Twenty-second General Congregation

VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2001 (VIS) - This morning, at the start of the 22nd General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops, the president delegate on duty, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, in the name of the 229 synod fathers present, congratulated the Pope on the 23rd anniversary today of the solemn inauguration of his Petrine ministry. Following this, in the first half of the morning session, the unified list of propositions was read.

At 11 a.m. the synod fathers met in language groups to prepare the collective amendments to the propositions.

This afternoon, tomorrow and Wednesday morning, the language groups will continue to work and discuss the individual amendments. Each group will give its approval for the collective amendments, voted by absolute majority, which will then be brought by the moderators to the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops on Wednesday, October 24.

The collective amendments will be studied by the moderators of the language groups under the guidance of the relator general and the adjunct relator general, assisted by the special secretary and experts. The results will be presented in the form of a final list of propositions in the 24th General Congregation, to take place Friday morning, October 26.

Vatican Information Service
22. oktober 2001