On Friday, July 7, Pope Francis appointed Dr. Catherine Clifford as a member of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in Rome this October.
"It is with great joy, but also with a sense of pride and honour from our Faculty, that we receive this news," shared Dr. Christian Dionne, Dean of the Faculty of Theology. "On behalf of the Faculty, we extend our support and solidarity to Professor Clifford as she embarks on this wonderful adventure."
Dr. Clifford, Full Professor in the Faculty of Theology, is one of 10 laypeople selected from North America. An historic assembly in many respects, this is also the first time laypeople will participate as full members, having the ability to vote.
"I am deeply honoured by the invitation to participate in the General Assembly this fall and I am grateful for the expression of prayerful support from many colleagues and students," said Dr. Clifford. "I have spent much of my career teaching on the dignity and equality of all the baptized, on their co-responsibility for the life and mission of the Church, and on the importance of taking more seriously the contributions of competent lay persons in the discernment of the pastoral and missional priorities of the Church. In a real sense, the opportunity to take part as a full participant in the Synodal Assembly, with a voice and a vote, is a concrete fruit of the teaching of Vatican II and of the efforts of many to receive it more fully."
About the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
Commonly referred to as the "Synod on Synodality," this General Assembly is the culmination of a multi-year exploration of the meaning of synodality as an expression of the nature of the Church, its practice in Christian tradition, and the importance of recovering a culture of encounter and communal discernment in our day.
As Dr. Clifford explains:
"The work of the General Assembly will be to listen attentively to what has emerged from the past two years of consulting the people of God in every continent and to consider the many needs and significant priorities that have emerged from the wisdom and living faith of the Church. It is also an opportunity to offer advice to the pope and the bishops on the best ways forward. The path forward must be a synodal one - with bishops, pastors, and lay persons seeking the will of God together. This a moment of grace for the whole church."
