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SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM
BULLETIN

XII ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
5-26 OCTOBER 2008

The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church


This Bulletin is only a working instrument for the press.
Translations are not official.


English Edition

 

32 - 22.10.2008

SUMMARY

- WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS
- ENCHIRIDION OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
- ERRATA CORRIGE
- NOTICES

WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS

- WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS BY SYNODAL FATHERS (CONTINUATION)
- WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS BY FRATERNAL DELEGATES

Today the works by the Working Groups (Session VI, VII) will continue for the preparation by every Working Group of the collective Emendments (Modi)to the Propositions. We hereby publish the written interventions, not presented in the Hall.

WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS BY SYNODAL FATHERS (CONTINUATION)

The following Synodal Father only delivered his intervention in writing:

- H. Em.R. Card. Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (VATICAN CITY)

Below is the summary of the intervention not presented in the Hall, but delivered in the written form by the Synodal Father:

- H. Em.R. Card. Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (VATICAN CITY)

Despite all the sad divisions in the history of the Church, the Word of God witnessed above all in the Holy Scripture has remained the common inheritance even today; nothing else unites the Christian churches and communities like the Bible does. It is truly the ecumenical bond par excellence. Therefore, the Bible is the basis of ecumenical dialogue and the main instrument of ecumenical dialogue from the doctrinal as well as the spiritual and pastoral aspects. The common Lectio divina is therefore the privileged ecumenical method. This dialogue has been very fruitful in the last decades. As Christians we cannot only look at the abuses. First, we must be thankful for all that the Spirit of God has done to bring Christians closer together, which is not a small thing. We are thankful and encourage the ecumenical work, which according to Vatican Council II is an impulse of the Spirit and - as we hope - the building site of the future Church.

[00318-02.02] [IS006] [Original text: Italian]

WRITTEN INTERVENTIONS BY FRATERNAL DELEGATES

The following Fraternal Delegate only delivered his intervention in writing:

- H.G. Rade Sladojević FOTIJE, Bishop of Dalmazia (CROATIA)

Below is the summary of the intervention not presented in the Hall, but delivered in the written form by the Fraternal Delegate:

- H.G. Rade Sladojević FOTIJE, Bishop of Dalmazia (CROATIA)

St. John Chrysostom, great and spirit-bearing interpreter of the Holy Scripture, commented and interpreted almost all Books of the Old Testament, as well as of the New Testament. He says: "Holy Scripture is a way and who gets off it, he goes astray." Furthermore, trying to reach its deeper meaning, he says: "The Prophets and Divine Law were nothing but fairy tales and dummy stories for the rich man (Lk. 16: 19), but when he moved down to hell, he realized everything." Interpreting the Books of the Old and the New Testament, many Church Fathers underlined the baleful phenomenon of academic understanding of divine Law, faith and the Holy Scripture. Such knowledge neither brings man to God in ancient times, nor does it today. Academic understanding of words and spirit of the Holy Scripture keeps the faith of people on "their lips" (Mk. 7: 6), while in their hearts there is no place for God "to lay His head" (Lk. 9: 58). What this modern world indispensably need are truthful witnesses (martyrs) of the Holy Scripture, whose lives witness the reality of the Holy Scripture. Following the Orthodox Tradition, interpretation of the Holy Scripture has always been based on inspired patristic teachings. God raised Church fathers in this world to be "the light of the world" and "a city set on a hill" (Mt. 5: 14); their god-inspired explanations of the Holy Scripture reveal the most profound mystery of Faith "into which even angels long to look" (1. Pet. l: 12). The gospel parable of the sower (Mt. 13: 18) illustrates "the tragedy of human freedom". Freedom is an immense Divine gift, that every man can abuse, and instead of life in that God-given freedom (like, for example, Adam's life), he voluntary becomes "a slave to sin" (Jn. 8: 34). The Church must always remember the words of St. Apostle Paul (1. Cor. 9: 16): "Woe to me", and to all of us, "if I do not preach" the Word of God, i.e. the Holy Scripture, irrespective of one will accept it or not. According to St. Symeon the New Theologian, the Holy Scripture is a written Living word of the Living God, which is "salt and light of the world" (Mt. 5: 14). The most profound internal and spiritual meaning of the Holy Scripture is being revealed in its fullness through the life and Holy Liturgy. Being the Kingdom of God that is to come, the Holy Liturgy, according to the words of our Lord, is something that we have "to seek first", and all other "things shall be our as well" (Mt. 6: 33). The Holy Scripture reveals that salvific dialogue between God and man and man and God, as the Blessed Augustine says: "Through prayer we talk with God, but in the Holy Scripture God talks with us."

