Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter over his selection as a delegate for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, set to be held in Rome this fall. 

“I do believe that the Synod is of signal importance for the entire Church, and I consider it a privilege to be able to participate in it,” Barron tweeted. “Could I please ask the entire Word on Fire family to pray for me as I prepare for this gathering?” 

The Synod will be divided into two conferences. The first is to be held in Rome from October 4-29, with the second scheduled for October 2024, a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) news release said.

The list of delegates includes non-bishops for the first time. Half the non-bishop representatives will be women and a few will be young people, the Vatican announced. Six non-bishop representatives from the United States and four from Canada have been selected. These delegates have been diligently preparing for the Synod, engaging in various activities to gain the necessary experience, the USCCB said in its news release.

To enhance their preparation for the Synod, delegates are expected to study the document called "Instrumentum Laboris," which will serve as a foundation for discussions and reflections during the Synod, allowing for a focused and insightful exchange of ideas, a Vatican document says. It includes several essential parts, including "Considering the Challenges of the Family," "The Discernment of the Family Vocation," and "The Mission of the Family Today." Each part has numerous chapters, enabling 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," Bishop Daniel E. Flores, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine and the Bishop of Brownsville, TX, said in a USCCB release. "These documents are an unprecedented dialogue between the Holy See and the People of God and serve as living instruments of the synodal path travelled 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.”

The synod serves as a gathering in which cardinals, bishops, priests, and other members of the church convene to engage in discussions on various topics relevant to the church. During these deliberations, participants propose ideas that will be presented to the pope in a document. The pope holds the authority to accept, modify, or reject these propositions. The finalization of this document is expected after the conclusion of the last session in October of next year, Fox News reported.