The works of the Small Groups of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops continued Wednesday, 3 December; Thursday, 4 December; and in the morning of today, Friday, 5 December, 1997, for the drafting and approval of the proposals for the text of the "Propositions" (the proposals of Synodal consensus regarding some of the arguments considered important by the Synod Fathers, suggestions offered to the Holy Father as fruit of the works of the Synod).

In Session VIII there were present 209 Fathers, 191 in Session IX, 197 in Session X, 190 in session XI, and 177 in Session XII.

The Twenty-first General Congregation of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops commenced this afternoon, Friday, 5 December, 1997, at 5:05 p.m., in the presence of the Holy Father, with the prayer Adsumus, for the presentation in the Hall of the first draft of the Message. President Delegate on duty: H. Em. Rev. Card. Roger Michael MAHONY , Archbishop of Los Angeles.

During this General Congregation, the first draft was presented of the Message which the Synod Fathers will address to the People of God at the conclusion of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops..

For the reading of the draft in the four official languages of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops, the following intervened:

in English
H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Theodore Edgar McCARRICK
Archbishop of Newark
Vice President of the Commission for the Message

in Castilian
H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Alberto GIRALDO JARAMILLO , P.S.S.
Archbishop of Medellín
Member of the Commission for the Message

in Portuguese
H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Fernando Antônio FIGUEIREDO , O.F.M.
Bishop of Santo Amaro
Member of the Commission for the Message

in French
H. Em. Rev. Card. Jean-Claude TURCOTTE
Archbishop of Montréal
President of the Commission for the Message

Afterwards, the general debate took place in the Hall, during which 22 Fathers intervened. The debate will continue in the Twenty-second General Congregation of tomorrow morning, 6 December, 1997, the Feast of St. Nicholas of Bari, Bishop of Mira.

The presentation in the Hall of the second scheme for the Message is previewed for the Twenty-third General Congregation, on the morning of Tuesday, 9 December, 1997.

The voting ballots for the Post-Synod Council were distributed to the Fathers in the course of this General Congregation for the vote which will take place during the Twenty-second General Congregation of tomorrow morning, 6 December, 1997. The Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, H. Em. Rev. Card. Jan P. SCHOTTE, C.I.C.M. has communicated that counting of the ballots will be handled by a commission which was constituted by nominating members among the Synod Fathers who do not hold other offices, and which is composed of the following members.

1. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Charles Joseph CHAPUT , O.F.M., Archbishop of Denver

2. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Fabio BETANCUR TIRADO , Archbishop of Manizales

3. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Jorge Mario BERGOGLIO , S.J., Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires

4. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. James Mathew WINGLE , Bishop of Yarmouth

5. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Angel SAN CASIMIRO FERNÁNDEZ , O.A.R., Bishop of Ciudad Quesada

6. H. Exc. Rev. Msgr. Dionisio GARCÍA IBÁÑEZ , Bishop of Santísimo Salvador de Bayamo y Manzanillo

7. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Ricardo EZZATI ANDRELLO , S.D.B., Bishop of Valdivia

8. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. José Luis MOLLAGHAN , Titular Bishop of Teuzi and Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires

9. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Miguel Angel ALBA DÍAZ , Titular Bishop of Fessei and Auxiliary Bishop of Antequera, Oaxaca

10. H. Exc. Most Rev. Msgr. Walter PÉREZ VILLAMONTE , Titular Bishop of Curubi and Auxiliary Bishop of Sucre

11. Most Rev. Msgr. Dennis Schnurr , General Secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)

12. Rev. Fr. Bernardo OLIVERA , O.C.S.O., Abbot General of the Cistercians of Strict Observance

13. Rev. Fr. José Luis NEMES , C.S.S., Superior General of the Congregation of Los Santísimos Estigmas de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo

14. Rev. Fr. Richard NEUHAUS , Director of the Institute on Religion and Public Life

There were 209 Fathers present during this Twenty-first General Congregation, which concluded at 7:00 p.m., with the prayer Angelus Domini.

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