Pope inaugurates synod, warns of modern godless societies

(October 6, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday inaugurated a major Vatican bishops’ meeting by decrying a modern culture that was pushing God out of people's lives. The Pope made his comments in the homily of a solemn Mass inaugurating the month-long 12^th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The theme of the Oct. 5-26 synod is, ‘The Word of God in the Life and mission of the Church.”
Pope Benedict said that nations that were "once rich in faith" were now "losing their identity under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture". Since his election in 2005 the pope has been condemning a loss of Christian identity in most developed countries in Europe and has recently been speaking out about the need to re-inject moral values into Europe's political arena. "There are those, who, after deciding that 'God is dead,' declare themselves to be 'god' and the artisan of their own destiny, the absolute master of the world," he said. Attempts to "brush God aside" lead to arrogance of power, selfishness, injustice, exploitation and violence, he said at Rome’s Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. "When men proclaim themselves to be absolute masters of themselves and sole masters of creation, can they truly build a society where freedom, justice and peace reign?" he asked. This was the first time that a synod was inaugurated outside St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Benedict did it in commemoration of the 2000^th birth anniversary of St. Paul during the current Pauline Year.
253 synod fathers are participating in the sessions and represent 13 oriental rite Catholic Churches, 113 bishops’ conferences, 25 Vatican curial departments and the Union of Superiors General. 51 of them are from Africa, 62 from America, 41 from Asia, 90 from Europe and 9 from Oceania. The Chinese government has denied permission to Catholic bishops to travel to Rome for the synod. China's communist government does not allow its Catholics to recognise the pope's authority and forces them to be members of state-backed Catholic organisation. However, bishops from Macao and Honk Kong, regions with a degree of autonomy from Beijing, are attending.
Later, at the weekly midday Marian ‘Angelus’ prayer with thousands of with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican the Pope said that Synods are a fundamental part of the Church as they are a "coming together" of the people of God to be one in Christ. He said such gatherings aim “to foster close union and collaboration between the Pope and the bishops of the whole world, to furnish direct and exact information about the situation and problems of the Church, to foster an agreement on doctrine and pastoral action and to consider topics of great importance and contemporary relevance.” He invited all to support the work of the synod with their prayer, especially invoking the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, perfect disciple of the divine Word.