Vatican City, Sep 7, 2005 / 22:00 pm

This morning the Holy See Press room announced the names of the bishops apointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the 11th general assembly of the Synodf of Bishops.

Pope Benedict XVI has named 36 participants to join in the deliberations of the Synod of Bishops, which will meet in October to discuss the Eucharist. .

The Pope's list included 4 bishops from mainland China, including 2 bishops of the "underground" Church there-- although one of the "underground" bishops is also recognized by the Beijing government. Vatican sources indicated that they are hopeful the Chinese bishops will be allowed to attend the October sessions in Rome. The invitation to the "underground" bishops was the first such gesture since the Communist takeover in China, and a clear sign of the Vatican's desire to improve relations with that regime.

The list includes several prelates from the Roman Curia; and representatives of the episcopal conferences that unite the bishops of Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The priests who lead two lay movements-- Opus Dei and Communion and Liberation-- are included, as is the head of the Jesuit order. And the Eastern Catholic communities are represented, with prelates from the Syro-Malabar, Maronite, Ukrainian, and Melkite churches. A full list appears below.

The 11th general assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held from October 2 to 23. The theme for the bishops' discussions-- "The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church"-- was chosen by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) and confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI. The full list of participants named by Pope Benedict to the Synod includes:

Roman Curia:

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  • Card. Jozef Tomko, President of the Pontificate Committee for the International Eucharistic Congresses;
  • Card. Edmund Casimir Szoka, President of the Government of the State of the Vatican;
  • Card. Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine worship and Sacraments;
  • Card. Jean-Louis Tauran, Archivist at the Vatican Library;
  • Card. Francesco Marchisano, Archpriest of de la Patriarcal Basílica of the Vatican;
  • Card. Georges Marie Martin Cottier, Theologian of the Pontifical Household;

Africa:

  • Mons. Paul Verdzekov, Archbishop of Bamenda (Camerún);
  • Mons. John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja (Nigeria), President of the symposium of the Episcopal Confernce of Africa and Madagascar (SCEAM);
  • Mons. Menghisteab Tesfamariam, Bishop of Asmara (Ethiopia);

America:

  • Card. Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of  Québec (Canadá);
  • Card. Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Archbishop of  Santiago de Chile, President of the Latin American Episcopal Council  (CELAM);
  • Card. Miguel Obando Bravo, Archbishop Emeritus of  Managua (Nicaragua);
  • Mons. Stefan Soroka, Archbishop of Philadelfia for the Ucrainians (US);
  • Mons. Cyrille Salim Bustros, Bishop of Newton for the Greco-Melkitas (US);

Asia:

  • Card. Paul Shan Kuo-Hsi, Bishop of Kaohsiung (Taiwan);
  • Card. Ivan Dias, Archbishop of Bombay (India);
  • Mons. Joseph Powathil, Archbishop of Changanacherry for the Siro-Malabars (India);
  • Mons. Joseph Mohsen Béchara, Archbishop of Antélias for the  Maronites (Lebanon);
  • Mons. Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis, Arzobispo of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Secretary General of the Federation of the Asian Episcopal  Conferences;
  • Mons. Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Archbishop of  Hong­ Kong;
  • Antonio Li Duan, Archdiocese of  Xi'an (China);
  • Luca Li Jingfeng, Diocese of Fengxiang (China);
  • Aloysius Jin Luxian, Diocese of Shanghai (China);
  • Giuseppe Wei Jingyi, Diocese of  Qiqihar (China);

Europe:

  • Card. Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of  Cologne (Germany);
  • Card. Adrianus Johannes Simonis, Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands);
  • Card. Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Sarajevo);
  • Mons. Francesco Cacucci, Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto (Italy);
  • Mons. Amédée Grab, Bishop of  Chur, President of the Coucil of the European Episcopal Conferences;
  • Mons. Jean-Louis Bruguès, Bishop of  Angers (France);
  • Mons. Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds (England);

Oceania:

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  • Card. George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney (Australia);
  • Mons. Denis George Browne, Bishop of Hamilton en New Zealand, President of the Federation of Episcopal Conferences of Oceanía. 

Others:

  • Mons. Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, Prelate of  the Personal Prelature for the Opus Dei;
  • P. Julián Carrón, President of the Fraternity of Comunión and Liberation;
  • P. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., General Superior of the Society of Jesus.