The topic of the Synod follows on from the 2014-2015 Synod on the family and aims to “accompany young people” in life, opening them up to “actively taking part in the building of the Church and society"
After the lively double Synodal Assembly on the family in October 2014 (extraordinary) and October 2015 (ordinary) which concluded with the Apostolic Exhortation "Amoris Laetitia", Pope Francis is convening another Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod that will take place in October 2018. The theme of the Assembly will be “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”.
A Vatican statement informs that Francis, after consulting, as normal, with Bishops Conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris and the Union of Superior Generals, in addition to having listened to the suggestions of the Synod Fathers from the last Synod and the opinion of the XIV Ordinary Council, decided that the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops is to be held in October 2018, on the theme “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”.
The statement goes on to say that the chosen topic, which is "an expression of the Church’s pastoral concern for the young, follows on from the findings of the recent Synods on the family and the conclusions contained in the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Amoris Laetitia". The Synod wishes to accompany young people along their existential journey towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life plan and achieve it joyfully, opening themselves up to an encounter with God and humanity and actively taking part in the building of the Church and society.
The director of the Holy See Press office, Greg Burke, clarified that the title should not be taken to mean that the next Synod will discuss the question of whether married men could be ordained to celebrate the sacraments, as the English speaking world had assumed in recent months.
