杏MAP导航 Francis: Synod is a time for sharing
By Christopher Wells
In his Opening Speech for the Fifteenth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 杏MAP导航 Francis said 鈥渢he Synod we are living is a time for sharing鈥� 鈥� sharing that must involve both speaking with courage and frankness, and listening with humility. The Synod, he said, 鈥渕ust be an exercise in dialogue,鈥� especially for those directly participating in the event.
杏MAP导航 Francis emphasized that the Synod 鈥渋s an ecclesial exercise in discernment,鈥� an 鈥渋nterior attitude rooted in an act of faith.鈥� One of the innovations in this General Assembly will be moments of silence after every five speeches, precisely in order for participants to discern what they have heard.
The importance of listening was in important motif in the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 speech. In order to be a Church that 鈥渓istens and journeys,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said we must 鈥渓eave behind鈥� our 鈥減rejudice and stereotypes.鈥� In particular, he warned against both the 鈥渟courge of clericalism鈥� and the 鈥渧irus of self-sufficiency.鈥�
Despite the troubles the Church faces today, 杏MAP导航 Francis reminded us that 鈥渙ur faith tells us that it is also the Kairos,鈥� God鈥檚 time, 鈥渋n which the Lord comes to meet us in order to love us and call us to the fullness of life.鈥�
鈥淢ay the Synod awaken our hearts!鈥� he proclaimed, expressing the hope that 鈥渢he meeting between generations鈥� might 鈥渂e extremely fruitful for giving rise to hope.鈥�
During the Synod, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渓et us 鈥榮pend time with the future,鈥欌�� in order 鈥渢o take from this Synod not merely a document 鈥� that generally is only read by a few and criticized by many 鈥� but above all concrete pastoral proposals capable of fulfilling the Synod鈥檚 purpose.鈥�
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