3. Finally, I would like to advise you to base everything on exchange and fraternity among yourselves and with your bishops. This instance arose strongly in the International Congress for the permanent formation of priests, with the theme “Revival the gift of God that is in you” (2 Tim 1,6), held last February here in Rome, with more than eight hundred bishops, priests, consecrated and lay people, men and women, committed in this field, and representing eighty countries. We cannot be authentic parents if we are not, above all, children and brothers. And we will not be able to spark communion and participation in the communities entrusted to us if we do not live them first among ourselves. I know well that, in the succession of pastoral responsibilities, this commitment could seem like an addition or even lost time, but in reality it is the opposite; In fact, only then are we credible and our action does not destroy what others have already built.
It is not only the missionary synodal Church that needs parish priests, but also the specific path of the 2021-2024 Synod, “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”, in view of the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place next October. To prepare it we need to listen to their voices.
For this reason, I invite all those who have participated in the international meeting “Parises for the Synod” to, when they return home, also be missionaries of synodality with their brother parish priests, encouraging reflection on the renewal of the ministry of the parish priest in synodal and missionary key, and at the same time allowing the General Secretariat of the Synod to gather its irreplaceable contributions for the drafting of the Instrumentum laboris. Listening to the parish priests was the objective of this international Meeting, but that cannot end today; we need to keep listening to them.
Dear brothers, I am with you on this path that I also try to travel. I bless you all from the bottom of my heart and in turn I need to feel the closeness and support of your prayers. Let us entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary Hodighitria, the one who indicates the path, the one who leads us to the Path, to the Truth and to Life.