The planned annual general meeting of the Southern African Catholic Council for Laity (SACCL) will dedicate a session for a report on the Synod on Synodality, the Chairperson has said.

In a communiqué shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Communication office Ambrose Matsheta said the three-day meeting to be held at Lumko Institute, Benoni, will have a session dedicated to the first session of the Synod on Synodality initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021.

The SACBC Liaison Bishop for the Department for Formation, Life, and Apostolate of the Laity Archbishop Zolile Mpambani will present a full report on the first session of the Synod based on the Bishops’ January 2024 Plenary Session.

According to Matsheta, the three-day meeting under the theme ‘The Liven; The Bread and the Salt Bringing the Laity Together for the Collaborative Ministry with the Clergy,’ will also address matters related to marriage and family life with a focus on widows, widowers, and child-headed families.

“Christian formation and ubungoma research as well the Laudato Si – care for our common home,” will also be addressed during the February 23-25 AGM said Matsheta.

Representatives from 29 dioceses are expected to attend the SACCL meeting, as they are expected to “report back to the executive and to familiarise themselves with the roles and responsibilities of the Council for Laity members,” as per the revised SACCL Constitution.