Forty-five new Synod Fathers have been appointed directly by Pope Francis
The Vatican Press Office has published the list of the participants of the Ordinary Synod on the Family, which will be held in the Vatican, from 4 to 25 October. To the previous list, composed of statutory members—primarily representatives of the Episcopal Conferences around the world— have been added, by papal appointment and formalized with this document, a total of 45 participants (last year‘s Extraordinary Assembly only included 26).
The list of participants appointed directly by Pope Francis, which includes 15 Italians, begins with the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and then continue with Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Emeritus of Milan, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, and Cardinal Walter Kasper, President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.