Small groups work on final synod documents

(Vatican Radio) Bishops attending the Synod on New Evangelisation here in the Vatican are working against the clock in their small language groups as they prepare for the third and final week of their deliberations. Propositions from each of those small groups must be finalised by Friday evening and a first draft of their concluding message is due to be presented to the gathering on Saturday.
Our special correspondent Philippa Hitchen was in the Synod Hall on Friday morning to gauge the mood and hear more about the ideas that are emerging as central to the work of new evangelisation…..

Listen:

The heat is on for the bishops and their lay assistants as they draw up a list of propositions that’ll form the basis of the final synod document and message to be issued at the end of the 3 week encounter.
Each language group works intensely behind closed doors to try and draw together the many priorities, concerns and practical suggestions that have been presented in the first half of this meeting. At the heart of their deliberations is how to present the timeless message of God’s love for humanity with new energy, new methods and new expressions that will be understood by people in today’s increasingly secular societies.
First and foremost in this task, the bishops point to the need for personal conversion and a renewed relationship with Christ, so that each baptised person – ordained, religious or lay - can be aware of his or her role in the new evangelisation.
Mutual respect and dialogue with people of all cultures and religious traditions must be another characteristic of these new evangelisers, who are not afraid to engage with cutting edge issues of scientific research or the latest communications technology.
The family and traditional parish settings are still seen as a focus for primary Catholic education, without forgetting the vital work of schools, hospitals, charitable centres and other places where people can see Christian values in action in a very practical way. While mass attendance is dwindling in many countries, participants noted that shrines and other places of pilgrimage are drawing more people than ever before in search of some kind of spiritual experience.
So can these Church leaders come up with new ways of touching the hearts of those spiritual seekers? Can they find the right words to explain the unchanging message of the Gospel to youngsters who know nothing of the Christian faith? Watch this space over the next week as those final synod document takes shape.