About

A brief guide to using the site

Participating in a Synod means placing ourselves on the same path as the Word made flesh. It means following in his footsteps, listening to his word along with the words of others… Let us not soundproof our hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties. So often our certainties can make us closed. Let us listen to one another.
(Pope Francis, Homily 10 October 2021)

What is synodresources.org?

Synodrsources.org is an initiative of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops to report on the synodal journey worldwide and facilitate the exchange of experiences, resources and information among those who have begun the synodal process. It was created following the opening of the synodal process in dioceses around the world.

Synodresources.org  is a tool for listening and a platform for sharing that does not replace the official website of Synod 2021-2023 (synod.va). Rather than vertical, top-down communication, it aims to be horizontal communication. It is no coincidence that synodresources.org was created in the wake of the Newsletter entitled Litterae Communionis, which adopts the ancient patristic custom of exchanging letters between the various Churches. Thus, more than an institutional tool, it can be a useful instrument to carry out pastoral initiatives; it can be a source of information to narrate the synod “of the base”. 

As such, the publication of any contribution should not be understood as an endorsement of its content by the General Secretariat; nor should anyone interpret such a publication as an act of formal recognition by the Synod Secretariat of the group or community submitting the contribution. 

What to keep in mind when planning a contribution?

On various occasions Pope Francis has shared what it means to be a synodal Church: a Church of listening and closeness. He has also described the attitudes and inner dispositions that each of us is called to assume in entering into the synod. They are set out in the Preparatory Document (nos.24, 29) and in the Vademecum (paragraphs 2.3-2.4). We ask anyone considering a submission to synodresources.org to keep them in mind.

Who can send material?

The current synodal process is addressed to the entire People of God, to all the baptised. In chapter 2.1 of the Vademecum, we urged dioceses to involve people at risk of exclusion (women, migrants, the elderly or Catholics who rarely or never practise their faith). At the same time, in order to participate fully in the act of discernment, it is important for the baptised to listen to the voices of other people in their local context, including those who have abandoned the practice of the faith, people from other faith traditions, people who have no religious beliefs at all.

Therefore, anyone is entitled to send material. At the same time, because we firmly believe that the experience of faith is and must be communitarian, we will only accept contributions that express the views of a group clearly identified. We regret that individual submissions will not be considered.

To this practical criterion, we would also ask that the contribution be the expression of a real and sincere desire to walk together. In this sense, we invite all those who wish to send a contribution to check that they have not fallen into the “Pitfalls” that we have highlighted in chapter 2.4 of the Vademecum. If this is the case, we will feel free to exclude the content.

Senders remain responsible for the content of their material and for compliance with copyright and privacy rules.

All materials can be searched by keyword as well as by geographic region, topic, and format.

Want to share your resources?

New materials can also be sent to the webmaster webmaster@synodresources.org for uploading.