As Catholics look ahead to the upcoming 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops conference, Bishop Daniel E. Flores released a statement regarding the announcement of delegates for the North American region. 

The Synod will take place in Rome from Oct. 4-29.

“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 chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine and the Bishop of Brownsville, said in a USCCB statement. 

“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 session is the first of two Synod conferences. A follow-up meeting is set to occur in October of 2024, the USCCB said.

Delegates will spend time familiarizing themselves with the “Instrumentum Laboris,” a document that serves as a foundation for their discussions and reflections that will occur during the Synod before they travel to Rome. 

Following the document’s guidance should allow for a focused and insightful exchange of ideas. The document addresses several topics, including “Considering the challenges of the family,” "The Discernment of the Family Vocation” and “The Mission of the Family Today.” Several chapters are dedicated to each topic, designed to enable 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. 

"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.”

For the first time, the slate of delegates from Canada and the United States includes non-bishops this year. Four non-bishops from Canada and six from the United States are on the list. 

The delegates have been participating in various activities to gain the necessary experience to participate in the Synod, the USCCB said. 

The Synod conference is designed to give cardinals, bishops, priests, and other members of the Church a chance to engage in discussions on various topics relevant to the Church. 

During the deliberations, participants will be encouraged to propose ideas that will be presented to the pope in a document. Pope Francis will evaluate the paper and can accept, modify, or reject any of the propositions. 

The final approval of the document is expected after the conclusion of next year’s fall session, a Fox News report said.