With origins in Greek, the word “Synod” means a path together, in union. It was officially established by Pope Paul VI, in September 1965, through a Motu Proprio. In the words of the then leader of the Church, “an institute (…) that we, questioning the signs of the times, and, even more, seeking to interpret in depth the divine plans and the constitution of the Catholic Church, established (…) to promote unity and collaboration.”
Basically, it is a major meeting, in which representatives of churches from all over the world are present (not all of them are Bishops) with the aim of studying the ecclesiastical state at a given moment, through sharing experiences of the communities in question. . The objective: to help the world government of the Supreme Pontiff – in this case Pope Francis – by proposing solutions to issues raised in different parts of the world.
