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Synod on Synodality “not only for the Bishops”, South Sudanese Archbishop Tells Youth

Archbishop Stephen Ameyu of South Sudan's Juba Archdiocese. Credit: Courtesy Photo

The Synod on Synodality is not an ecclesial event for Bishops alone but for all the people of God including young people, the Archbishop of South Sudan’s Juba Archdiocese has said.

Addressing young people Monday, November 15 during the opening of the Archdiocesan Youth Conference, Archbishop Stephen Ameyu appealed to the youth to fully “participate in the upcoming bishops’ synod, which was launched by Pope Francis last month.”

“This is not the synod of the Bishops alone, but this is the synod that the Bishops should consult their people from young people to the old people,” Archbishop Ameyu said.

The South Sudanese Archbishop noted that the “older members of the Church should listen to the young people.”

“We must listen to you, especially now that the Holy Father has announced the synod of the Bishops,” he said, addressing himself to young people in the Archdiocese of Juba, adding that the Synod on Synodality “is an opportunity for you as young people because God is now with you.”

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In October, Pope Francis formally launched the two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality with a call to “look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say.”

In May, the Vatican announced that the synod on synodality would open with a diocesan phase lasting from October 2021 to April 2022. A continental phase, the second, is expected to take place from September 2022 to March 2023.

The third, which is the universal phase, would begin with the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the theme, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” at the Vatican in October 2023.

In his November 15 address to young people, Archbishop Ameyu noted that “the synod aims at discussing how Christians would want the Church to be.”

In the Archdiocese of Juba, he said the synod “will begin first of all with council of the Priests and then later on young people will also participate.”

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“This synod is to renew the life of the Church, and so I wish next time when you come you will have to discuss what kind of Church you would like,” Archbishop Ameyu added during the Archdiocesan Youth Conference held under the Theme, “The Greatest among You, Must Be a Servant.”.

He called on the young people to open their hearts to God and sacrifice their lives to Him to receive His blessings.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.