Delegates from the North American region were recently announced for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops conference.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores released a statement about the importance of the Synod, which will occur this October in Rome, and its appointees. 

“With the announcement of the names of delegates to the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, the Church enters into the Universal Stage of this synodal journey,” Flores, the bishop of Brownsville, Texas, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, said in a release put out by the USCCB. 

“The moment is a joyful one, as bishop delegates and non-bishop delegates now begin their proximate preparations for the Assembly. This will involve prayer and study, and a deep reading of the ‘Instrumentum Laboris.’ 

All the delegates express gratitude to the Holy Father for the invitation to serve together for the good of the Universal Church.” 

This fall’s conference is set for Oct. 4-29, with a second one to follow in October of 2024, the bishops' group said.

The Synod is a multi-year process in which cardinals, bishops, priests, and other members of the Church discuss various topics relevant to the Church and its future. The early stages of the Synod involved bishops meeting with parishioners to hear their concerns. 

As the process enters its closing phase, participants will propose ideas that will be presented to the pope, who can accept, modify, or reject any of the propositions. The document is expected to be reviewed and approved after next year’s fall session, Fox News said in a report. 

Delegates will have the next few months to acquaint themselves with the “Instrumentum Laboris,” a document that establishes a foundation for the discussions and reflections that will occur at the Synod conference. 

The document provides suggestions that are designed to allow for a focused and insightful exchange of ideas. It focuses on such things as “Considering the challenges of the family,” "The Discernment of the Family Vocation,” and “The Mission of the Family Today.” It aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of the subject matter, the Vatican said. 

"I encourage the local churches to use the ‘Instrumentum Laboris,’ in conjunction with their parish and diocesan syntheses, as well as with the U.S. National Synthesis, the Document for the Continental Stage, and the North American Final Document, in order to deepen the discernment of what they have heard and what they can do in their local contexts," Flores said in the USCCB statement. 

"These documents are an unprecedented dialogue between the Holy See and the People of God and serve as living instruments of the synodal path traveled together up to this point. We ask Catholics in their local Churches to pray for the Synod delegates, and for the ongoing work of the Synod.”

Generally, the Synod participants are bishops. This year, for the first time, Pope Francis has included non-bishops. Four non-bishops from Canada and six non-bishops from the United States are on the list of delegates. 

They will attend the Synod and participate in an array of activities that will help them gain the necessary experience to make valuable contributions to the Synod, the USCCB said.