A Japanese Mercedarian nun is the only woman named to the preparatory commission for the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in October.
Sister Shizue “Filo” Hirota from Tokyo, a consultant for the Catholic Council for Justice and Peace of the Japanese bishops’ conference, has been appointed this week to the preparatory commission for the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will convene in October 2023 and in October 2024.
Sister Hirota is a member of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz from Tokyo and has served in Nicaragua, Mexico, the Philippines, and Rome.
She was on the committee for the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative of Pax Christi, and since 2019, she has been a member of the leadership support team in Japan and is currently serving as a consultant for the Catholic Council for Justice and Peace of the Episcopal Conference of Japan.
She is a board member for the Women’s Active Museum of War and Peace.
The other members of the preparatory commission, aside from Sister Hirota, are:
- Father Giacomo Costa, SJ (coordinator)
- Monsignor Tomasz Trafny (secretary)
- Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, SDB, of Perth (Australia)
- Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville (Texas)
- Bishop Lucio Muandula of Xai-Xai (Mozambique)
- Father Dario Vitali, a theology professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University
The commission has been established “for further exploration of the theme and for the redaction of any documents that may be issued prior to the Synod Assembly.”
The names of the commission members were released by the Vatican on March 15.
Pope Francis has chosen the theme “For a Church that Journeys Together: Fellowship, Participation and Mission” in this year’ synod, which start on October 4 until the 29th.
