MARCH 28, 2025
mississippicatholic.com
Pope approves next phase of synod, setting path to 2028 assembly By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has approved the next phase of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, launching a three-year implementation process that will culminate in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028. In a letter published March 15, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, announced that the synod’s new phase will focus on applying its conclusions at all levels of the church, with dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities working to integrate synodality into daily church life before the meeting at the Vatican in 2028. “For now, therefore, a new synod will not be convened; instead, the focus will be on consolidating the path taken so far,” he wrote in the letter addressed to all bishops, eparchs and the presidents of national and regional bishops’ conferences. Cardinal Grech told bishops that Pope Francis approved the three-year plan March 11 at Rome’s Gemelli hospital where he has been being treated since Feb. 14. The final document of the synod on Pope Francis and members of the Synod of Bishops on synodality attend the synodality, approved by Pope Francis synod’s final working session Oct. 26, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at in October 2024, emphasized synodali- the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
ty as essential to the church’s mission and called for greater lay participation, mandatory pastoral councils and continued study on women in ministry and seminary formation. Over the next three years, dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities will work to integrate synodal principles into church life with the guidance of a Vatican-issued document scheduled to be published in May. Evaluation assemblies at diocesan, national and continental levels from 2027 to early 2028 will assess progress before a final ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028, where church leaders will reflect on the synodal journey and discern future steps, the cardinal said. According to the apostolic constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis,” which governs procedures when the papacy is vacant, a council or Synod of Bishops is immediately suspended when a pope dies or resigns. All meetings, decisions and promulgations must cease until a new pope explicitly orders their continuation, or they are considered null. In the letter, Cardinal Grech noted
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Vatican releases first photo of Pope Francis since his hospitalization By Cindy Wooden
ROME (CNS) – For the first time since Pope Francis was hospitalized in mid-February, the Vatican press office released a photograph of him March 16; the image shows him concelebrating Mass that morning in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. The Mass also was the first the Vatican described as concelebrated by the 88-year-old Pope Francis in the hospital. He has been receiving the Eucharist daily and on the previous Sundays was described as having “participated” in the liturgy. The Vatican press office did release a 27-secINSIDE THIS WEEK ond audio message from Pope Francis March 6 FOLLOW US thanking people for their prayers. The pope had obvious difficulty breathing and speaking. But for the fifth Sun@jacksondiocese day in a row, Pope Francis did not come to his DIGITAL EDITION window for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, but Text he may have seen some MSCATHOLIC yellow or white balloons fly past his hospital room. to 84576
More than a hundred children gathered March 16 in the square in front of Rome’s Gemelli hospital to pray the Angelus; many were hoping the pope would come to his window to wave while a few of the little ones were more concerned about keeping ahold of their balloons. Although the pope did not come to the window, he thanked the children in the message the Vatican press office published at noon. “I know that many children are praying for me; some of them came here today to Gemelli as a sign of closeness,” he wrote. “Thank you, dearest children! The pope loves you and is always waiting to meet
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you.” Pope Francis has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 and continues to be treated for double pneumonia and multiple infections. His doctors have said his condition continues to improve gradually, so they do not expect to publish another medical bulletin until March 18 or 19. In the square under the pope’s window, Elena, 8, came with a group from Sacred Heart School in Rome’s Monte Mario neighborhood “because the pope is in the hospital. We wanted to show our affec-
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