In the Vatican basilica the concluding celebration during which the Chair of Saint Peter, a sign of the unity of the Church, was displayed. Disseminated the final document voted by the Assembly to which the pontiff will not add an apostolic exhortation. Francisco near the populations affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.
Vatican City () – «The Gospel says that Bartimaeus “followed Jesus on the road”. This is an image of the synodal Church. This is the message that Pope Francis addressed this morning to the bishops and faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica for the celebration that concluded the 16th ordinary session of the Synod.
Yesterday afternoon, the Assembly – composed for the first time not only of bishops, but also of priests, religious, lay men and women representing the entire People of God – had approved the final document, which Pope Francis wanted to be publish immediately, specifying that this will be the reference text, without the drafting of a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, as has happened until now. “To the Lord,” Francis said today, summarizing the meaning of the synodal style placed at the center of the Assembly, “we follow him along the path, we do not follow him locked in our comforts, we do not follow him in the labyrinths of our ideas: we follow him along the way. And let us always remember this: not to walk on our own or according to the world’s criteria, but to walk the path, together, behind Him and walking with Him.
«Brothers, sisters – he said again –, not a sitting Church, a standing Church. Not a silent Church, a Church that listens to the cry of humanity. Not a blind Church, but a Church illuminated by Christ that brings the light of the Gospel to others. Not a static Church, a missionary Church, which walks with the Lord on the roads of the world.
During the celebration in St. Peter’s, the ancient Chair of St. Peter, a symbol of the primacy of the Pope, was also exhibited, recently undergoing extensive restoration. “Contemplating it with amazement of faith,” commented Francis, “let us remember that this is the chair of love, it is the chair of unity, it is the chair of mercy, according to that command that Jesus gave to the apostle Peter not to dominate others, but to serve them in charity.
The Pontiff also referred to the conclusion of the work of the Synod during the Angelus prayer, addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Let us pray,” he told them, “so that everything we have done this month goes forward for the good of the Church.”
Next, Bergoglio recalled the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent that will be held in the coming days, 75 years after the Geneva Conventions. “May this event – he said – awaken consciences so that, during armed conflicts, the life and dignity of people and peoples are respected, as well as the integrity of civil structures and places of worship, in the respect for international humanitarian law. “It is sad to see how places, hospitals and schools are destroyed in war.”
Also today, Pope Francis has called to pray for peace, especially in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon: «Let us put an end to the escalation and put respect for human life, which is sacred! The first victims are among the civilian population: we see it every day. Too many innocent victims! Every day we see images of massacred children. Too many children! Let us pray for peace.”
Finally, the Pontiff joined the Mexican Church in mourning for the priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez, murdered last Sunday in Chiapas, and expressed his closeness to the people of the Philippines hit by a very strong cyclone. “May the Lord sustain those people so full of faith,” he concluded.
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