Synod in Rome-6ª. Press Conference: Permanent Diaconate, Christian Initiation, Mozambique, Lay in Leadership and Synod Spirituality

Today, October 9, 2024the 6th. news conference planned within the framework of the Synod of the Sinodality that is being carried out in the Vatican from October 2 to 27.

Two themes particularly concentrated attention: Permanent diaconate and Christian initiation What was reflected not only in the guest interventions of today’s press room, but also in the requirements of journalists. Latin American, African and European Plural Voices once again achieved synodality in the field of communication and the relationship with the media.

Permanent Diaconate: Sinodality that begins at home

The Permanent Deacon Reverend Geert de Cubber —Belga, married, with three children, who testifies to the synodal process of Europe in this synod – went to the bone very descriptively on the ministry that he himself embodies:

“I usually feel in the other part, I am not used to the microphone. How do I live this synod on a personal level? I can say that I could not participate here without my family. (A journalist present in the press room described him as ‘Presinodo’.) Once I was chosen, we met as a family, I sat with my wife and my three children around the table, and we shared whether it was useful or not Send the father to Rome for a month. Everyone agreed that yes and this has been a blessing because if one of the four would have said that I would not have accepted and would not be here with you. This is the starting point for me. My synodality experience begins precisely at home.

“Regarding the situation we live in Belgium – it is not a secret – we are a typical Western Europe church that faces numerous difficulties because we have a large majority of old people and we do not know what the future will hold. How to face synodality in this context without remaining at a theoretical-abstract level?

“What I have done – because I am involved in the youth pastoral and I am responsible in the Diocese of Ghent of communication on synodality – is to bring synodality within our work with young people. And not only in my diocese but with all Belgian dioceses, we have strong interdiocesan relations. We wanted to combine all these young pastorals in a single association to understand how to advance in a synodal way.

Kamino that unites

“One step in this synodal process is that we individual a new name: Kamino with ‘K’. Why this? Because in my ‘Catholic’ mother tongue it is written with ‘K’. We are all different but what unites is that we are Catholics and we have to include this letter ‘k’ that is significant. This is the result of a synodal modality that we have adopted.

Are there few deacons in the Synod?

”We are several deacons here: there is one that is Melquita, another Syrian and one that will be ordered priest. Last year – Cubber participated in the first phase of this synod in 2023— It was said that enough attention was not paid to this issue And I think it would be good to gather an important number of deacons. I know that in the United States it is a very strong ministry. The deacons were not entirely happy, I have met some of them because they do not have a proper representation.

Deacon-person

“This morning I have addressed the assembly saying that we should think about The deacon as someone who tends bridges within his family, with other families, the community and society. This is very typical in Belgium and in the western world where secularism prevails. What we can do As deacons is to advance with courage in the places where nobody wants to go, go to those who have no voice, who are marginalized, by the Church or society or both.

I want to be a deacon, no priest

”It will inevitably have to Consult deacons about the diaconate and we must involve their women and their children that have enough wisdom to express their opinions. What is being a deacon and what is not? For me to be a deacon, it is not just a preparation for the priesthood, my vocation is not to be a priest, I love priests, I love bishops, we need them, but this is not my vocation. We must discuss what the diaconate is when talking about the ordered ministry.

Diaconisas?

“Maybe it’s too soon, it’s a very difficult question. We talk about the female diaconate, it is an issue that has emerged on its own, we will not make any decision about it. But I think it is important to know what the nature of the deacon is. The deacon is different from the priest: it is a ministry of service and it is not that the priest does not.

“Could women in some parts of the world be had or not? And I say: it depends. We do not want to lose anyone on our way, in the direction we have set. Not wanting to lose anyone, we are a pilgrim church so we must make everyone advance together. The only way to do it is to face it in a synodal way, ”explained the Belgian deacon at various times of their exchanges with the press.

