As we prepare for the first session of the Synod on synodality in Rome this October, the Secretary-General reminds us that prayer remains a vital component of the synodal process. The Holy Father is inviting the entire church to make more space for the Holy Spirit because, without the Holy Spirit, there is no church. When asked how the faithful could participate in the October Synod, Cardinal Grech expressed gratitude for our EWTN viewers' support and asked us to pray to our Blessed Mother during this month dedicated to her. Let us invoke the intercession of Mary to help the church have an open heart for the Holy Spirit. The Synod is divided into two sessions, the first in October 2023 and the second in October 2024, to be held in Rome. Cardinal Grech says the Holy Father hopes to have a more relaxed period of discernment.
Andreas Thonhauser is EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the WU Executive Academy in Vienna and a Master’s degree in German Philology/Anglistics and Americanistics from the University of Vienna. Prior to joining EWTN, Thonhauser worked as the Director of External Affairs for a global human rights organization, and for several media outlets in Vienna, Austria.