to listen to one another and discern our times, in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity. The Pope prayed as he presided over a moment of reflection in the Vatican’s Synod Hall, on the eve the official inauguration of the diocesan phase of the Synod for all the dioceses around the world, marked by a solemn Mass in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, October 10, 2021. Dioceses across the world will inaugurate the synodal journey at the local level on October 17.