The XII ordinary general assembly of the Episcopal Synod will be attended by 253 synodal fathers: 51 from Africa, 62 from America, 41 from Asia, 90 from Europe and 9 from Oceania. "The oldest one explained mgr. Nikola Eterović, secretary general of the Synod is 88 (the patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, card. Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir) and the youngest is 39 (mgr. Anton Leichtfried, auxiliary bishop of Sankt Pölten, Austria). Therefore, the synodal reflections will be able to benefit from the experience of the elderly brothers and from the dynamism of the younger ones". There will be 41 experts and 37 auditors as well as some fraternal delegates, representatives of 10 churches and ecclesial communities, including: the Patriarchates of Moscow, Serbia and Romania, the Anglican Communion, the World Lutheran Federation and the Ecumenical Council of the Churches. In addition, the synodal meeting will be attended by 3 special guests of the Pope, including "the head rabbi of Haifa, Shear Yashyv Cohen, who on October 6th will tell how the Jewish people read and construe the Scriptures. This is explained mgr. Eterović the first time a rabbi, and a non-Christian person, speaks to the synodal fathers". The other two special guests are A. Miller Milloy, secretary general of the United Bible Societies, and frère Alois, Prior of the Community of Taizé. So, overall over 400 people will attend the Synod.
