The Synod of Bishops of the Maronite Church held its ordinary session from 3 to 13 June 2026 at the Patriarchal See in Bkerké, convened by His Beatitude Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Preceded by a spiritual retreat led by Father Michel Khoury, an Antonine monk, on the theme: ‘The vocation of the bishop: a journey of continuous growth with Christ’, from 3 to 6 June 2026, the synod’s proceedings then took place from 8 to 13 June.

At the heart of their meeting was the theme of ‘episcopal collegiality and synodality – Current situation and future prospects’, which was explored through six presentations on: the challenges of the current practice of collegiality in the Maronite Church; the link between episcopal collegiality and synodality; the experience of some Maronite bishops who took part in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops held in Rome (2023–2024); moving from institutional synodality to synodality understood as a spirit, a way of life and ecclesial discernment; the role of the laity; and finally, the aspirations for a ‘prophetic Church in the world and for the world’ .

The members of the Maronite Synod worked in small groups, using the method of conversation in the Spirit.

The final communiqué of the Maronite Synod and the approved recommendations and decisions are available in Italian and French.