| 23 - 15.10.2005 SUMMARY
♦ SEVENTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (FRIDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2005 - AFTERNOON)
♦ EIGHTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (SATURDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
♦ NOTICES
♦ SEVENTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (FRIDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2005, AFTERNOON)
Summary of the report received after the closing of the Bulletin.
- REPORT BY THE FRENCH WORKING GROUP: H. EXC. Most Rev. Msg. Robert LE GALL, O.S.B., Bishop of Mende
During the first encounter of our French Working Group (B), Wednesday 5 October 2005, we touched upon three questions:
- Sunday and the family: Sunday is an entirety that must be lived in the family, in the joy of this festive day, the center of it being Mass.
- We spoke about the importance of daily Mass in the life of the priest, evoked by the question of the intentions of Mass and the need to speak about the deacon in our Synod.
- We started to speak about the situation of the divorced and remarried persons.
All yesterday and this morning, we found ourselves in our Working Group. Each expressed what he had retained during the days when we listened to each other during the General Congregations. We have placed our matters in a logical order and prepared 19 propositions, dealing with the following problems:
- The first point leads to the Mysterium fidei that is the Eucharist, with the need of a foundation catechesis leading to faith in this mystery.
We have hoped that the Synod forcefully restates the sanctification of Sunday that our societies must respect.
- The Sunday Assembly must retain its family characteristic, in a general sense. The family, in itself, must find its identity as domestic church, the place for initiation to prayer.
- The ars celebrandi, it would seem to us, should widen to the different liturgical actors, from the ordained ministers to the instituted ministers, to all those participating in the Eucharist, so that the liturgy will be more beautiful and more capable of nourishing everyone.
- More concretely, the table of the Word presupposes the quality of the reading, preparation and even the institution of readers (Proposition 8). For a properly Eucharist table of the liturgy, we hope that the richness of the various Eucharistic Prayers will be emphasized by an appropriate mystagogical catechesis.
- It seems important to us to underline that the sacrifice of Christ is at the heart of Mass, gift of the Lord to the end for the love of His Father and His. This induces a Eucharistic culture, capable of helping and inspiring our world torn by violence and war (Proposition 11).
- The epiclesis expresses the action of the Holy Spirit on the gifts and on the assembly.
- Eucharistic Adoration, today especially with the young, finds renewed interest.
- The social consequences of our Eucharistic celebrations: communion and the ite missa est, invite us to a commitment to social or economic solidarity.
- By inculturation, to hold together and the unity of the faith and the adaptation of our liturgies.
- As for irregular matrimonial situations, how can the pastors keep in account the personal cases?
- Concerning sacramental communion between our Churches, it is necessary to observe the directives of the Church while being attentive to the particular situations.
- Special attention for the physically or mentally handicapped should give them the possibility, in their faith, helped by their family or their communities, to access Eucharistic communion.
[00327-02.03] [CM009] [Original text: French]
♦ EIGHTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION (SATURDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2005 - MORNING)
● GIFT FROM THE HOLY FATHER
● PRESENTATION OF THE SCHEME OF THE MESSAGE
● DISCUSSION ON THE MESSAGE
● ELECTION OF THE POST-SYNOD COUNCIL (II)
At 9:00 a.m. today, Saturday October 15 2005, in memory of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, virgin, doctor of the Church, Discalced Carmelite, in the presence of the Holy Father, with the prayer of the Hour of Terce, the Eighteenth General Congregation began, for the Second Ballot for the XI Post-Synod Ordinary Council of the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, for the presentation of the Scheme of the Message and for discussion on the Message.
President Delegate on duty was H. Em. Card. Juan SANDOVAL ÍÑIGUEZ, Archbishop of Guadalajara (Mexico).
This Congregation ended at 12.30 with the prayer Angelus Domini, and 234 Fathers were present.
