CHURCH IN FOCUS:
Verbum Domini - 2
11 December 2011

In our Focus programme we bring you the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, meaning, the Word of the Lord, of Pope Benedict XVI, which is a reflection on the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops held in 2008, devoted to “The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church.” This document which is being considered as the most important Church document on Holy Scripture since the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, published in 1965. Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, said that the purpose of the document is to communicate the results of the Synod; rediscover the Word of God – a source of constant ecclesial renewal; to promote the Bible among pastors; to help the faithful become witnesses of the Word of God; to support the new evangelization and ecumenical dialogue; and to foster ever greater love for the Word of God.
The Apostolic Exhortation "Verbum Domini", meaning the Word of the Lord is addressed to the Bishops, Clergy, Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful and considers "the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church". It was released on Thursday, November 11, 2010. Verbum Domini is Masterful, Mystical, and Missionary document. The Pope uses these words to describe this apostolic exhortation not simply for the alliteration but because they accurately reflect the profundity of this instruction, his teaching skills and the depth of his theological knowledge. This apostolic exhortation is the finest summary of the Catholic understanding of the Sacred Scripture. It is also mystical; reflecting the depth of the interior life and relationship with the Lord which Pope Benedict XVI obviously has. Drawing repeatedly from John's Gospel, the Fathers of the Church, the best of the medieval masters of the West and the treasury of the Tradition, Pope Benedict XVI gives the finest discourse on the Word of God, the Bible, and Sacred Scripture. Finally, this apostolic exhortation is a missionary resource. It is a manual for the new missionary age and the New Evangelization, both of which are mentioned. The Pontiff says that "being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a definitive direction." He adds saying “Let us be silent in order to hear the Lord's word and to meditate upon it, so that by the working of the Holy Spirit it may remain in our hearts and speak to us all the days of our lives. In this way the Church will always be renewed and rejuvenated, thanks to the word of the Lord which remains for ever.”
This Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI is a response to the 2008 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. One of the goals of the Synod was to review the implementation of the directives on Scripture found in the Second Vatican Council, especially its Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, and to confront the new challenges of our day. The continuation of this task is one of the main objectives of Verbum Domini. In his message the Pope reminds all Christians that our personal and communal relationship with God depends on our growing familiarity with the word of God. The Pontiff wishes to turn to every man and woman, including those who have fallen away from the Church, who have left the faith or who have never heard the proclamation of salvation. To everyone the Lord says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me”
The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI, 15 September 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality engendered by the conciliar experience. He said that “a Synod of Bishops, which will be made up of bishops nominated for the most part by the Episcopal Conferences with our approval and called by the Pope according to the needs of the Church, for his consultation and collaboration, when for the well-being of the Church it might seem to him opportune. We place this beautiful and promising innovation under the protection of Mary, the Mother of God." Literally speaking the word "synod", derived from two Greek words syn meaning "together" and hodos meaning "road" or "way” means a "coming together". A Synod is a religious meeting or assembly at which bishops, gathered around and with the Holy Father, has opportunity to interact with each other and to share information and experiences, in the common pursuit of pastoral solutions which have a universal validity and application. The Synod, generally speaking, can be defined as an assembly of bishops representing the Catholic episcopate, having the task of helping the Pope in the governing of the universal Church by rendering their counsel. Pope John Paul II has referred to the Synod as "a particularly fruitful expression and instrument of the collegiality of bishops".
The Synod of Bishops has, of its very nature, the function of providing information and offering advice. It can also enjoy the power of making decisions when such power is conferred upon it by the Roman Pontiff; in this case, it belongs to him to ratify the decisions of the Synod. The general purpose of the Synod are first to promote a closer union and greater cooperation between the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops of the whole world; second, to see to it that accurate and direct information is supplied on matters and situations that bear upon the internal life of the Church and upon the kind of action that should be carrying on in today's world; and finally to facilitate agreement, at least on essential matters of doctrine and on the course of action to be taken in the life of the Church. The special and immediate purposes are to provide mutually useful information and to discuss the specific business for which the Synod is called into session on any given occasion.
\The Apostolic Exhortation, which is dated 30 September, Memorial of St. Jerome, is the fruit of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in Rome from 5 to 26 October 2008. The document, which has been published in Latin, Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Polish, is made up of an introduction, three parts and a conclusion. The first part is entitled Verbum Dei (The Word of God), the second,Verbum in Ecclesia (The Word in the Church), and the final part, Verbum Mundo (The Word to the World).
Part One begins by outlining the significance of the Incarnation, in which the Word became flesh. It then briefly discusses the human response to God’s word, before an extended treatment of the topic of the interpretation of Scripture. The Bible’s unity is grounded in the fact that all the Scriptures ultimately point to Christ, the Word. This means that the Old Testament remains valid for Christians, even if it has been fulfilled. The close relationship between the Old and New Testaments must be brought out in both pastoral and academic settings. The lives of the Saints, who allowed their lives to be shaped by the word of God, provide the most profound interpretation of Scripture. “Every saint is like a ray of light streaming forth from the word of God”. Their holiness is an interpretation “which cannot be overlooked”
In this first part entitled “Verbum Dei”, the Pope highlights both “the fundamental role of God the Father, source and origin of the Word”, and “the Trinitarian dimension of revelation”. Chapter one - “The God Who Speaks” - underscores “God’s will to open and maintain a dialogue with man, in whom God takes the initiative and reveals Himself in various ways”. It also dwells on “the Christological aspect of the Word, while at the same time underlining the pneumatological dimension”. This section of the document also focuses on the relationship between the Eucharist and Tradition, and on the theme of the inspiration and truth of the Bible. It begins by outlining the significance of the Incarnation, in which the Word became flesh. It then briefly discusses the human response to God’s word, before an extended treatment of the topic of the interpretation of Scripture.

Fr Eugene Lobo S.J.