Pope Francis to Open Italian Bishops’ General Assembly

Pope Francis will make the short journey on Monday to the Ergife Palace Hotel in Rome, where he will open the 74^th General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI). The Pope’s message to the Italian bishops will be broadcast live by Vatican Media.

A Synodal Journey

The theme of this year’s General Assembly is “Proclaiming the Gospel in a time of rebirth – setting out on a synodal journey.”

The idea for a national synod was discussed by the bishops during their conference in Florence in 2015, with Pope Francis and his allies lending support to the project. Earlier this year, the Pope made his expectations clear: “After five years, the Italian Church must begin the process of a national synod, community by community, diocese by diocese. In the Florence Conference there is precisely the intuition of the road to take in this synod. Now, take it up again: It is the moment. And start walking.”