On Sunday, 10 October 2021, Pope Francis officially opened the Synod on Synodality with the celebration of the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Basilica. Next Sunday, 17 October, each bishop will officially open the Synod in his own diocese. Thus an ecclesial journey has begun that will lead to the celebration of the Synod of Bishops scheduled for 2023. The opening in the Vatican was preceded by a time of reflection on Saturday, 9 October, in the Synod’s New Hall.
In his talk, the Pontiff stressed that it is not necessary to create another Church but “a different Church, open to the new things that God wants to suggest to her; a Church that listens and walks with the Spirit, because we need the Spirit, who is the ever-fresh breath of God, freeing us from all kinds of closure, reviving what is dead and breaking chains.”
Thanking the participants in the synodal itinerary, he reiterated that the Synod is not a Parliament, nor is it a survey. It is an ecclesial moment and its protagonist is the Spirit. The Pope then re-emphasized the key words of the synodal journey: communion, participation and mission.