Homily of Pope Francis at the inauguration Mass of the second session of the Synod of Synodality

Below is the complete homily of Pope Francis at the opening Mass of the second session of the Synod of Synodality, celebrated this Wednesday, October 2, in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican:

Today we celebrate the liturgical memory of the holy Guardian Angels, and we resume the plenary session of the Synod of Bishops. In listening to what the Word of God suggests to us, we could take three images as a starting point for our reflection: voicehe refugio and the niño.

First, the voice. On the way to the Promised Land, God advises the people to listen to the “voice of the angel” that He has sent (cf. Ex 23,20-22). It is an image that touches us closely, because the Synod is also a journey in which the Lord puts in our hands the history, dreams and hopes of a great People of sisters and brothers spread throughout the world, animated by our own faith, driven by the same desire for holiness so that, with them and through them, we try to understand which path to follow to get where He wants to take us. But how can we listen to the “voice of the angel”?

One path is certainly to approach with respect and attention, in prayer and in the light of the Word of God, all the contributions compiled throughout these three years of work, mutual exchange, debates and patient effort of purification of the mind and heart. It is about, with the help of the Holy Spirit, listening and understanding the voicesthat is, the ideas, expectations, proposals, to discern together the voice of God who speaks to the Church (cf. Renato Corti, ¿Which priest?, unpublished notes).

As we have repeatedly recalled, ours is not a parliamentary assembly, but a place of listening in communion, where, as Saint Gregory the Great says, what someone has in him partially, another possesses completely, and although some have gifts particulars, everything belongs to the brothers in the “charity of the Spirit” (cf. Homilies on the GospelsXXXIV).

For this to happen there is a condition: that we free ourselves from what, in us and among us, can prevent the “charity of the Spirit” from creating harmony in diversity. Whoever, with arrogance, presumes and pretends to have the exclusive right over the voice of the Lord, is not capable of listening to it (cf. Mc 9,38-39). Every word must be received with gratitude and simplicity, to become an echo of what God has given for the benefit of the brothers (cf. Mt 10,7-8). Specifically, let us be careful not to turn our contributions into points to defend or agendas to impose, but let us offer them as gifts to share, even willing to sacrifice what is particular, if this can serve to bring about, together, something new according to the plan of God. Otherwise, we will end up locking ourselves in dialogues between the deaf, where each one tries to “bring water to his mill” without listening to others and, above all, without hearing the voice of the Lord.

We do not have the solutions to the problems that arise before us, but He (cf. Jn 14:6), and let us remember that in the desert there is no joking; If one does not pay attention to the guide, boasting of self-sufficiency, one can die of hunger and thirst, dragging others down with them. Let us listen, then, to the voice of God and his angel, if we truly want to continue our journey safely, beyond limits and difficulties (cf. Sal 23,4).

This brings us to the second image, the refugio. Its symbol is the wings that protect: “you will find refuge under its wings” (Sal 91.4). Wings are powerful instruments, capable of lifting a body off the ground with their vigorous movements. But, even though they are so strong, they can also fold and narrow, becoming a shield and cozy nest for the young, in need of warmth and protection.

This image is a symbol of what God does for us, but also a model to follow, especially in this time of assembly. Among us, dear brothers and sisters, there are many strong, well-prepared people, capable of rising to heights with vigorous movements of reflection and brilliant intuitions. All this is a wealth that stimulates us, pushes us, frequently forces us to think more openly and move forward decisively; Furthermore, it helps us remain firm in faith, even in the face of challenges and difficulties. The open heart, the heart in dialogue.

A heart closed in its convictions is not typical of the Spirit of the Lord. Opening up is a gift, a gift that must be harmonized, at the right moment, with the ability to relax the muscles and lean in, to offer ourselves to each other as a welcoming embrace and place of shelter, and to be, as Saint Paul VI said. , “a house (…) of brothers, a workshop of intense activity, a cenacle of ardent spirituality” (Address to the CIS Presidential Council9 mayo 1974).

Everyone here will feel free to express themselves more spontaneously and freely the more they perceive around them the presence of friends who love and respect them, appreciate them and want to hear what they have to say.

And for us this is not just a technique to “facilitate” – it is true that in the Synod there are “facilitators”, this helps to move forward – but it is not only a technique to facilitate dialogue or a group communication dynamic, because hugging, protecting and caring is, in fact, part of the very nature of the Church. Hug, protect and care. The Church is by its very vocation a place of welcome and encounter, where “collegial charity demands perfect harmony, from which it derives its moral strength, its spiritual beauty, its exemplarity” (ibid.). That word is very important, “harmony”. There are no majorities or minorities (to see); This can be a first step. What matters, the fundamental thing is harmony. The harmony that only the Holy Spirit can generate. He is the master of harmony, who from many differences, from many different voices, is capable of creating a single voice.

Let’s think about the morning of Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit created that harmony in diversity. The Church needs “peaceful and open places”, which are created above all in the hearts, where each person feels welcomed like a child in his mother’s arms (cf. Is 49.15; 66,13) and like a child lifted up against his father’s cheek (cf. Os 11,4; Sal 103,13).

And so we arrive at the third image, that of the niño. It is Jesus himself, in the Gospel, who “puts him in the midst” of the disciples, shows him to them, inviting them to convert and become small like him. They had asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven; He responds by encouraging them to become small like a child. But not only that; He also adds that whoever receives a child in his name receives it himself (cf. Mt 18,1-5).

This paradox is fundamental for us. He Synodgiven its importance, in a certain sense it asks us to be “big”—in mind, in heart, in outlook—because the issues to be addressed are “big” and delicate, and the scenarios in which they are situated are broad, universal. But precisely for this reason, we cannot allow ourselves to look away from the child, whom Jesus continues to place at the center of our meetings and work tables, to remind us that the only way to be “up to the task” that has been given to us trusting is by lowering ourselves, making ourselves small and welcoming each other, with humility, as such. The highest in the Church is the one who stoops the most.

Let us remember that it is by making ourselves small that God “shows us what true greatness is, and even more so, what it means to be God” (Benedict XVI, Homily on the Feast of the Baptism of the LordJanuary 11, 2009). It is no coincidence that Jesus says that the angels of children “in heaven are constantly in the presence of (the) Heavenly Father”(Mt 18,10); That is, the angels are like a “telescope” of the Father’s love.

Brothers and sisters, let us resume this ecclesial path with our eyes focused on the world, because the Christian community is always at the service of humanity, to announce to everyone the joy of the Gospel. Today it is more necessary than ever, especially in this dramatic hour of our history, as the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to devastate entire towns and nations.

To invoke the gift of peace through the intercession of the Most Holy Mary, next Sunday I will go to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where I will pray the Holy Rosary and present a sincere supplication to the Virgin. If possible, I also ask you, members of the Synod, to accompany me on that occasion.

And the next day, October 7, I ask everyone to live a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world.

Let’s walk together. Let us listen to the Lord. And let us allow ourselves to be guided by the breeze of the Spirit.