The third week of the Synod of Synodality got underway in Rome on Monday, with the assembly now in its concluding stages.
It was a big week for Bishop Anthony Randazzo. On Tuesday, he was invited to be on the panel for the daily press briefing following the day’s talks.
During the briefing, he praised Pope Francis guidance on the issue of female ordination prior to the commencement of the Synod meeting, and also his hope the Synodal process would continue to play a role in the life of the Church.
On Thursday morning, Bishop Randazzo was asked to lead the opening prayer for the Synod. It was a proud moment for many of the people of Broken Bay to see their shepherd given such a prominent role.
On Monday, the Synod discussed a variety of topics, including synodality, the richness of diversity, the role of the baptised within the Church, missionary activity, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, the role of women in the perspective of the female diaconate, and the digital evolution.
On Tuesday, the discussions continued, with large parts of the day dedicated to discussing the roles of both Bishops and women with the Church.
In their roundtables on Tuesday in Rome, participants in the Synod spent the afternoon focusing on the role of women in the Church, including whether women should be able to preach the homily at Mass and whether there should be a female diaconate.
Earlier in the day, the Synod had discussed the role of Bishop’s within the Church, responding to Module B2 of the working document of the Synod.
They Synod discussed the role of the Bishop, the need for support within the Diocese, formation, the appointment of Bishops and the need to pray for Bishops.
On Wednesday, the Synod would discuss how the Church could become more missionary while also offering more inclusion. The subject of how to welcome people experiencing same-sex attraction was among the discussions.
On Thursday, the discussions were focused largely on the issue of migrants and refugees. Authority within the Church was also a discussion point.
It was fitting then, that on Tuesday night, all the participants of the Synod gathered with Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square to pray for those who have lost their lives along the various migratory routes, for their families, for those who have survived, and for the refugees and migrants who are still on their way.