I explained yesterday that proposals from each of the 39 Small Groups are fed into 5 language groups, populated by the rapporteur from each Small Group, which in turn decides which topics seem the most important. One (poor) rapporteur is voted by each language groups to represent them in a further meeting, with the General Secretariat, to make the final decision about the topics, now formulated as questions, which best represent the thoughts of the 370 Synod members. Not an easy task! 7 or 8 questions are then emailed to each member to mull over.
Next day every member votes for what he or she thinks is the most important question to discuss. We are then told the order of preferences. During the Plenary Assembly the top 4 questions will be discussed, beginning with the question which received the most votes. This question will also have the most time allocated with the second question following but with a bit less time and so on. The final period is for free interventions on topics which did not make ‘the cut’. Members can speak for 3 minutes with silence after every 4 speakers.
After the third Plenary the Small Group again meets to discuss what they have learnt from listening to the entire assembly. We then pen our written report, maximum of 2 pages, which must contain concrete proposals, vote that it is an accurate record and then the rapporteur submits it to the General Secretariat. We then lie down in a quiet, dark room before beginning the whole process again for the next module! Meanwhile the theologians and writers begin reading our submissions to pull themes together in preparation for drafting the Final Report.
+Brian
Tomorrow, Friday, there will be an Ecumenical Service at 6pm which can be watched live on Vatican Media.

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https://www.comboni.org/en/contenuti/113647


Saint Daniel still reminds us today of our duty to announce and share Jesu Christ our hope whose heart forever beats for suffering humanity; he urges us to witness to Him in our daily life in a spirit of ministeriality in fraternity; he urges us to live in communion and in the spirit of synodality t...

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https://www.aciafrica.org/news/12427/new-cardinals-say-europe-is-becoming-the-catholic-churchs-new-peripheries


“When the Holy Father is talking about peripheries, I think the peripheries are moving. ... Maybe the peripheries are moving towards Europe,” Archbishop Kikuchi said.

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-10/baldachin-st-peters-pope-francis-basilica-unveiling.html


After 8 months under scaffolding, Pope Francis will inaugurate the newly refurbished baldacchino with a Mass—also signaling the end of the Synod.

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This morning we joined our new Small Groups for the Second Module. It’s almost like the first day at a new school, looking around to see who is there! Anyway this time I’m the only member living in the West so that should make for rich sharing and learning.
Last week’s module reflected on the foundations of Synodality including spirituality and theology. The next three modules should identify practical steps to ensure the implementation of synodal practices at every level of Church life - parishes, dioceses, nationally, lay movements, Religious Orders and universally. So the emphasis is now firmly on HOW the Church can better live synodally.
This second module focusses on Relationships while the next two will be Pathways and then Places. Relationships includes (but not restricted to) our relationship with God; the charisms and ministries among all the baptised; relations with each other e.g. bishops and priests, laity and clergy, among clergy, among parishioners, Religious, ecumenically, Inter-Faith and secular society. The method we are using is Conversation in the Spirit, similar to last year but with some changes. Tomorrow I will explain how it works.
+Brian

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