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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On the Role of Synods
"They Are a Coming Together"
H.H. Benedict XVI
October 5, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
This morning, with the celebration of Holy Mass in the Basilica of
St. Paul Outside the Walls, the 12th General Ordinary Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops was opened. The synod will be held at the
Vatican and will take as its theme “The Word of God in the Life and
Mission of the Church."
You know the value and function of this particular assembly of
bishops, chosen in such a way as to represent the whole episcopate
and convoked to offer efficacious assistance to the Successor of
Peter, manifesting and consolidating ecclesial communion at the same
time. This is an important organism, instituted by my venerable
predecessor, the Servant of God Paul VI, in his apostolic letter "Apostolica
Sollicitudo," during the last phase of the Second Vatican Council,
to realize a directive contained in the Council’s decree on the
office of bishops, “Christus Dominus” (cf. No. 5).
The Synod of Bishops aims to foster close union and collaboration
between the Pope and the bishops of the whole world, to furnish
direct and exact information about the situation and problems of the
Church, to foster an agreement on doctrine and pastoral action and
to consider topics of great importance and contemporary relevance.
These different tasks are coordinated by a permanent secretariat,
which works in direct and immediate dependence on the authority of
the Bishop of Rome.
Synods are constitutive of the Church: They are a coming together
from every people and culture to be one in Christ; they are a
walking together behind him who said: “I am the way, the truth and
the life” (John 14:6). In fact the Greek word “sýnodos,” composed of
the preposition “syn,” that is, “with,” and “odòs,” which means
“way, road,” suggests the idea of “taking the road together,” and
this is precisely the experience of the people of God in salvation
history.
I have chosen for the present ordinary synodal assembly -- having
sought and received authoritative opinions on the matter -- to study
in depth and from a pastoral perspective the word of God in the life
and mission of the Church. There has been ample participation in the
preparatory phase on the part of particular Churches throughout the
world, who have sent their contributions to the Synod's secretariate,
who drafted the “instrumentum laboris,” the document that will be
considered by the 253 synod fathers: 51 from Africa, 62 from the
Americas, 41 from Asia, 90 from Europe and 9 from Oceania. Numerous
experts and auditors, men and women, “brother delegates” from the
other Churches and ecclesial communities, and other special invitees
will join them.
Dear brothers and sisters, I invite all of you to support the work
of the synod with your prayer, especially invoking the maternal
intercession of the Virgin Mary, perfect disciple of the divine
Word.
[After the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in several
languages. In Italian, he said:]
This evening a television program entitled "Bibbia Giorno e Notte"
[Bible Day and Night] will begin on Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI).
This unique initiative will consist in the continuous reading of the
Bible, for seven days and seven nights, from today until Saturday,
Oct. 11. The site of the reading will be the Basilica of Santa Croce
in Gerusaleme in Rome, and there will be nearly 1,200 readers, from
50 countries, some chosen in part with ecumenical criteria and many
who signed up on their own.
This event is a fitting accompaniment to the Synod of Bishops on the
word of God, and I myself will start the reading of the first
chapter of the Book of Genesis. This will be broadcast by RAI 1. The
word of God can thus enter into homes to accompany the lives of
families and single persons: a seed that, if properly welcomed, will
not fail to bear abundant fruit.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
[In English, he said:]
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present for this Sunday Angelus prayer. In today’s Gospel Jesus
speaks of his death at the hands of those who did not heed the voice
of God and progressively closed their hearts to truth, justice and
love. Let us pray with confidence that the Lord will guide our steps
and grant us patience and constancy in doing God’s holy will! I wish
you all a pleasant stay in Rome, and a blessed Sunday!
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