The Jubilee of the synodal teams and participatory bodies has brought together representatives of the implementation of synodality in the various continents and large regions where the Church walks in the world. On Saturday, October 25, Leo XIV held a meeting with these synodal teams. A representative from each continent or large region of the world took the floor and each asked the Pope a question. The successor of Peter then responded to each question in the framework the orientations he considered appropriate. The meeting, transmitted live, was very illustrative of the path that is being followed after the Final Document of the Synod culminating in 2024, with evident differences of accents and sensitivities, but with a common desire for unity for mission statement, around the successor of Peter and the bishops.

On Sunday the 26th, Leo XIV's homily was particularly representative of the teachings of his pontificate, at least until now. He developed the sense of synodality starting from humility, as requested by the Gospel of the day (parable of the Pharisee and the publican).

At the meeting on Saturday the 25th, the representative of Africa presented the intense work that is taking place in that continent with regard to training and accompaniment for participation in synodality, with a particular sense of family and openness to interreligious dialogue and the achievement of peace. He asked how the Church can continue to help in this line, respecting the principles of synodality.

(As there is no published text of the meeting, neither what was said by the speakers nor what was said by the Pope will be taken literally here).
Leo XIV responded by stressing that the first mission is to proclaim Christ and at the same time to build bridges of dialogue with cultures and religions, especially Islam, and to promote peace, counting on young people and families. Synodality - he pointed out - is not a campaign, nor does it impose a single model for all places, but it is a way of being that promotes a fundamental attitude of listening.

The representative of Oceania expressed the interest, in her continent, in improving training, discernment and participation, advancing in unity and diversity (of cultures and rhythms, of models of work and scope of inclusion). He asked if the role of the groupings of Churches (episcopal conferences, ecclesiastical provinces, continental conferences, etc.) will continue to grow as an expression of communion in the Church.

Leon XIV answered in the affirmative. He gave the example of dialogue around important and common issues around poverty, injustice, climate change, etc., as promoted by Pope Francis especially since the encyclical Laudato si': it is a sign of the response of the Church and of all of us, that we must be courageous and raise our voice to improve the world.

Then, the representative of Canada and the United States presented the context of the North American continent, where they wish to develop Structures of ecclesial communication, particularly with Mexico and the Latin world; also the need for the training of all to advance with confidence in the synodal path, through conversion. He asked how to overcome the fears, on the part of some pastors, that synodality would diminish authority in the Church and how to better promote trust and responsibility in mission statement.

Leo XIV responded by encouraging listening and dialogue, despite the differences in pace and scale of progress that we observe in the various continents. Regarding the specific question, he answered that resistance often comes from fear or lack of knowledge or understanding. It is necessary to give importance to training at all levels, and to listening with patience. We have to find concrete ways to discern how to overcome these resistances. And, agreement the American culture, we must develop diocesan Structures to make them more inclusive.
It was the turn of the Middle East (they are waiting for the Pope in Lebanon). Their representative presented the initiatives that have taken place in that area, about training on synodality and the method of conversation in the Spirit, placing it at the center of ongoing training (for bishops, priests and pastoral agents, Catholic schools and universities) and developing the main aspects of the mission statement. The question here - he said - is to continue to witness the mission statement in the homeland of Jesus, to overcome hatred and violence with love and forgiveness.

The question was what are the urgent changes and fundamental conversions that we need to promote, beginning at the parish, diocesan, etc. level, as well as in all other ecclesial communities and Structures , in order to advance along this path.

The Pope considered that the Middle East is especially a place that needs to be cared for with signs of hope, counting on the enthusiasm of so many Christians. It is necessary to understand the many differences that exist between the Latin and Oriental Churches, etc., hence the need for mutual respect and listening. training at all levels - he insisted - is part of the response, to participate in the journey of the Church starting from prayer and spiritual life, individual and community: "pray a lot", he said, to be able to discern how to be witnesses of the Lord and promoters of reconciliation and peace among peoples.
 

