Pope Concludes the Synod of Bishops at Vatican
(October 27, 2008) The Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops concluded with the Holy Mass at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, 26th of October at 09:30 AM. Pope Benedict XVI presided over the Solemn Celebration of the Eucharist with 326 Synod Fathers and collaborators, of which 52 are Cardinals, 14 Heads of Eastern Catholic Churches, 45 Archbishops, 130 Bishops and 85 other Presbyters. While the Holy Father and the Concelebrants approached the Altar, the entrance hymn Tu es Petrus was sung. Delivering his homily the Holy Father said that the Word of the Lord, as given in the Gospel of the day speaks on Christ's commandment to love ones neighbour as one loves his own person. He affirmed that "the fullness of the Law, just as of divine Scriptures, is love." He added that it is so important to listen to the Word and incarnate it in personal and community existence! The Holy Father said that the priority for the Church today is above all to nourish itself with the Word of God, so as to bring forward the new evangelization. The Pope expressed his desire that the conclusions of the synod "would be taken to every community," so that "the need is understood to translate the word that has been heard into gestures of love, since only in this way is the proclamation of the Gospel made believable, despite human weaknesses." The Holy Father insisted various times on the importance of the link between hearing the Word and evangelization, as a fundamental point of the testimony of Christians around the world, especially with nonbelievers. "Many people are seeking, perhaps without realizing it, to encounter Christ and his Gospel; many need to find in him the meaning of their lives," the Pontiff said. "To give a clear and shared testimony of a life according to the Word of God, demonstrated by Jesus, is therefore an indispensable criteria for verifying the mission of the Church." It is necessary for the faithful to have wide access to sacred Scripture so that people, finding the truth, can grow in authentic love. This is an indispensable requisite today for evangelization." "One who thinks they've understood Scripture, or at least a part of them, without making the effort to build, through his intelligence, the double love for God and for neighbour, shows that in reality he is still far from having understood its profound sense," he affirmed.
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