Synod Briefing - Day 5: Embracing pain of people suffering from war

By Tiziana Campisi and Giampaolo Mattei

Monday morning’s Synod sessions, with 351 participants, “were preceded by a prayer and a moment of heartfelt participation in the suffering of people in the Middle East due to war, on a day, October 7, that is dramatically symbolic.”

Paolo Ruffini, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, announced this during a briefing for journalists. He also noted that Pope Francis had sent a letter to Catholics in the Middle East “on this sad day.”

Furthermore, Dr. Ruffini shared that Cardinal Grech reminded the Synod participants that Monday was “a day of prayer and fasting,” at the Pope’s request, following Sunday evening's Rosary for Peace at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. 

Dr. Ruffini reported that Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, announced a fundraising effort beginning in the afternoon. It will specifically provide support for the only Catholic parish in Gaza and its priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, “whom the Pope calls every day to express his closeness to those who suffer.”

9 of the 21 new cardinals announced by the Pope on Sunday will take part in this initiative. They are: Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Ladislav Nemet, Jaime Spengler, Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Dominique Mathieu, Roberto Repole, and Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe.

The work of the Synodal Assembly

The fourth General Congregation is scheduled for Tuesday, Sheila Pires, secretary of the Information Commission, announced.

“The assembly plans to elect members for the drafting committee of the Final Document, according to Article 13 of the internal regulations. Reports from the language tables will then be presented,” she said.

Following the model already adopted in the first week, Synod members will vote on the agenda for discussion, and the day will continue with open discussions.

Ms. Pires noted the first two forums on pastoral theology are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on the topics: “The People of God, Subject of the Mission” and “The Role and Authority of the Bishop in a Synodal Church.”

The Synodal journey in Asia

The Church must build bridges and be a bridge itself. This means attention must be given to diverse cultures and religions, cultivating dialogue and synodality.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, expressed this affirmation. He is a member of the ordinary council of the Synod Secretariat, the Council of Cardinals, and the working group Pope Francis established at the beginning of his pontificate to assist in governing the Church.

During Monday’s briefing, the Cardinal emphasized that advancing in synodality requires interculturality. He added that since the Second Vatican Council, acceptance and respect for others are widely established concepts.

Cardinal Gracias used the example of the synodal journey in Asia, where an assembly in 2022 addressed topics that are currently being discussed at the Synod, noting the need to renew pastoral practices.

Two key points were working and walking together. The Cardinal explained it is essential to build the Kingdom of God in countries with diverse local cultures—but not by proselytizing—differences must be valued. A synodal approach is necessary to avoid imposing notions or concepts.

Furthering fraternity

In Asia, meetings continued until 2023, when two hundred bishops gathered to discuss respect for religions, lay movements, and the baptismal consecration of each individual.

Cardinal Gracias insisted collaboration is crucial to relationships with other faiths, saying the Church "can no longer call them other religions, but neighboring religions.”

The bishops in Asia also acknowledged the importance of the digital world and see the Synod as a continuation of their work. “I am sure that things will get better,” the Cardinal continued, “and that there will be more fraternity and love for the Church.”

One family

During the briefing, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, President of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences and Archbishop of Vilnius, focused on how the day of prayer and fasting for world peace was highlighted in the synodal assembly on Monday morning.

He explained the solidarity with those suffering from the effects of war–like in the Middle East and Ukraine–fosters the experience that “we are all one family that prays for peace and unity.”

The Archbishop emphasized the need to strengthen ties between Churches saying, “having dialogue is our mission.” 

An increasingly attentive listening

Reciprocal listening is a skill that is growing in the Synod, Sister Mary Teresa Barron, President of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), observed.

She believes the capacity to listen to one another has also improved, allowing for greater discernment of others’ beliefs. Listening brings people closer to those who are excluded and marginalized.

For its part, UISG, as a synodal initiative, has established an office dedicated to synodality, with an intercultural group focused on prioritizing listening and relationships to build better ones. Above all, the aim is to help those on the peripheries, Sr. Barron clarified, focusing particularly on how to continue the synodal journey in Syria, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia.

She was asked what space women can have in the Church today, and responded saying, “There are many possibilities and leadership opportunities, but they need to be explored and assessed.”

She stated it differs in practice because in some countries there may be women leaders in the Church and in others not, but the focus is not on ordained ministry. And while it is true that there are women who feel called to the priesthood, this area touches on broader themes like the call of the Holy Spirit to ministries, which is not the topic of this Synod.

However, Cardinal Gracias noted women are at the center of attention in the Church, reporting that in the last three councils of cardinals, the role of women in the Church was discussed from a theological and pastoral perspective.

Regarding ministries, charisms, and vocations, Archbishop Grušas noted the roles of the laity and families can be expressed differently in various places, and therefore, the roles of men and women must be appropriately valued.

Questions were then raised about the study group regarding the appointment of bishops, and Cardinal Gracias clarified that there are two groups focused on the bishop's role, one on the role itself and the other on the appointment process.

“The figure of the bishop is fundamental for the Church, and his appointment should be made in the best way possible,” the Cardinal affirmed, clarifying the two groups have begun to collaborate in this vital and important area for the Church.