Bishop of Raphoe to attend ambitious Church assembly in Rome

The Bishop of Raphoe, Alan McGuckian SJ, has been selected by Pope Francis as one of the participants for the Synod on Synodality assembly in Rome in October.

Bishop McGuckian will be one of 364 voting delegates for what is the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The first session takes place from October 4-29 with the second session planned for October 2024.

During the assembly, the delegates will discuss questions posed in the recently released Instrumentum laboris, which covers topics such as women deacons, priestly celibacy, LGBTQ outreach, and highlights a desire for new institutional bodies to allow for greater participation in decision-making by the ‘People of God’.

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Leading Church commentators predict that this could be ‘the most transformative event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council’.

“I am excited to be a part of an authentic discernment of the Holy Spirit at work in the People of God, as we listen together to the scriptures and the Church’s tradition,” Bishop McGuckian said.

“We ask for the prayers of all the Faithful for inspiration for all of us who will gather in Rome that this Synod will bring us all closer to Christ and his saving love in the world.”

This year’s assembly will have 70 non-bishop members in attendance. The presence of lay men, lay women, religious, and priests as voting members will make this the most diverse gathering in the history of the Synod of Bishops.

Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick will accompany Bishop McGuckian to the assembly.