He is not a small priest

In the voice of Chilean archbishop Luis Fernando Ramos Pérezhead of Puerto Montt, the preconceptions that surround the permanent diaconate were almost summarized: “The deacon is not a small priest, it is a wonderful vocation, it is not the shadow of the priest,” he graph.

(From left to der. Sheila Pires, Inacio Saure, Luis Ramos Pérez, Geert de Cubber, Paolo Ruffini and Cristiane Murray.

Initiation to Christian life, a look from Africa

Monsignor Inácio Saure Bom, Archbishop of Nampula in Mozambique, He referred to the theme: “I have been missionary in Congo. I have had an excellent experience of initiation with young people, a group that tries to make Christian elements own. At the local level in the Church of Mozambique, we have initiatives in this regard but, the last 6 years I spend the youth pastoral, we have allowed young people to study together to conceive together a single pastoral for and with young people. This could help us improve pastoral. ”

A saint, war and paradigm change in the mission

“The synod brings us a great novelty, on October 20 The canonization of the saint will be held that I could know from the beginning of my vocation –Blessed José Allamano, Founder of the Missionaries of the Consolata-. The slogan of our founder was ‘First Santos and then missionaries’. The coincidence of the canonization of our founder in the Synod is not a coincidence, ”said the Namula archbishop.

Saure He also denounced that In Cabo Delgado you live in war since 2017with a balance of 5000 dead and more than 1 million displaced. “Today we can affirm that the population has been abandoned. Based this situation during the Synod can help see what can be done: a lot has been done but much more is needed. ”

“In Mozambique we face serious economic problems. In our last visit Ad Límina we present the projects for the seminars but we do not have economic means or other resources. The Pope promised us his help and the possibility of the exchange of Missionaries from Africa to Europe, ”he said The African archbishop underlining a change in the mission paradigm.

Synodal spirituality: basal stone for changes

Monsignor Luis Fernando Ramos Pérez –In 2014 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, in 2016 General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Chile and in 2018 Apostolic Administrator of the Vacant Headquarters of Rancagua, at the end of 2019 he was appointed Archbishop of Puerto Montt, a position he held Until today, ”he assumed the arguments that came out strongly in the room yesterday afternoon and this morning:

“There is a difference with respect to the first Synod session: many issues and proposals were raised that had to be framed from the synodality. Now we are trying to concentrate on more specific issues and deepen them to understand what a synodal church is.

“In this context they came out various topics relevant: The Church of God Complementary of the Church of Christ. This allows better to articulate the various charisms, ministries and vocations that are around the Church. Another issue that arose very strongly is the relationship with a synodal spiritualityif we want to change or convert the structures and the way of being church we must start from a personally lived spirituality that pushes and directs towards a personal, community, ecclesial and pastoral change.

“Together with the participation of laity in the life of the Church The importance of not losing their first vocation that is secular, ”said the Chilean archbishop.

Sinodality and Christian Initiation

Dr. Paolo Ruffini —Prefect of the Dicastery for the Communication and President of the Information Commission of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops – stressed, among other issues, the Testimony of a mother who started applause in the classroom Paul VI where conversations develop. What did this mother talk about? Of Christian initiation and synodality. This was reported Ruffini:

“I am worried because there is not talk enough about the initiation of children and what is the role of parents and godparents to contribute to the synodality and listen to it from childhood. You have to help children grow so that they go to Christ and this has to be reflected in the final document. ”

Lay and secular: indispensable presences

“Today there were 343 attendees in the room and the Pope was not present because he was participating in the general audience. There were 70 free interventions. One of the issues addressed and most arose in public interventions because it was the role of the laity, their collaboration with the bishops and priests, their participation in the decision -making processes. The collaboration between priests and laity was encouraged as well as the need for the greatest participation by lay and secular leadership functions. Its presence is indispensable: they cooperate for the good of the Church”, Explained lA DRA. Sheila Leocádia PiresCommunications officer of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of South Africa (SACBC) and Secretary of the Commission for the Information of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops.

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