Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
City (Agenzia Fides) - After forty years the Synod of Bishops has been re-organised on the basis of experience accumulated in this time and in response to indications from Pope Benedict XVI. First of all it was urgent to absorb the norms promulgated in 1983 with the new Code of Canon Law and in 1990 with the Code of Canons of the Eastern Catholic Churches. It was also necessary to include the juridical dictates contained in other complementary norms respected in the synodal practice, but not inserted in the Regulations as such. This was the essence of what was said by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, in an interview published today 14 November in the Vatican newspaper, the Osservatore Romano. Besides the changes made, the Secretary General also mentioned the importance of the next Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, which, he said, is clearly a necessity forty years since the Dei verbum document (one of the Council's four dogmatic constitutions). He said his office is receiving letters from numerous individual Catholics profoundly involved in this community experience. He recalled that the Word of God is a theme dear to the heart of Pope Benedict XVI who as a young theologian was involved in the drafting of the Dei verbum document and later in its application. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 14/11/2007, righe 16, parole 230 )
