Pope Francis is kicking off the Synod on synodality with a meeting with representatives from all over the world.
The Synod organizers have invited the winner of the Ratzinger Prize in Theology, Fr. Paul Béré, from Burkina Faso; and Spanish theologian Cristina Inogés, to explain synodality. Pope Francis will also intervene.
The Pope will present some key ideas during his meeting with faith leaders. He will give them an image of the Good Shepherd and remind them that a bishop must recognize the smell of his flock and understand their thoughts and needs.
-Sometimes the bishop walks in front of his sheep. Sometimes he walks behind them, to help those lagging behind.
During the meeting, he will meet with lay people, men and women religious, bishops and priests from all over the world.
The idea is to highlight the responsibility of all the baptized in the Church.
The official inauguration will be celebrated on Sunday, with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
The Pope will offer key guidelines so each bishop can inaugurate the synod at the local level in his own diocese some time around Sunday, Oct. 17.
This is the first of three phases that will conclude with a final assembly in Rome in October 2023.
After the local phase will be a national and then an international phase. The idea is to gauge public awareness and to collect proposals pertaining to “synodality.”
Javier Romero
TR: CT
