Pope: The Church is the people of God walking together
By Lisa Zengarini
"Christian joy is never exclusive, but always inclusive—it is for everyone." Pope Francis offered that reminder in a message he addressed on Tuesday to participants in the Second Synodal Assembly of the Churches in Italy, gathered in the Vatican from March 31 to April 3.
Four years of listening and discernment
The session marks the final “prophetic” phase of the Italian Church’s Synodal Path launched in 2021 to redefine its mission in Italy in a spirit of shared responsibility and discernment, reflecting Pope Francis' vision of a synodal Church.
The theme of joy is at the heart of the discussions in which over one thousand bishops, and diocesan delegates from across Italy , will vote the Propositions presenting ideas and proposals that have emerged during these four years of listening and discernment.
Christian joy is trusting in God in every situation of life
Reflecting on the title of the Propositions "So that joy may be full", the message recalls that true joy " is not mere happiness, it does not arise from easy solutions to problems, it does not avoid the cross, but it springs from the certainty that the Lord never abandons us.”
He assures his audience that he has personally experienced this closeness of God during his hospitalization and now in this time of recovery.
"Christian joy is trusting in God in every situation of life,” the Pope writes “ It is fulfilled in the folds of daily life and in sharing: it is a joy with wide horizons, which accompanies a welcoming attitude.”
Walking together guided by the Holy Spirit
As they prepare to vote on the Propositions, which are "crucial for the future of the Churches in Italy”, Pope Francis therefore invites participants to let themselves be "guided by the creative harmony generated by the Holy Spirit", reminding them that "The Church is not made up of majorities or minorities, but of the holy faithful people of God, who walk through history illuminated by the Word and the Spirit."
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