This is a time of intense spirituality. The death of Pope Francis has touched us all deeply and we pray to the Lord to welcome him into his peace and to grant him the reward for his service to the Church. At the same time, we thank God for the election of the Holy Father Leo XIV, who immediately encouraged us to continue our commitment to the synodal path, reminding us that we are "a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, fosters dialogue, always ready to welcome with open arms as this place. All those who need our charity, our presence, our dialogue and our love1".
It is this same conviction that deeply animates the Final Document (FD) of the XVIᵉ Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, "For a synodal Church: communion, participation, mission", which was approved at the end of the second session of the Synodal Assembly on 26 October 2024. The synodal form of the Church is at the service of her mission, and every change in the life of the Church is aimed at making her better able to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to bear witness to the Gospel of the Lord to the men and women of our time.
This is the key to faithfully interpreting the FD and, above all, to putting it into practice. We live in a world that is sinking into a never-ending spiral of violence and war, a world that is finding it increasingly difficult to build spaces for encounter and dialogue, with a view to the common good and peace. More than ever, it needs a Church that knows how to be "in Christ, as it were, the sacrament, that is to say, both the sign and the means of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race" (Lumen Gentium, no. 1; cf. FD, no. 56). In the diverse contexts of this world, the Synod "constitutes an act of further reception of the Council, prolonging its inspiration and reviving its prophetic force for today's world" (FD, no. 5).
It is the urgency of this mission that drives us along the path of implementing the Synod, a task for which all the baptised are co-responsible. Many local Churches in all parts of the world are enthusiastically committed to this task. We would like to thank them and invite them to continue on their way with generosity: in this way they are performing a valuable service for the whole Church. This text can offer them a frame of reference, and above all encourage them to share their initiatives by contributing to wider ecclesial discernment. Other Churches are still wondering how to begin the implementation phase or are in the early stages. We encourage them to forge ahead with courage, overcoming resistance and difficulties with freedom and boldness, whether practical or fundamental: they too have a valuable contribution to make, and it would be a loss to the Church as a whole if their voice remained silent.
The General Secretariat of the Synod remains at the disposal of all those concerned to listen to them, accompany them, support their efforts and, above all, contribute to animating dialogue and the exchange of gifts between the Churches, for the benefit of the whole Church and its unity.
