Vatican City: Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, has called on the global Church to embrace the third phase of the synodal process as a vital step in deepening the understanding and practice of synodality. The cardinal’s reflections were published in a note commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, an institution established by Pope Paul VI in 1965 in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.

In his note, Cardinal Grech emphasized that Pope Francis has defined synodality as “the privileged way to achieve communion in the Church,” a principle echoed during last Sunday’s Angelus by the Pope, who highlighted Paul VI’s “prophetic intuition” in creating the Synod to involve the College of Bishops more fully in the governance and pastoral care of the universal Church. Pope Francis also expressed hope that the 60th anniversary would inspire renewed dedication to the unity and mission of the Church.

Tracing the evolution of the Synod, Cardinal Grech noted that Paul VI established the body through the motu proprio Apostolica Sollicitudo to foster collaboration between the bishops of the world and the Bishop of Rome, allowing them to advise on matters of decisive importance for the People of God. Over the past six decades, the Synod has held sixteen Ordinary General Assemblies, three Extraordinary General Assemblies, and eleven Special Assemblies, with Popes consistently accepting the final documents and producing post-synodal exhortations that have contributed significantly to ecclesial renewal.

The cardinal highlighted the transformative approach of Pope Francis, who reshaped the Synod from an event reserved for bishops into a multi-stage process involving the entire Church. This transformation began with consultation at the diocesan level, progressed through discernment by Episcopal Conferences and Continental Assemblies, and culminated in the Ordinary General Assemblies held in Rome in October 2023 and 2024. Cardinal Grech recalled that Pope Francis had already outlined this vision during the 50th anniversary of the Synod in 2015, which later inspired the apostolic constitution Episcopalis Communio in 2018.

According to Cardinal Grech, the past two phases of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly demonstrated the beauty and power of synodality, emphasizing reciprocal listening among the faithful, the bishops, and the Pope guided by the Holy Spirit. The resulting Final Document, immediately approved by Pope Francis, reflects the fruits of this discernment and serves as a roadmap for local Churches and regional bodies to implement the proposals within their communities.

Looking ahead, Cardinal Grech encouraged all members of the Church to engage fully in the third phase of the process. “This is a moment to make every effort so that the third phase of the synodal process constitutes a further step forward in the experience and understanding of synodality,” he wrote, affirming that the journey toward communion is ongoing, collaborative, and central to the Church’s mission in the modern world.