Cardinal Hollerich at Synod: We must become peacemakers in service of humanity

By Vatican News 

Recalling the Rosary for Peace prayed on Sunday evening by Synod members with Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Cardinal Hollerich, General Relator of the Synod, called on the assembly to continue interceding today “through the ancient and traditional practice of fasting.”

His invitation came as men and women of goodwill across the world heed Pope Francis’ call for a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on Monday, October 7, marking the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

Thus, at the start of the sessions, Synod participants reaffirmed this intention as did Cardinal Hollerich, who presented Module II of the Instrumentum Laboris, focused on the theme "Relations."

“The prayer for peace,” Cardinal Hollerich emphasized, “helps us approach today’s work on the section dedicated to Relations with the proper focus: May our desire for peace guide our reflections and discussions, and may the Lord show us the way to become peacemakers, in service of all humanity.”

The Archbishop of Luxembourg also took the opportunity to offer his congratulations to the soon-to-be new members of the College of Cardinals, announced by Pope Francis during the Angelus, particularly those present in the Synod Hall.

Synodal life of the Church

The Cardinal then delved into the details of the module that the Synod fathers and mothers will be examining, which differs from the previous session dedicated to Foundations that “aimed to outline the frame of reference within which our reflections must take root and grow.” Three key areas of the Instrumentum Laboris are now on the table: Relations, Pathways, and Places—each shedding light from different perspectives on the Church’s synodal and missionary life.

The "Relations" Section of the Instrumentum Laboris

The Relations section, in particular, explores the dynamics of relationships with God, among brothers and sisters, and between Churches—relationships that “sustain the Church’s vitality more profoundly than its structures.” This intricate web of relationships, which provides individuals and communities with points of reference and guidance, is diverse and operates at multiple levels, Cardinal Hollerich explained. He then outlined the four key paragraphs of the text, which address themes such as Christian initiation, charisms and ministries, the baptismal priesthood, the ministerial priesthood, and the exchange of “gifts” between the various Churches within the one Church.

The expectations of God's people

“The challenge,” the Cardinal noted, for the coming days is to “attune ourselves to the movement that animates the Instrumentum Laboris,” in order to connect with “the real lives and practices of our communities.” It would be easy, he said, to stay on a general level and simply reaffirm the importance of relationships for the development of individuals and communities, but this risks producing something “unfruitful,” whereas the People of God are waiting for us to provide “guidance and suggestions” on how to make the relationships within our Churches “more transparent and harmonious,” and how to transition from a hierarchical exercise of authority to a more synodal approach.

The final step

Cardinal Hollerich also highlighted that the Instrumentum Laboris, both in this section and the others, has attempted to gather a series of proposals from last year’s Synodal synthesis report, where consensus was reached, though not full definition. These are now being brought forward again, “in an intentionally non-final form,” leaving room for this Assembly to make the final step. “The work we began a year ago now awaits its completion,” the Cardinal concluded, urging the assembly to avoid falling into “excessive abstraction” or “excessive pragmatism,” and instead to “shape concrete proposals that each local Church will then adapt to their unique circumstances.”