After a brief break with music, the meeting continued with the intervention of the representative of Latin America and the Caribbean. After listing the main initiatives that have been promoted for some time, even before the Synod, he highlighted the path that led to the celebration of the first Ecclesial Assembly. CELAM (which has been working along these lines since the Second Vatican Council and has fruitfully carried out the various Conferences at the level of the Latin American "continent") has continued to promote, through numerous meetings and publications, synodal sensitivity and participation.

The question this time is how to promote, from the process of synodality, justice, inclusion and peace in our societies.

In answering this question, after thanking everyone for the many things we have learned from Latin America, the Pope said that he was inspired not so much by a "process" but by "people who live enthusiastically in faith. He pointed out the importance of conversion, of an authentic spirituality that starts from listening to the Holy Spirit and sharing it with others in order to be faithful missionary disciples on the way, builders of peace and communion.
The representative of the committee the Episcopal Conferences of Europe addressed the crisis of our secularized societies. We know - she explained - that there are very different situations and it is necessary to know each other better and overcome the distorted images that we may have, with many spiritual riches as there are, concretely, in the relations with the Orthodox Churches. She underlined the need for women's participation, which in some places is met with fear, resistance or skepticism. Sophisticated forms of lay participation have been generated in the German-speaking world. All in all, synodality in Europe remains an act of courage and trust, in order to make the Church a place of hope. The question would be what hopes women can nurture in the synodal context and whether there is a real place for equality between men and women in the Church.
The Pope recounted some personal experiences in which he underlined the many gifts that women can offer in family and parish life and also religious communities. He said that leaving aside the more difficult issues that are still being studied, the problem is cultural obstacles, because not everyone wants to impede the role of women. But there are cultures where women suffer as if they were second-class citizens, and that is why we have to promote together the rights of all, each one according to his or her vocation. The reality is that culturally not all countries are at the level of Europe or the United States, and therefore we cannot assume that women are respected. Unfortunately faith is more permeated by culture and less by Gospel values. And all of us should be a force and an inspiration to reflect on the differences that exist not only between men and women, but also between classes and social ranks, and sometimes we feel powerless in the face of this. So there is still much to be done, hoping that little by little changes can take place in these cultures, so that the charisms of each person can be respected and valued.
Finally, it was the turn of Asia, with its religious pluralism and socio-cultural complexity, as the representative of the Federation of Bishops' Conferences in Asia emphasized. After pointing out in specific points the positive impact of synodality and the many challenges that have been detected so far in that continent, he asked what message the Pope wished to share in order to encourage synodal conversion.

The Pope thanked, as in previous interventions, for the work, contributions and observations. He stressed that dialogue is essential for peaceful coexistence. In general, with the exception of the Philippines, Christians are in the minority and it is difficult for them to live their faith. In favor is the sense of mystery and sacredness as part of many Asian religions, which facilitates interreligious dialogue (not only in Asia). So when we speak of the "Spirit" of synodality or conversion in the Spirit, there is a contemplative element that we can learn from Asia and the East. The many challenges we have to integrate into a larger vision, also aspiring to greater justice and equality, and sharing what some Churches have for others. 

Leo XIV's homily on Sunday, October 26, was the crowning moment of the "Jubilee of Synodality". The content of the homily can be summarized in the following points.

1. This Jubilee celebration with the synodal teams and participatory bodies, the Pope said, "invites us to contemplate and rediscover the mystery of the Church, which is not simply a religious institution, nor is it identified with hierarchies or their Structures". For the Church, as the Second Vatican Council recalled, is "the visible sign of the union between God and mankind, of his project to gather us all into a single family of brothers and sisters and to make us his people, a people of beloved children, all united in the one embrace of his love" (the Church as "sacrament" and as the people and family of God the Father).

