Synod on Synodality: 23 Movers and Shakers at the 2023 Synodal Assembly, by Jonathan Liedl

October’s synod assembly boasts an unprecedented level of participation in a Synod of Bishops. Of the record-high 360-plus voting members, nearly 27% of them are non-bishops, including women and sizable numbers of laypeople, for the first time ever at a synod. But even with this widened degree of participation, it’s still true that the synod proceedings — and the media narratives that emerge around them — will likely be shaped by a few key actors. Here are 23 key movers and shakers to keep an eye on at the 2023 Synod on Synodality.

Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and president of the synod

To be clear from the start: The synodal buck stops with Pope Francis. Although the Pope has expanded the right to vote beyond bishops and has previously even changed canon law to allow for the final synodal document to be accepted as magisterial (with the Pope’s approval), it is still true that the Pope — and the Pope alone — has the final say on what official impact the synod has on Church teaching and practice. …