The Synod of Youth, Faith and Vocation Discernment continues, with an extraordinarily rich in sharing dynamics between all the Synod Fathers and the young people present in the room.
It’s nice to see the dynamics that are creating little by little:
- The joy of all the Synod members, including the sense of humor of one of the Presidents, Cardinal Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, which has told us quite a few jokes (very good, by the way), while moderating the Assembly;
- The youth mood that all the meetings are taking and that is helping a lot to the clarity and transparency;
- The spaces for dialogue, favored by large moments of “free statements”, in which the Synod members can do echo to the brief papers that are heard in the room. Just an example: today there have been 60 requests of intervention for one available hour. Logically, there was no time to all. But it is a good sign of the interest in participating.
- The constant presence of the Pope, who receives suggestions and proposals on many occasions of the meetings;
- The dialogues (formal and informal) made during the breaks, which enable us to talk among ourselves. I take this opportunity to talk with people whose reality is important to know for us (for example, a Bishop of Cambodia, one of Myanmar or one of Timor-Leste).
I emphasize three particularly significant interventions. The first of one young Iraqi, the other two of Synod Fathers:
- The extraordinary experience of being friend and companion of martyrs, killed while they said goodbye at the door of the church until the following Sunday. A young man who has managed to convey what it means to live faith knowing that this faith can cost you your life. Without a doubt, the longest ovation, exciting, of the synodal room;
- The personal feeling after a week of Synod: the need for conversion;
- The need to contemplate the secularization not as something always negative or dark, but as a fact of reality that challenges us and is also carrier of opportunities.
They appear with some clarity issues of discernment:
- Accompaniment, its dynamics and the authentic companion profile;
- Centrality of the Eucharist;
- Full pastoral processes;
- Everything related to education;
- Type of Church that we need;
- Importance of growing in communion with so many Christian suffering communities;
- Awareness of the large number of young people living in situations of exclusion;
- Life of prayer and the sacraments;
- Need for welcoming and missionary communities…
Little by little we move. Tomorrow we begin a new session of work on “small circles”, as we prepare for the canonization, among others, of Blessed Paul VI and Monsignor Romero.
Pedro Aguado
