“We would have liked to have more representatives, but always to respect the Episcopal dimension of the Assembly, we have had to limit ourselves. Most of them are the Bishops elected by the Episcopal Conferences, the Churches sui iuris, and a number of members appointed by the Holy Father”, said Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. , this Friday, July 7, when presenting the list of participants in the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place from October 4 to 29, 2023.
The presentation was attended by Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, OSA, and Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, Undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops, and Father Riccardo Battocchio, elected as Special Secretary of the Synodal Assembly.
Cardinal Grech: participation of the people of God
For his part, Cardinal Mario Grech pointed out that this First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is an Assembly with the participation of other members of the people of God.
“We have tried to include a representation of all of God’s people. For example, we have asked the Department for the Laity, the Family and Life to offer us a person, including a disabled person. We have representatives from all the Continents, there are also members who have presented the Episcopal Conferences, clergy, religious, deacons, laity, youth. As well as a representative of the Digital Synod”.
The Episcopal dimension of the Assembly is being respected
The Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops also recalled that the members of this Assembly are of three types: those appointed ex officio, that is, by function; ex electione, elected by the Episcopal Conferences or by the Synods of the Eastern Catholic Churches; and ex nominatione pontificia, those chosen directly by the Holy Father.
“We would have liked to have more representatives, but always to respect the Episcopal dimension of the Assembly, we have had to limit ourselves. Most of them are the Bishops elected by the Episcopal Conferences, the Churches sui iuris, and a number of members appointed by the Holy Father. There are also the representatives of the religious Congregations, they are the members. Then there are the experts and facilitators, where there are theologians and other experts who are not members. And then, there is the list of special guests who may participate in the Assembly, but who do not participate in the decisions”.
Finally, Cardinal Grech indicated that, for now, the list is not complete, the names of the Fraternal Delegates are missing. In addition, he said that between now and October it is possible that there will be some changes in the list due to some personal contingencies of the participants. Likewise, the Cardinal said that the list of the Presidency of the Synodal Assembly, of the President Delegates, of the two Special Secretaries and of the members of the Communication Commission, who join the General Rapporteur of the Synodal Assembly, has been published. Cardinal Jean Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg.
