Archbishops Chaput, Gomez confirmed participants in Synod on the Family

Vatican City, Jan 31, 2015 / 11:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican has confirmed the participation of 48 delegates chosen by bishops' conferences to take part in this year's Synod on the Family. 

Included on the list are all those elected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, the US' largest archdiocese, and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, where the upcoming World Meeting of Families will be held, will be among those taking part in October's gathering, according to the Vatican document.

Other US delegates included are Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB president and secretary, respectively.

Released Jan. 31, this is the first of several documents listing the delegates elected by the various bishops' conferences around the world who have been approved by the Vatican. 

Delegates listed in the announcement included 7 from Africa; 3 from Asia; 3 from Oceana; 17 from Europe; and 10 from Central and South America.

Not every bishops' conference was represented in Saturday's list, as some still need to hold their general assemblies where they will select their candidates and substitutes before sending the names to the Vatican for approval. These subsequent ratifications will be announced at a later time.

Around 190 prelates worldwide participated in the 2014 Synod on the Family. 

The names of other participants, such as auditors, experts and papal nominees, will also released at a later date in the lead up to the Synod on the Family.

This year's Synod on the Family, to be held on Oct. 4-25, will be the second and larger of two such gatherings to take place in the course of a year. Like its 2014 precursor, the focus of the 2015 Synod of Bishops will be the family, this time with the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the church and the modern world.”

The list also confirmed the participation of alternates, Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, head of the USCCB’s defense and promotion of marriage subcommittee.

A preparatory document for the Synod on the Family, formally known as the Lineamenta, was sent to bishops' conference in Dec. 2014.

The full list of all 48 selected delegates can be found at: http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2015/01/31/0080/00168.html