16th Ordinary General Assembly working document released
The Vatican has now published the guiding document for discussions at the final assembly of the Church’s years long Synod on Synodality.
The Instrumentum Laboris, or “working tool” for the upcoming 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, has been made available by Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich, together with the special secretaries of the synodal assembly.
Dubbed “Instrumentum Laboris 2”, the document has been in preparation since early June, when approximately 20 experts in theology, ecclesiology, and canon law held a closed-door meeting to review reports from dioceses and religious communities. The document will guide discussions at an assembly at the Vatican in October 2024. The month-long gathering is the second of a two-part assembly of the Synod on Synodality. The first session was held in October 2023.
The second October assembly is a continuation of the multi-year conference, which began in October 2021 and has included a range of discussions at various levels of the Church. The October meeting will bring together Catholic bishops, priests, religious, and lay people from around the world to prepare the synod’s final document.
This is the second Instrumentum Laboris of the Synod on Synodality. A similar 50 page working document was published last year ahead of the synod’s October 2023 assembly. The 2023 Vatican assembly produced a 41-page synthesis report, while the 2024 assembly is expected to vote on a “final report”, which will then be submitted to Pope Francis.
The third phase of the conference — after “the consultation of the people of God” and “review by pastors” — will be “implementation”.
16th Ordinary General Assembly of The Synod Of Bishops Instrumentum Laboris For The Second Session (October 2024)