The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila have asked the clergy and the faithful to pray for all the bishops attending the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican. Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will attend the annual event, which begins on Oct. 4. ‘His eminence Jose F. Cardinal Advincula was appointed by the Holy Father and elected by his brother bishops to be a delegate to the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican,’ according to the circular signed by vice chancellor Fr. Carmelo Arada and issued on Friday. A synod is a meeting attended by the bishops to discuss contemporary issues surrounding society and the Church. ‘We encourage our communities to accompany our dear Archbishop and all the synodal participants with our prayers and sacrifices,’ it added. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, all the participants will undergo a spiritual retreat at the Fraterna Domus, Sacrofano. The synod proper will be from Oct. 4 to 29. Meanwhile, CBCP president Bishop Pablo David, who is also one of the participants in the religious event, urged the Catholic faithful to pray for them. ‘Please pray for us, join us because the seven continents of the whole world are represented,’ he said. David said many religious and lay people and women would participate in this Synod on Synodality ‘whose objective is promoting a church that is more synodal emphasizing the first, Communion or Bonding of heart and spirit in the same spirit.’ ‘Second, participation is participation in the work of the Church, and the third mission, that is joining the mission of the Church to announce the good news of God’s reign,’ the Kalookan prelate added.
Source: Philippines News Agency