On June 20th, the Vatican presented the working document for the Synod on Synodality, the Instrumentum Laboris. The document is based on the results of consultations with local churches and serves as a foundation for the upcoming General Assembly of Bishops in October 2023 and 2024. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the Relator General of the Synod, emphasizes that the purpose of the synodal process is not to produce documents but to open horizons of hope for the Church’s mission. The Synod’s motto is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The document includes questions rather than answers, and the bishops are tasked with discerning and providing answers. The Synod will not function like a parliament, and the German “Synodal Way” is not considered a model for the process. The next phase of the Synod will take place in October 2023 in Rome.