It is against this background that the meaning of the synodal teams and participatory bodies can be understood: "These Structures express what happens in the Church, where relationships do not respond to the logic of power but to the logic of love. The logics of power are "worldly" logics, while the logics of love put before "the spiritual life, which makes us discover that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters among ourselves, called to serve one another".

Therefore, the first thing is love: "The supreme rule in the Church is love. No one is called to command, all are called to serve; no one must impose his own ideas, all must listen to one another; without excluding anyone, all are called to participate; no one possesses the whole truth, all must seek it with humility, and together".
 

To be synodal is to "walk together". This means what Leo XIV takes up from Pope Francis: "Christians are called to journey together, never as solitary travelers. The Holy Spirit urges us to go out of ourselves in order to go towards God and towards our brothers and sisters, and never to close in on ourselves. Walking together means being artisans of unity, starting from our common dignity as children of God"(Lenten Message, 25-II-2025).

The Pharisee and the publican were walking, but not together. They were divided and there was no communication between them. One occupied the first place in the temple and the other the last. "They both pray to the Father, but without being brothers and without sharing anything." The Pharisee's attitude is completely self-centered: he only wanted to look at himself, justify and praise himself and belittle the other.

This attitude, the Pope points out, can also occur in the Christian community: "It happens when the I prevails over the we, generating personalisms that prevent authentic and fraternal relationships; when the pretension of being better than others, as the Pharisee does with the publican, creates division and transforms the community into a critical and excluding place; when one takes advantage of one's own position to exercise power and occupy spaces".

The publican, on the other hand, stands out for his humility: "In the Church we should recognize that we are all in need of God and in need of one another, exercising mutual love, mutual listening, and the joy of walking together. Knowing, as St. Clement of Rome says, that 'Christ is with those who are humble of heart and not with those who exalt themselves above the flock'(Letter to the Corinthians, c. XVI).
 

3. The Successor of Peter observes: synodal teams and participatory bodies are images of the Church that lives in communion; that is invited to listening and dialogue, fraternity and parresia. And "in the Church, before any difference, we are called to walk together in search of God, to clothe ourselves with the sentiments of Christ; help us to widen the ecclesial space so that it may be collegial and welcoming".

To what end? Pope Prevost specifies: "This will help us to face with confidence and a renewed spirit the tensions that run through the life of the Church - between unity and diversity, tradition and newness, authority and participation - allowing the Spirit to transform them, so that they do not become ideological oppositions and harmful polarizations. And he specifies: "It is not a matter of resolving them by reducing one to the other, but of allowing them to be made fruitful by the Spirit, so that they may be harmonized and oriented towards a common discernment".

4. For this purpose, the Pope points out some fundamental virtues and attitudes necessary for synodal discernment, with reference letter to the Final Document of the Synod: "interior freedom, humility, prayer, mutual trust, openness to new things and withdrawal to the will of God" (these are undoubtedly attitudes that are part of the "sentiments" of Christ). (Undoubtedly these are attitudes that are part of the "sentiments" of Christ). It is also specified there that ecclesial discernment "is never the affirmation of a staff or group point of view, nor is it resolved in the simple sum of individual opinions"(Final Document, 2024, n. 82).

And Leo XIV adds: "To be a synodal Church means recognizing that truth is not possessed, but sought together, allowing ourselves to be guided by a restless heart".
This is the horizon of synodality, and it is worth quoting the paragraph in its entirety: "We must dream and build a humble Church. A Church that does not stand upright like the Pharisee, triumphant and full of herself, but stoops down to wash the feet of humanity; a Church that does not judge as the Pharisee does with the publican, but becomes a welcoming place for everyone and for each one; a Church that does not close in on herself, but remains attentive to God so as to be able, at the same time, to listen to everyone".

Trust, discernment and humility: these are the clues that Leo XIV points out for synodality: "Let us commit ourselves to build a totally synodal Church, totally ministerial, totally attracted by Christ and therefore dedicated to the service of the world".