On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4, 2023, Pope Francis inaugurated the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. During the Holy Mass, the Pope emphasized the importance of an approach centered on God. 

With a fraternal greeting, the Holy Father spoke of the path to be followed in the ongoing Synod this October, “Dear brother Cardinals, brother Bishops, sisters, and brothers, we are at the opening of the General Assembly of the Synod.”  

The Pope continued, saying, “The Synod is not a parliament.” In contrast, “The Holy Spirit is the protagonist. We are not here to form a parliament but to walk together with the gaze of Jesus, who blesses the Father and welcomes those who are weary and oppressed. So let us start from the gaze of Jesus, which is a blessing and welcoming gaze.” 

In the afternoon of Monday, October 9, the first whole week of work began, with the members of the Commission voting to draft the synthesis document. This document is a crucial step in defining the directions and priorities of the Catholic Church in the coming years. 

Each Minor Circle handled a specific “sub-topic,” resulting in single-topic reports. Therefore, The Commission’s task was to synthesize these reports to strike a balance between the different perspectives and correct any imbalances. 

The discussions in the first week were focused on the questions of how to share tasks and gifts in the service of the Gospel and how everybody can be an instrument of God. 

Asking the faithful to pray for the Synod, the Pope recalled “that nothing ends here. Rather, we are continuing an ecclesial journey here. This is a journey we are on, like the disciples of Emmaus, listening to the Lord, who always comes to meet us. He is the Lord of surprises. Through prayer and discernment, the Holy Spirit helps us carry out the ‘apostolate of the ear,’ that is, listening with God’s ears to speak with God’s word.” 

(This article was edited by Jacob Stein)