Pope Francis explains why he called lay people for the Synod and warns of 2 dangers of this inclusion

The second session of the Synod of Synodality began this Wednesday with the intervention of Pope Francis, who explained the reason why he called lay people as full members of the Synod, while warning about two dangers of this inclusion.

The round tables once again filled the interior of the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican on the occasion of the opening of the Synod, which took place at 4:00 p.m., Rome time.

In this second stage, 368 members participate, of which 272 are bishops and there are 96 lay people, consecrated men and women, deacons and priests.

Inclusivity in coherence with the Second Vatican Council

After Mass this morning, the Holy Father inaugurated the first general congregation, in which he explained that the presence of members who are not bishops is in “coherence with the understanding of the exercise of episcopal ministry expressed by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.” .

“The bishop, principle and visible foundation of unity of the particular Church, cannot live his service if not in the People of God, with the People of God, preceding, being in the middle, and following the portion of the People of God that gives him has been entrusted,” said the Pontiff.

Two “dangers”

This inclusive understanding of the episcopal ministry, according to Pope Francis, “demands to be made manifest and recognized, avoiding two dangers.”

The first, according to the Pope, is “the abstraction that forgets the fertile concretion of places and relationships, and the value of each person.”

The second, he said, is to “break communion by contrasting hierarchy with lay faithful.”

Along these lines, he reiterated that “it is not about replacing one with the others, agitated with the cry: ‘now it’s our turn.'”

“Rather, we are asked to exercise ourselves together in a symphonic art, in a composition that brings us all together in service to the mercy of God, according to the different ministries and charismas that the bishop has the task of recognizing and promoting,” he asserted.

“It does not derogate the authority of each bishop”

For Francis, it is about walking “all together” in a process “where a modality of the exercise of the episcopal ministry consistent with the living Tradition of the Church and with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council is expressed.”

“Never can the bishop, nor any Christian, think of himself without the other. Since no one is saved alone, the announcement of salvation needs everyone and everyone needs to be heard,” he said.

To avoid the “storm of rumors,” the Pope assured that “the presence in the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of members who are not bishops does not diminish the ‘episcopal’ dimension of the Assembly.”

Much less, the Pontiff reiterated, “does it place any limit or repeal the proper authority of each bishop and of the Episcopal College.”

This, rather — Pope Francis specified — “points out the way in which he is called to assume the exercise of episcopal authority in a Church conscious of being constitutively relational and therefore synodal.”

According to the Holy Father, “the relationship with Christ and among all in Christ” realizes the substance and models “the form of the Church at every time.”

In this sense, he pointed out that “different forms of ‘collegial’ and ‘synodal’ exercise of the episcopal ministry must be identified, at appropriate times” throughout the Church.

However, he specified that this must always be done “respecting the deposit of faith and living Tradition, always responding to what the Spirit asks of the Churches in this particular time and in the different contexts in which they live.”

“The Holy Spirit always accompanies us”

Like last year, he recalled that “the Holy Spirit is a sure guide” and that “our first task is to learn to distinguish his voice, because He speaks in everyone and in all things.”

Pope Francis also noted that hope “is the most humble virtue” and that, in turn, humility is a “gift of the Holy Spirit.”

He also stated that “the Holy Spirit wipes away tears and comforts because he communicates the hope of God. God does not get tired, because his love does not tire,” he emphasized.

Likewise, he warned that “a self-proclaimed Christian who does not enter into the gratuitousness and mercy of God is simply an atheist disguised as a Christian.”

He encouraged the members of the Synod to travel this path “knowing that we have been called to reflect the light of our sun, which is Christ, like a pale moon that faithfully and joyfully assumes the mission of being for the world a sacrament of that light, which does not shines for ourselves.”

Finally, he reiterated that the synodal process “is also a learning process, during which the Church learns to know itself better and to identify the forms of pastoral action most appropriate for the mission that its Lord entrusts to it.”

“With a heart full of hope and gratitude, aware of the demanding task that has been entrusted to you, I wish everyone an openness that is available to the action of the Holy Spirit, our sure guide, our consolation,” Pope Francis concluded.