The first plenary session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican on the afternoon of October 4. Pope Francis delivered a speech to the participants. He reminded that the Holy Spirit was the protagonist of the Synod. He also invited all attendees to express their opinions freely while also humbly listening to others.
(Vatican News) “The protagonist of the Synod is not us, but the Holy Spirit.” The Synod is in the hands of the Holy Spirit and is led by Him. Without the Holy Spirit, “no good results”. This is what Pope Francis emphasized in his speech at the first plenary session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on October 4.
In his speech, the Pope first thanked the previous popes for their work and recalled that Pope St. Paul VI established the Secretariat of the World Bishops Conference after the Second Vatican Council to facilitate the consultation work of the World Bishops Conference. .
Pope Francis pointed out that before, we were not used to everyone being able to express their opinions freely, but in the past nearly 60 years, the process has been moving in this direction, and today we have finally arrived at the current World Bishops Conference with the theme of solidarity. For this reason, the Pope especially recommends that all participants of this Congress read a selection of the words of the Holy Fathers, which will help them embark on a journey of communion with the Church.
The Holy Spirit leads the Church
“The Holy Spirit himself guides us and comforts us,” the pope said. The Holy Spirit creates “harmony,” stressing that harmony must leave room for “nuances.” “If we come out at the end of this Synod with a statement that is exactly the same, without any nuances, the Holy Spirit will not be in it,” the Pope said.
The Holy Spirit does it, not us
Then, the Pope pointed out: “Every Christian community, every person has its own characteristics, and these characteristics need to be integrated into the symphony of the Church.” Moreover, this is “done by the Holy Spirit, we cannot do it.” The Pope warned against misinterpretation of the Synod of Bishops, which “is not a council.”
While praising the good work of the news media, the pope also invited media workers to be cautious in what they say and urged them to work to convey the Church’s concerns about “listening first.”
Finally, the Pope encouraged the participants that everyone needs to express themselves freely and stressed that the Holy Spirit will strengthen them on the path of faith.
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2023-10-05 09:33:41