[00317-02.02] [IS005] [Original text: English]

ENCHIRIDION OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS

During the Twentieth General Congregation, His Excellency Most Reverend Msg. Nikola ETEROVIĆ,titular Archbishop of Sisak, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, gave the Holy Father a copy of the Third Volume of the Enchiridion of the Synod of Bishops, a work brought to light on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops.
This is a collection of documents regarding the Synod of Bishops, from its origins to 1988, of great interest not only to the Members of the Episcopal College, but also to researchers, historians and theologians, to whom it furnishes a documentation of primary importance for the life and mission of the Church after Vatican Council II.
The Holy Father decided to offer the same volume to the participants at the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

ERRATA CORRIGE

The corrections published in the Errata Corrige in this Bulletin can be found in the specific Bulletins published in these Internet pages.

NOTICES

- PRESS CONFERENCES
- BRIEFING FOR LANGUAGE GROUPS
- TELEPHONE NEWS-BULLETIN
- OPENING HOURS OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE

PRESS CONFERENCES

Today, Wednesday 22 october 2008, at 12.30, in the “John Paul II” Hall of the Holy See Press Office, will take place a Press Conference for the presentation of the I volume of the Opera omnia of Joseph Ratzinger - Benedetto XVI in German edition, published by Herder Verlag. Will intervene H.E. Mons. Gerhard Ludvig MÜLLER, Bishop of Regensburg (GERMANY), and the Most Rev. Giuseppe COSTA, S.D.B., Director of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

At the Third Press Conference on the works of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of Friday 24 October 2008 at 12:45, the following will intervene:
- H.E. Most. Rev. Gianfranco RAVASI, Titular Archbishop of Villamagna di Proconsolare, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (VATICAN CITY) President of the Commission for the Message of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
- H.E. Most. Rev. Santiago Jaime SILVA RETAMALES, Titular Bishop of Bela, Auxiliary Bishop of Valparaíso (CHILE)Vice President of the Commission for the Message of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

At the Fourth Press Conference on the works of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of Saturday, 25 October 2008 at 12:45, the following will intervene:
- H. Em. Card. Marc OUELLET, P.S.S., Archbishop of Québec (CANADA), Relator General of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
- H.E. Most. Rev. Laurent MONSENGWO PASINYA, Archbishop of Kinshasa, President of the Episcopal Conference (CONGO R.) Special Secretary of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
- H.E. Most. Rev. Filippo SANTORO, Bishop of Petrópolis (BRAZIL), Member of the Commission for Information of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

The Press Conferences will be presided by Rev. Father Federico LOMBARDI, S.I., Director of the Holy See Press Office, Secretary ex-ufficio of the Commission for Information of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

BRIEFING FOR THE LANGUAGE GROUPS

During the last briefing for the language groups,yesterday morning, Tuesday 21 october 2008, each Press Officer was accompanied by the following Synodal Fathers:

Italian Group:
Rev. Msg Giorgio COSTANTINO, accompanied by S.E.R. Mons. Gianfranco RAVASI, Titular Archbishop of Villamagna of Proconsolare, President of the Pontifical Council of Culture (VATICAN CITY)

English Group:
Rev. F. Thomas ROSICA, C.S.B., accompanied by H.E. Most. Rev. Terrence Thomas PRENDERGAST, S.I., Archbishop of Ottawa (CANADA), Member of Commission for Information of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

French Group:
Rev. Mons. Joseph BATO’ORA BALLONG WEN MEWUDA, accompanied by H.E. Most. Rev. Joseph AKÉ, Bishop of Yamoussoukro (IVORY COAST), Member of Commission for Information of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

Spanish Group:
Sig. Jesús COLINA, accompanied by H. Em. Card. Oscar Andrés RODRÍGUEZ MARADIAGA, S.D.B., Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, President of the Episcopal Conference, President of the Episcopal Conference (HONDURAS)

German Group:
Rev. Markus GRAULICH, S.D.B., with H.E. Most. Rev. Kurt KOCH, Bishop of Basel, Bâle, Basilea (SWITZERLAND)

TELEPHONE NEWS-BULLETIN

During the period of the Synod, a telephone news-bulletin will be available:
- +39-06-698.19 for the ordinary daily Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office;
- +39-06-698.84051 for the Bulletin of the Synod of Bishops - morning session;
- +39-06-698.84877 for the Bulletin of the Synod of Bishops - afternoon session.

OPENING HOURS OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE

During the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Holy See Press Office will observe the following opening hours:

- Until Saturday 25 October: 09.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
- Sunday 26 October: 09.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

The staff of the Information and Accreditation Desk (to the right of the entrance hall) will be available:
- Monday-Friday: 09.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.- Saturday: 09.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Notice of any changes will be communicated as soon as possible and will be posted on the Bulletin board in the Journalists’ Area of the Holy See Press Office, published in the Bulletin of the Commission for Information on the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
 

 

Return to:

- Index Bulletin Synodus Episcoporum - XII Ordinary General Assembly - 2008
  [Plurilingual, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish]

- Index Holy See Press Office
 
[English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish]

 

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