Press Release

WUCWO’S School for Synodality is born

Women’s mission in the Synodal Church

Rome, 23 February 2024 – On February 27th, WUCWO’s School for Synodality: Women’s mission in the Synodal Church will begin. This school is a new initiative proposed by the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) through its World Women's Observatory (WWO).

The project will begin with a series of Webinars that will have as their main objective:

to inform and deepen, with Assembly participants, the progress of the synodal process and the fundamental content of chapter 9 of the Synthesis Report in the first session of the Synodal Assembly: “Women in the Life and Mission of the Church”. The application of the synodal methodology in the Church, with a special focus on the full participation of women, will also be promoted.

February Webinars

• ●  27 February, 5 p.m. (Rome): Spanish link
• ●  28 February, 4 p.m. (Rome): French link
• ●  29 February, 7 a.m. (Rome): English link
• ●  29 February, 5 p.m. (Rome): English link

Each of these meetings will feature two speakers that participated in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023: a lay representative and a religious sister. The speakers will be: two religious women chosen by Pope Francis as Delegate Presidents for the Synodal Assembly, Momoko Nishimura from Japan and María Dolores Palencia from Mexico; Mozambican journalist Sheila Pires, a UISG sister, Maria Cimperman from the USA, the philosopher Anne-Béatrice Faye from Senegal, the Australian professor Susan Pascoe, and other two laywomen: Eva Fernández from Spain and Sandra Chaoul from Lebanon.

The speakers will be different in each Webinar, so it will be possible to attend more than one meeting, which will include a space for dialogue with the speakers.

Piazza di San Calisto, 16, 00153 Rome - Italy Ph: +39 06 69 88 72 60 info@wucwo.org - www.wucwo.org

The main objective of the WUCWO’s School for Synodality is to promote the synodal methodology, both among women and among the other members of the People of God, in order to be transformed together into a Synodal Church in mission in which everyone can fully and co-responsibly fulfil the mission that corresponds to them, particularly women.

Monica Santamarina, President General of WUCWO and WWO, explains that, through this School "we intend to spread the culture of listening, silence and discernment, key principles of the synodal methodology". In her statements, Santamarina also underlines how the synodal approach "presents itself as a constructive alternative to the polarization that does so much harm", highlighting "the crucial role of the mission of women" in this "collaborative vision of co-responsibility".

Upcoming Events

In April, the School for Synodality will promote “Conversations in the Spirit” for hundreds of women around the world, in order to put into practice the synodal methodology and deepen the mission and ministries of women in the Church. Prior to this, a day of facilitators' training is scheduled for more than 100 people from the different continents. Afterwards, with the support of the trained facilitators, a day of discernment through the mentioned conversations in the Spirit will be held, where around 700 people from all over the world are expected to participate.

For more information and for registration, please visit the following websites www.wucwo.org and https://www.worldwomensobservatory.org

Contacts:

Silvia Costantini communication@wucwo.org

Mercè Alonso info@worldwomensobservatory.org

Piazza di San Calisto, 16, 00153 Rome - Italy Ph: +39 06 69 88 72 60 info@wucwo.org - www.wucwo.org