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Day-1 at the Retreat for Participants in the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops before the Opening Mass on Wednesday, October 2. But why a retreat? Because the synodal assembly is first and foremost a time of prayer and discernment. As such, it is necessary for the participants to prepare themselves to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, setting aside the cares, worries and often hectic rhythms of their daily lives to stand before the Lord in light of the great responsibility that awaits them. The spiritual retreat is one of the many novelties of this synod. Another novelty is the Penitential Vigil that will conclude the retreat - Tuesday, Oct. 1 - preparing participants for the Mass that will officially open the second session of the XVI Assembly. In the afternoon, the opening session presided over by Pope Francis will be broadcasted live by Vatican Media. This is another novelty of this synod inspired not only by the desire for greater transparency in the Church, but above all by the desire to have participants in the synod share in the experience they will be living. Finally, the last novelty we are presenting today is that of the Theological-Pastoral Forums: times of in-depth study for the participants and the people of God. They too will be broadcasted live.
Meanwhile, as participants are arriving in Rome, experts and facilitators are already at work; we will see in this newsletter how they are preparing.
Without prayer there is no synod. Pope Francis has reminded us of this several times. Therefore, we continue to extend to you the invitation to pray and to have your friends and communities pray also with the help of the Pope's World Prayer Network and ClicktoPray that will accompany us throughout this month. This is another new feature that we will tell you about in a future newsletter.
Happy reading!

Work in Progress


During these days prior to the Spiritual Retreat, experts and facilitators are meeting to better prepare for the Assembly. Although they are not members of the Assembly, their work is crucial. There is no better way to define their service than to use Cardinal Mario Grech's words to them as he met with them on Saturday, Sept. 28: “The work of the Synod is like an iceberg: from the outside appears the tip, the surface, but underneath, immersed, there is a mass that keeps it floating. This hidden mass of the synod is you, dear colleagues. You are not all members of the assembly, but without your help the input of the members would have another dimension. You are not the protagonists of the Synod of Bishops, but your task is to help the members act as protagonists -- to engage the members in a process of ecclesial discernment that leads to the synodal-missionary conversion of the Church.”

The retreat




Like last year, the spiritual retreat will be led by two spiritual assistants, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP and Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini, O.S.B. The two-day retreat will be divided by their meditations and personal prayer times. Participants will also have the opportunity to practice the art of Conversation in the Spirit, which will also animate the work of the synod assembly. The presence of the two spiritual assistants will not be limited to the retreat, but will accompany the participants along the course of the assembly offering them time, an ear and a person ready to listen to them at any time.

Day


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