杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

Meeting with bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, who are here in Rome for their Synod, 杏MAP导航 Francis referred to an article published this past weekend in 鈥渓鈥橭sservatore Romano鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 said he was not trying to 鈥渕ake publicity鈥� for the Vatican newspaper, but that he liked the article which dealt with 鈥渢he presence of the Holy Spirit in the synodal journey鈥�.

What a Synod is not

杏MAP导航 Francis said that today we are in danger of believing that 鈥渢o make a synodal journey, or to have an attitude of synodality,鈥� means taking a survey of opinions and then coming to some sort of agreement. 鈥淎 synod is not a Parliament鈥�, he said, 鈥測ou must say things, discuss them as you normally do, but it is not a Parliament鈥�.

Unlike politics, the 杏MAP导航 continued, a synod is not a series of agreements: 鈥淚 give you this, you give me that鈥�. It is not a question of conducting 鈥渟ociological investigations鈥� regarding what needs to change, and how to go about changing it.

What a Synod is

A Synod is only a Synod, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, if the Holy Spirit is present. 鈥淚f the Holy Spirit is not present, there is no synodality鈥�, he added. 鈥淚ndeed, if there is no Church, there is no identity of the Church鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 continued. 鈥淎nd what is the identity of the Church? Saint 杏MAP导航 Paul VI said it clearly: the vocation of the Church is to evangelize. Its identity is to evangelize鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded by inviting the bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to enter their Synod together with the Holy Spirit, even if it means 鈥渇ighting among yourselves!鈥�. In the end, however, it must be the Spirit that leads them. 鈥淭his, he said, 鈥渋s the way to proceed鈥�.