Donate
The Holy See Press Office has released the Instrumentum laboris – or working document – that will guide the work of the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod that will be held in Rome from 2 – 27 October. Cardinal Vincent Nichols has welcomed the release of the document, saying: "This is a welcome document which has clarity of purpose, firmness of foundations, refreshing perspectives and concrete pathways for development.
"Its purpose is clear: to rekindle hope, to spark renewal in discipleship, to restore a missionary outreach in the Church on the basis of our common baptism and to do so through working and walking together. As is noted (para 3), the People of God are never simply the sum of the baptised. It is the ‘we’ of the Church, with its variety of gifts and responsibilities, reaching across history, always accompanied by Mary, Mother of the Church."
The document is structured in five sections: introduction, foundations, and three central parts. The introduction recalls the journey travelled so far and highlights the milestones already reached, such as the widespread use of the synodal methodology of the Spiritual Conversation.
The foundations (nn. 1-18) then dwell on the understanding of synodality, seen as a path of conversion and reform. In a world marked by divisions and conflicts, it is emphasised, the Church is called to be a sign of unity, an instrument of reconciliation and listening for all, especially for the poor, the marginalised, and the minorities excluded from power.
The foundations also give ample space (nn. 13-18) to reflection on the role of women in all areas of the Church’s life, highlighting “the need to give fuller recognition” to their charisms and vocation.
After the introduction and the foundations, the Instrumentum laboris focuses on relationships (nn. 22-50) that allow the Church to be synodal in mission: that is, relationships with God the Father, among brothers and sisters, and among the Churches. Charisms, ministries, and ordained ministries are therefore essential in a world and for a world that, amid many contradictions, seeks justice, peace, and hope. From local Churches, the voice of young people also emerges, who request a Church not of structures, nor of bureaucracy, but founded on relationships that are lived and animated by dynamics and paths. From this point of view, the October Assembly will be able to analyse the proposal to create new ministries, such as that of “listening and accompaniment.”
These relationships should then be developed in a Christian manner along paths (nn. 51-79) of formation and “community discernment,” which allows the Churches to make appropriate decisions, articulating responsibility and participation of all. The Instrumentum laboris affirms that there is a “school of synodality” in the intertwining of generations. All, “the weak and the strong, children, young and old,” have “much to receive and much to give.” (n. 55).
The Instrumentum laboris then analyses (nn. 80-108) the places where relationships and paths take shape. Inviting us to overcome a static vision of ecclesial experiences, the working document recognises their plurality. It is in this context that the great themes of ecumenical, interreligious, and cultural dialogue are placed.
In this context, too, we find the search for forms of exercise of the Petrine ministry open to the “new situation” of the ecumenical journey (nn. 102 and 107). The Instrumentum laboris concludes with an invitation to continue the journey as “pilgrims of hope” in view of the Jubilee of 2025 (n. 112).
Source: Vatican News; CBCEW
