Largest number of participants in Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization

(October 5, 2012) The 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization, starting in the Vatican on Sunday, has over 400 persons participating in all, including 262 synod fathers, the highest number of participants in the history of synod of the Catholic Church since its establishment by Pope Paul VI in in 1965. Facts, figures and schedule of the upcoming synod were presented at a briefing in the Vatican on Friday by Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic. The synod on the theme, “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith" has 39 synod fathers from Asia, 103 from Europe, 63 from America, 50 from Africa and 7 from Oceania. The bulk of the synod fathers, - 182 - have been elected by the world’s bishops conferences and the International Union of Superiors General. The synod fathers include 6 patriarchs, 49 cardinals, 3 major archbishops of whom one is a cardinal, 71 archbishops, 120 bishops and 14 priests. Besides the appointed, elected and ex officio synod fathers, there are also others participating in the synod, such as representatives of 15 Christian denominations and ecclesial communities, experts, auditors, special invitees, secretaries, collaborators, assistants and media persons all of whom add up to more than 400 participants. Pope Benedict XVI will inaugurate the Oct. 7 - 28 synod with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration in St. Peter’s Square, during which he will also declare 16th century Spanish priest and mystic St. John of Avila and 12th century German Benedictine abbess and mystic St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Universal Church.