[6] In January 2017, Pope Francis released a letter that invited "Young People" to contribute to the planning of the synod.

Do not be afraid to listen to the Spirit who proposes bold choices; do not delay when your conscience asks you to take risks in following the Master.

[7]In June 2017, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, announced the launch of a website to present the synod's planning document accompanied by a questionnaire in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian to gather suggestions and feedback on it.

[8] Its 53 questions, mostly multiple choice, were organized into seven sections and targeted at learning about local experiences specific to the younger generation.

"[17] Throwaway culture, a special concern of Pope Francis, was discussed, as was death, corruption, war, and drug-trafficking.

[18] Secretary General Lorenzo Baldisseri said at the release of the instrumentum that the Church is making an effort to engage the LGBT community because "we are open.

[17][18] Saying that "No bishops' conference offers solutions or recipes", the document says that "the question of sexuality must be discussed more openly and without prejudice.

"[18] Research cited in the document shows that young people face discrimination because of their gender, social class, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, geographical position, disability, or ethnicity.

"[17] The instrumentum reported that the surveys called for a Church that is "committed to justice," willing to discuss the role of women, that has homilies that are more relevant to their lives and their discernment, and a liturgy that is “alive and close” to them.

[19][a] A second election on 9 October, again by region, chose members of the committee responsible for drafting the synod's concluding document.

This election, again by region, produced a less diverse group more attuned to Francis in style and views, though when Francis made three additional appointments as the rules provided he avoided figures who are controversial for their espousal of less traditional views and instead used his selections to provide other kinds of diversity: the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, a Cuban priest, and a junior Vatican official.

[20] Drawing on the synod's document on discussions, Pope Francis authored an apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit (Christ is living), which he signed on 25 March 2019.

[26] The Apostolic Exhortation included several references to the work of the Auditors who provided key advice and played a pivotal role during this process, including a quote from the Samoan auditor Joseph Sapati Moeono-Kolio which Pope Francis used to summarise Chapter Six: "During the Synod, one of the young auditors from the Samoan Islands spoke of the Church as a canoe, in which the elderly help to keep on course by judging the position of the stars, while the young keep rowing, imagining what waits for them ahead.