杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

The Synod for the Amazon opened with a procession from St Peter鈥檚 Basilica, out into the Square, through the Arch of the Bells, and into the Synod Hall. There, 杏MAP导航 Francis opened the proceedings with a discourse in Spanish in which he spoke of the Synod as having four dimensions: pastoral, cultural, social, and ecological.

The pastoral dimension of the Synod

The pastoral dimension, he said, is the essential dimension, 鈥渢he one that embraces everything鈥�. We need to approach this Synod 鈥渨ith a Christian heart and see the reality of Amazonia with the eyes of a disciple鈥�. Only then, said the 杏MAP导航, can we understand and interpret it.

The pastoral dimension allows us to consider the people of the Amazon 鈥渞especting their history, cultures, and way of living鈥�. Because all peoples, continued the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渉ave their own wisdom, awareness, their way of feeling, of seeing reality鈥�.

Ideological colonization

杏MAP导航 Francis warned of the ideological colonization that reduces or destroys the characteristics of a people. 鈥淚deologies lead us to exaggerate in our attempt to understand intellectually, but without accepting鈥�, he added. We reduce reality to categories or 鈥�-isms鈥�. These become slogans that prejudice the way we approach a people.

The 杏MAP导航 gave the example of "civilization and barbarism" which only serves, he said, 鈥渢o divide and annihilate鈥� by qualifying people and putting a distance between us.

Feathers vs birettas

杏MAP导航 Francis said he was 鈥渟ad to hear the mocking comments鈥� made about the indigenous man who carried the offerings at the Synod鈥檚 Opening Mass in St Peter鈥檚 Basilica on Sunday. The comments were about the feathers the man wore on his head. 

鈥淭ell me鈥�, challenged the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渨hat difference is there between wearing feathers on his head and the biretta鈥� (the three-cornered hat) used by some officials in Vatican Departments?

Pragmatic vs paradigmatic

杏MAP导航 Francis also warned of 鈥減roposing purely pragmatic measures鈥� when we ought to think 鈥渋n a paradigmatic way鈥�, a perspective 鈥渢hat is born from the reality of peoples鈥�.

鈥淲e have not come here to invent programs of social development鈥�, continued the 杏MAP导航, aimed at keeping cultures in a museum. We are here, he said, 鈥渢o contemplate, to understand, to serve the people鈥�.

The Holy Spirit protagonist of the Synod

We do this, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis, in Synod. 鈥淎 Synod is not a parliament鈥�, he explained, 鈥渋t is not to demonstrate who has more power鈥� or 鈥渨ho has the majority鈥�. A Synod is 鈥渨alking together under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit鈥�. The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the Synod, said the 杏MAP导航. He needs 鈥渢o express Himself among us, with us, through us, and despite us鈥�.

Humility and a sense of humour

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis urged participants to 鈥渞eflect, dialogue, listen with humility鈥� and speak with courage, with parrhesia鈥�. To participate in the Synod is 鈥渢o enter into a process鈥�, he said, not just 鈥渢o occupy space in the room鈥�.

We need to be respectful, he added, and to be prudent in the way we communicate, not to spoil the Synod process by creating conflicting messages: 鈥渁 Synod from the inside and a Synod from the outside鈥�.

鈥淎nd please鈥�, concluded 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渓et's not lose our sense of humor鈥�.