Synod on Synodality: Pope Francis urges participants not to impose their agenda

“Let us be careful not to convert our contributions into points to defend or agendas to impose,” Pope Francis urged the participants of the second session of the Synod of Synodality, which begins this October 2.

On the day in which the Catholic Church celebrates the Holy Guardian Angels, Pope Francis presided at 9:00 a.m. local time at the inauguration Mass of the second session of the assembly of the Synod of Synodality before the faithful who listened to them from the Plaza of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican.

What is the Synod of Synodality for Pope Francis?

First of all, the Pontiff defined the Synod as “a journey in which the Lord places in our hands the history, dreams and hopes of a great People of sisters and brothers spread throughout the world, animated by our same faith, driven for the same desire for holiness so that, with them and through them, we try to understand what path to follow to get to where He wants to take us.”

In this sense, he highlighted that it is a path 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 intense work.”

With the help and strength of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis continued, it is about “listening to and understanding the voices, that is, the ideas, the expectations, the proposals, to discern together the voice of God that speaks to the Church.” .

He stressed, as on past occasions, that it is not “a parliamentary assembly,” but “a place of listening in communion.”

“Create harmony in diversity”

For this to happen, he invited participants to free themselves from that which, “in us and among us, can prevent the charity of the Spirit from creating harmony in diversity.”

“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 God’s plan.” , he added.

Otherwise, Pope Francis warned, “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.”

He stressed that “we do not have the solutions to the problems we face,” but rather the Lord, and invited the “strong and well-prepared” participants to help others.

He also urged having “an open heart capable of dialogue” and reiterated that “what matters and is fundamental is harmony,” which is achieved thanks to the Holy Spirit.

“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,” he added.

Furthermore, he stated that “embracing, protecting and caring is part of the very nature of the Church, which by its very vocation is a place of welcome and encounter.”

He also highlighted that the Synod, “given its importance,” in a certain sense asks us to be “big”—in mind, in heart, in outlook—“because the issues to be discussed are large and delicate, and the scenarios in which they are situated They are broad, universal.”

In conclusion, Pope Francis noted that “angels are like a telescope of the Father’s love.”