Presenting the Synod Fathers

In addition to delegates from the world’s bishops’ conferences, three president-delegates (Cardinals Tong Hon, Robles Ortega and Monsengwo Pasinya), the relator-general (Cardinal Wuerl) and the secretary (Archbishop Carré), the Holy Father specifically appointed 36 Synod fathers for this autumn’s Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will focus on the new evangelisation. Later, there will be additional lay men and women who will be invited to contribute as well.

The list of the 36 Synod Fathers is as follows:

• Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals.
• Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany.
• Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and president of SECAM/SCEAM (Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar).
• Cardinal Christoph Schönborn O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria.
• Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
• Cardinal Josip Bozanic, archbishop of Zagreb, Croatia.
• Cardinal Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary and president of CCEE (Council of European Episcopal Conferences).
• Cardinal Agostino Vallini, His Holiness’ vicar general for the diocese of Rome.
• Cardinal Lluis Martínez Sistach, archbishop of Barcelona, Spain.
• Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France.
• Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India and secretary general of FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences).
• Patriarch Francesco Moraglia of Venice, Italy.
• Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria.
• Archbishop Hector Ruben Aguer of La Plata, Argentina.
• Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil, Ecuador, president of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference.
• Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand, president of FCBCO (Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania).
• Archbishop Jose Octavio Ruiz Arenas, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation.
• Archbishop José Horacio Gomez of Los Angeles, U.S.A.
• Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, president of CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council).
• Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, England.
• Archbishop Ricardo Antonio Tobon Restrepo of Medellin, Colombia.
• Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle of Manila, Philippines.
• Archbishop Filippo Santoro of Taranto, Italy.
• Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei.
• Bishop Dominique Rey of Frejus-Toulon, France.
• Bishop Menghisteab Tesfamariam M.C.C.J., eparch of Asmara, Eritrea.
• Bishop Benedito Beni dos Santos of Lorena, Brazil.
• Bishop Santiago Jaime Silva Retamales, auxiliary of Valparaiso, Chile and secretary general of CELAM.
• Bishop Luigi Negri of San Marino-Montefeltro, Italy.
• Bishop Alberto Francisco Sanguinetti Montero of Canelones, Uruguay.
• Bishop Enrico Dal Covolo S.D.B., rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
• Fr. Julian Carron, president of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation.
• Fr. Renato Salvatore M.I., superior general of the Clerks Regular Ministers to the Sick (Camillians).
• Fr. Heinrich Walter, superior general of the Schönstatt Fathers.
• Fr. Jose Panthaplamthottiyil C.M.I., prior general of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate

Four of the Synod Fathers: Cardinal Bozanic, Archbishops Onaiyekan and Longley, and Fr. Walter.

The list is an interesting mix of the old guard (Sodano, Meisner) and the up and coming (Gomez, Tagle), and also includes a number of prelates who have recently worked closely with the pope on papal visits (Pengo, Longley, Onaiyekan, Negri). Although hand-picked for the Synod, these prelates are not more or less important then the delegates from all over the world. They will be full and active participants on the Synod, though, and at least some of them may be expected to contribute significantly.

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