After 25 days of work and exchanging of opinions between 260 bishops from all continents, Pope Francis closes the synod on youth and vocation on Sunday.
The synod challenge was daunting. The bishops should find ways to help young people get involved in Catholicism and make life-changing decisions for their lives, such as marriage, religious life, priesthood or lay celibacy.
One of the many fruits of the synod, is a document with reflections the bishops have proposed to the pope.
It is a rich text that will ask the Church to take a 'listening' attitude toward young people. It also proposes a more synod-like style of hierarchy in the Catholic Church.
This document is not the only fruit from the synod, to prevent what the pope said at the inauguration.
POPE FRANCIS
“Let us therefore work to 'spend time with the future,' to take from this synod not merely a document – that generally is only read by a few, and criticized by many – but above all concrete pastoral proposals capable of fulfilling the synod’s purpose.”
Instead of concrete indications, this synod is presenting a new active and welcoming attitude toward young people. It is evident both in language and in actions. The idea of the synod is that youth are not only the future of the Church but, rather, the present.
