(Vatican Radio) Church leaders from across the globe will be gathering in Rome on Sunday for the opening Mass of a synod on New Evangelisation for the transmission of the Christian faith. Two hundred sixty-two Synod fathers will be joined by several dozen experts including men and women, ordained and lay theologians, as well as representatives of other Christian Churches and religious communities. The Synod, which runs from Sunday 7 th to Sunday 28 th of October will be marked by major celebrations for the 50 th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, as well as by the canonisation of seven new saints – men and women from past centuries who have exemplified this work of new evangelisation in different countries and cultures. At the Vatican press office on Friday, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Croatian Archbishop Nikola Eterovic presented the aims and hopes of this 13 th ordinary general assembly of the synod of bishops – Philippa Hitchen spoke to him afterwards to find out more. Listen: ...