Pope Francis delivers his final speech to the Synod on the Family. (Image courtesy of Salt and Light Media)
Looking back on this Extraordinary Synod, I was very inspired by the Holy Father’s heart of compassion and desire to walk with people. I am reminded of Christ who looked on the crowds of people and “his heart was moved with pity for them.”
As I take my first breath at the end of two blessed weeks of work, I see three movements that converge as the gift of this extraordinary synod:
- The pastoral urgency to restore confidence and give hope to men and women who seek to be faithful witnesses to their sacramental marriages and their families.
- The urgency to accompany those who struggle in this world, meeting them where they are and walking with them more deeply into the light of Christ.
- The continued witness to the beauty of the authentic timeless teaching of Jesus, conveyed through the centuries by the Church and the call of Jesus to true joy and deeper conversion.
I am grateful that the clarifications and deepening of Scriptural and theological reflection shine consistently through the synod relatio.
Now the real work begins! With a path lit by the grace and teachings of Jesus in and through His Church, we now embrace the pastoral call of Pope Francis, dedicating ourselves to the vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world. Please join me in praying as we begin our pilgrimage together toward the General Synod next October.
