The Diocese of Tucson is encouraging Christ's followers to participate in Synod.

On Oct. 10, Pope Francis declared a “synod on synodality,” which is formally titled “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church.” The process will last for two years and involves expanding the existing Synod of Bishops. Bishops all around the world are tasked with consulting with monks, nuns, parishioners, and laypeople to bring more openness and transparency to the Church. The Bishops will convene in 2023 and discuss how to move forward as a church that “journeys together," according to The Conversation.

“Synod” comes from a Greek word meaning “coming together” or “traveling together.” The Synodal tradition for the Church began with ancient Christian leaders who would come together to discuss and pray about issues that affected the whole Church. By the 16th century, these gatherings were happening infrequently. One of the goals of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was to re-emphasize the role of bishops as leaders of their communities and encourage more communication and cooperation between bishops, according to The Conversation.

“Look for updated info, dates and reflection questions for our Diocese of Tucson listening sessions in the coming days!" the Synod Diocese of Tucson said in a Facebook post. "Information will be shared for our diocese in 'The New Outlook,' on our social media feeds and at www.synodtucson.org. Thanks to the planning and work of our diocesan steering committee we won’t need to take advantage of the extension mentioned in the article but this is a great sign that many dioceses throughout the world are engaging the synodal process requested by #PopeFrancis. Stay tuned for more information about #Synod2023 and #SynodTucson.”

According to the Tucson Diocese website, Pope Francis has emphasized that listening is the key part of this process. Post on social media with the hashtag #ListeningChurch to be part of the conversation.