October 15, 2021

On October 17, 2021, the Archdiocese of Baltimore will join the Holy Father and the Universal Church in convoking the Synod on Synodality, For a Synodal Church: Communion, ParticipDoing fineation, and Mission. By convoking this Synod, Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is “decisive for its life and mission: ‘It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium.’”

The aim of the Synod is two-fold: to “learn synodality” and “the Synodal conversion of the Church (putting into practice the synodal nature of the entire Church).” Synodality represents the path by which the Church can be renewed by the action of the Holy Spirit, by listening together afresh to what God has revealed to us in Christ Jesus.

The theme of this Synod involves three inseparable keys: Communion (our union with one another based on and rooted in the unity of the Persons of the Trinity), Participation (our sharing in the death and resurrection of Christ and in the life of the Church) and Mission (our co-responsibility for the Church’s mission of evangelization rooted in Baptism). These themes are to guide and shape the discussions that will occur over the course of the next several months amongst the clergy, those in consecrated life, and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese a Baltimore.

I invite you to learn more about the Synod and the process of preparing for it in the Archdiocese of Baltimore by watching the video here and visiting our web site. You can also read the column I wrote for the October edition of the Catholic Review magazine. 

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore