Much of this month will be taken up by the Synod on Synodality, the latest instalment in the synodal process which has been such a distinctive element of this pontificate. John Allen discusses its nature and its prospects elsewhere in this issue and, as he points out, it seems unlikely to result in any disruptive change to doctrine or practice within the Church. The most neuralgic issues, such as the ordination of women to the diaconate or the blessing of same-sex unions, have either been dealt with by Pope Francis directly or kicked into the long grass.