What is a Synod?

It’s a meeting of bishops from all over the world established by Pope Paul VI, 15 September 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to discuss doctrinal or pastoral matters. Synods offer suggestions to the pope, which may or may not become official teachings at a later time.  Literally speaking the word “synod”, derived from two Greek words syn meaning “together” and hodos meaning “road” or “way”, means a “coming together.”
In January 2017, Pope Francis wrote a Letter to Young People and the Vatican released a Preparatory Document with questions for reflection, and asked that dioceses throughout the world answer these questions to provide feedback on their local experience. In October 2018, the Synod topic was Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. This 2018 feedback was gathered from dioceses across the world and formed the starting point for the Synod conversation.

Watch short videos about a Synod:

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