The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a foundational document—Towards the 2027–2028 Assemblies—mapping out the stages, criteria, and tools to guide the global Church toward the major Ecclesial Assembly in October 2028 at the Vatican.
Rather than starting a new consultation from scratch, this phase focuses on implementing, reviewing, and sharing the fruits of the journey that began after the 2021–2024 Synod.
The Four-Stage Journey
The roadmap unfolds in four progressive, spiritually driven phases, each marked by a specific action and strict deadlines for submitting materials to the General Secretariat.
| Phase & Core Action | Timeline | Scope & Expected Output | Deadline |
| 1. Remembering | First half of 2027 | Dioceses & Eparchies: Review the implementation of the Synod's Final Document. Produce a narrative report and a letter to other Churches. | June 30, 2027 |
| 2. Interpret | Second half of 2027 | Bishops' Conferences: National and regional assemblies will draft a theological-pastoral report and a cross-Church letter. | December 31, 2027 |
| 3. Orienting | Jan – Apr 2028 | Continental Assemblies: Identify shared regional priorities and write a forward-looking report to help draft the Instrumentum laboris (working document). | April 30, 2028 |
| 4. Celebrate | October 2028 | The Universal Church: The global Ecclesial Assembly gathers at the Vatican with the Holy Father to unify the journey. | Event Month |
Note: The assemblies are not final destinations. They are designed to be celebratory milestones of evaluation and synthesis, meant to give renewed momentum to the Church’s ongoing synodal conversion.
Purpose: An "Exchange of Gifts"
The process is anchored by one central question adapted for each level:
What concrete face of a missionary synodal Church and what new paths of synodality are emerging in your community?
Church leaders emphasize that this is not a repetition of the previous Synod consultations, nor is it meant to burden local parishes with extra tasks. Instead, it is a spiritual "exchange of gifts"—a way for communities to honestly evaluate their successes and difficulties, offering their insights to the wider global Church.
Who Participates?
Leadership of this process falls to local bishops, presidents of Bishops' Conferences, and heads of continental bodies, supported by dedicated synodal teams.
However, the Secretariat stresses that assembly participants must reflect the true diversity of the Church. Selection criteria mandate a balance of:
Men, women, and different generations.
Cultural and ecclesial backgrounds.
Priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and lay members of church movements.
Individuals who are disconnected from organized structures or living in situations of fragility and marginalization.
Perspective from Leadership
"We are proposing to local Churches not an additional task, but rather a time of shared discernment and thanksgiving... The Assemblies are not sociological consultations, deliberative processes, or technical evaluations. Rather, they are a profound ecclesial and spiritual experience of discernment."
— Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod
Source - https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-05/synod-on-synodality-the-path-towards-implementation.html
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