The number of participants was determined according to a criterion similar to that used for the election of members of the Synod Assembly by the Episcopal Conferences (around 200). However, given the requests received from some Episcopal Conferences, the number of participants will be greater than 200.
In selecting participants, Episcopal Conferences and Eastern Catholic Churches were asked to take into account, as far as possible, those “who have significant experience in the perspective of a synodal Church,” as well as “favor a certain variety of pastoral contexts of rural or urban origin or specific sociocultural contexts.”
On the last day, May 2, the parish priests will hold a meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican and the meeting will end with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.