BANGALORE: Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI, to the committee responsible for drafting the final document for the Synod on Synodality. Along with Cardinal Ferrão, Pope Francis also appointed Sister Leticia Salazar from California and Fr Giuseppe Bonfrate from Rome.
The committee comprising 14 members, includes representatives elected from seven global regions, along with ex officio members and those directly appointed by the Pope.
Among the elected members are Catherine Clifford, a theologian from St Paul University in Ottawa; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar; Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst, Australia; Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogota, Columbia; Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille; Father Clarence Davedassan of Malaysia; and Bishop Mounir Khairallah, a Maronite Bishop.
Ex-officio members include Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, Msgr Riccardo Battocchio, and Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, the President of CCBI, was created Cardinal by Pope Francis on August 27, 2022. He has been President of the CCBI since its 31st Plenary Assembly in 2019 and was re-elected during its 33rd Assembly in 2022.
The second session of the Synod on Synodality began on 2 October and will conclude on Sunday, 27 October 2024.