Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Synod of Bishops in session

For the past two days (April 18 and 19), the Holy Father, Pope Francis has been presiding over the first meeting of the XIV Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

Their work began with an intervention presented by the Secretary General, His Eminence, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, who greeted and thanked the Holy Father for his presence and for the recent publication of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia.  All the members of the Council joined in their support of these words, demonstrating the widespread welcome that this document has received in all the particular Churches throughout the world.

Subsequently, the results of a consultation aimed at determining the theme of the next Ordinary General Assembly, conducted among the various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the Episcopal Conferences, the Oriental Churches and the Unions of Superiors General were presented.  After much debate, some of the proposals for themes were submitted to the Holy Father for his evaluation.

Finally, the members of the Council turned to the revision of the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum, the final point on the agenda.  In this regard, His Excellency, Fabio Fabene, Under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops presented a report on the study seminar that was specially organized by the General Secretariat, following the speech given by the Holy Father on October 17, 2015.  The members of the Council examined the themes shared in the Circuli minores and finally presented a report about the work they had performed in a plenary assembly.

The group reports demonstrated among other things that the value of synodality and of collegiality should always be combined with the exercise of the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, in such a way that primacy, collegiality and synodality may constantly be united in a fruitful manner.

At the conclusion of the work, the Holy Father thanked the members of the Council for their contributions and for the spirit of fraternal communion experienced during the meeting.

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