On Sunday, October 27, the Synodal Assembly closed with the Eucharist in St. Peter’s, presided over by Pope Francis, who gave us a beautiful homily, which we continue to deepen with great joy and with the challenges it presents to us.
The last week was very intense, with fewer Aula days, but definitive to close this meeting. On Saturday 26th we spent the whole day studying the draft final document, before proceeding to vote on it point by point; as it is electronic, it is quite fast. There were 951 group amendments, i.e., at the round tables, plus 100 individual ones, so the final document was very well worked and revised.
Personally, I think it is open and broad, which allows things to be adapted to each context, since these are so varied that it is not possible to give many general guidelines.
After the final vote, the Pope gave us a beautiful speech with the surprise -which moved us- that the document we had just voted on did not need an Apostolic Exhortation from him, he himself delivered it to the People of God.
It was truly a synodal gesture: it had entrusted us to ask the People of God themselves for contributions in the successive diocesan, continental and universal stages, and the synthesis of these contributions returned to its starting point, after being deepened in the two Assemblies.
Before closing the work, we had the opportunity to dialogue with the Commissions that are studying the 10 themes entrusted to them by the Pope. It was a good opportunity to learn how the work is progressing and to listen to our contributions and suggestions, which we can send to the Synod Secretariat’s e-mail address in the coming months.
The atmosphere was very cordial, with very natural relationships – it was evident that most of us already knew each other -, with great freedom of expression and respect for listening and welcoming the different visions and situations that exist in the Aula with the immense pluralism that we have in the Church.
I found the whole experience exciting because it touched directly on the life of the Church with its lights and shadows: wonderful experiences, people who live in frontier areas giving their lives, places where no one wants to go and where there is no lack of Church presence.
There are also things that hurt, very slow rhythms that make us impatient, too much fixation on “the usual”… many challenges, but we walk. Patience is needed to remain and the invitation is to return to Jesus and let Him be the center with His Gospel as a program of life and, within the Church -feeling myself an active part and not a spectator-, to continue betting and pushing as much as we can.
Now is the time to give continuity to the process initiated in the Church from the different places where we are.
This is the last of my chronicles. Thank you for reading them and we will continue to meet on the synodal journey.
María Luisa Berzosa González, FI -Roma-.
