In a significant address to parish priests gathered for the International Meeting "Parish Priests for the Synod", Pope Francis issued a heartfelt appeal for priests worldwide to actively engage in the ongoing synodal process.
A Filipino cardinal reminded parish priests to foster active participation in their parish communities by encouraging parishioners to witness their faith boldly.
"Jesus, as a discerning shepherd, consistently acted following the will of His Father, exemplifying humility in his ministry. He guides us, as priests, to embrace humility," Cardinal Ferrão the Prelate.
“Now, we are all called to respond to this collective discernment and to once again contribute to the further enrichment and maturation of the Church's synodal reflections,” said Garcera.
Despite facing rejection, Jesus does not allow Himself “to be imprisoned by disappointment,” but instead looks to the Father, remaining “serene even in the storm,” the Pope said.
"In Africa, we believe that we have to journey together as a family, to listen to one another. And that is why Pope Francis invited us to journey together in this Synod on Synodality, to enlarge our hearts,” Archbishop Lucio Muandula.
Cardinal Bo stated that a change of attitude is required in our approach towards the challenges we face. He offered the word L.E.N.T as an acronym for this attitudinal change:
Cardinal Hollerich explained how each delegate is like a musical instrument, and ought to function continuously in tune with others (instruments), with discipline, to produce the synodal symphony.
The Synod, like the Lenten journey, he said, is a call to walk the path of God, to listen to his voice, and to recognize the God of love and tenderness, mercy and compassion.
'Synodality is the way of being the Church today according to the will of God, in a dynamic of discerning and listening together to the voice of the Holy Spirit,' as stated by Pope Francis.
Cardinal Grech empasized, “a Synodal Church is a Church of listening” and stressed that the success of the process depended on the active participation of the people of God and the pastors.
Pope Francis called Lent and the Synod on Synodality a 'strenuous mountain trek.' “The Lenten journey of penance and the journey of the Synod alike have as their goal a transfiguration, both personal and ecclesial,” Pope emphasized.
The letter of the secretariat seeks “to share a few considerations for a common understanding of the synodal process, its progress and the meaning of the current Continental stage.”
The 200 delegates consist of 156 from the 39 European Bishops' Conferences, and 44 personally invited by the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).
“Telling the story of Jesus in our Context: The Synodal Way” is the theme of the 34th plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), in Bangalore, from January 24 to 30.
In the annual seminar for priests of the Rajshahi diocese in Bangladesh,
Bishop Gervas Rozario told that Synodality is about “raising awareness among people on how we can journey together on the path of life."