● GIFT FROM THE HOLY FATHER
During the opening of the Eighteenth General Congregation, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, His Exc, Most Rev. Msg. Nikola ETEROVIĆ communicated that the Holy Father Benedict XVI decided that all the Synod Fathers, distinguished by Episcopal dignity, would receive a special gift. The gift is a ring, decorated with a Eucharistic symbol, the pelican who nourished its young with its blood. He also said the Experts and the Auditors would receive a Rosary from the Holy Father as a souvenir.
● PRESENTATION OF THE SCHEME OF THE MESSAGE
During the Eighteenth General Congregation, the following Fathers intervened to read the draft of the Message:
- H.Em. Card. Marc OUELLET, P.S.S., Archbishop of Québec, President of the Commission for the Preparation of the Message (for the first part in French)
- H.Em. Card. George PELL, Archbishop of Sydney (for the second part in English)
- H.Em. Card. Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (for the third part in German)
- H.Exc. Most Rev. Msg. Salvatore FISICHELLA, Titular Bishop of Voghenza, Auxiliary of Rome, Rector Magnificent of the Pontifical Lateran University, Vice-President of the Commission for the Preparation of the Message (for the fourth part in Italian)
- H.Em. Card. Juan Luis CIPRIANI THORNE, Archbishop of Lima (for the fifth part in Spanish)
- H.Exc. Most Rev. Msg. Laurent MONSENGWO PASINYA, Archbishop of Kisangani, President of the Episcopal Conference (for the sixth part in French)
● DISCUSSION ON THE MESSAGE
Then, a discussion on the draft of the Message took place, presented by the President, the Vice-President and four members of the Commission for the Preparation of the Message.
● ELECTION OF THE POST-SYNOD COUNCIL CONSILIO (II)
After not having reached the necessary absolute majority of votes during the first ballot, there was a second ballot, electronic, in which 12 Synod Fathers that had obtained the greater number of votes to reach a relative majority, were elected. The List of the Elected Members, with the addition of Members nominated by the Pope, will be published in the following days.
♦ NOTICES
● SYNODAL WORKS
● BRIEFING FOR THE LANGUAGE GROUPS
● THIRD PRESS CONFERENCE
● BULLETIN
● OPENING OF THE PRESS OFFICE
● SYNODAL WORKS
This afternoon, Saturday 15 October 2005 will take place the Audience of the Supreme Pontiff for the children for their First Communion The Bread from Heaven: a completely Eucharistic title gives the name to the event which will bring into St. Peters Square 100,000 children for their First Communion, coming from all over the world to meet Pope Benedict XVI.The Eucharistic meeting wanted by the Holy Father has been included in the schedule of appointments envisaged for the Year of the Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI will join the children in prayer and will help them on reflection with a catechesis and answer their questions. At the end of the catechesis, Adoration and Eucharistic Benediction will take place. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m., and will be broadcast live in the Holy See Press Office.
In the next few days will continue the work of unification of the Propositions by the Relator General, the Special Secretary and the Relators of the Working Groups, according to the Calendar for the Synodal Works, published in Bulletin No. 2.
Monday 17 October 2005, at 11:00 a.m., at the Confession Altar in St Peters Basilica in the Vatican there will be the Adoration of the Eucharist presided by Pope Benedict XVI with the participation of the Synod Fathers. The Celebration is open to everyone without any need for passes. The opening hours of the Basilica are from 3:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
The Seventeenth General Congregation for the presentation of the Integrated List of Propositions will take place on the morning of Tuesday 18 October 2005.
The Working Groups will meet on Wednesday 19 October 2005, in the VI and VII Session, for the preparation of the Amendments to the Propositions, according to what has been scheduled in the Synodal Working Calendar.
● BRIEFING FOR THE LANGUAGE GROUPS
The briefing for the working groups with the Press Officers (Don Giorgio COSTANTINO, of the episcopal Conference of Calabria, for Italian; Father John BARTUNEK, of the Legionaries of Christ, for English; Padre Pierre GÉRARD, S.I., Centre for Spirituality, for French; Mr. Isidoro CATELA MARCOS, Director of the office for information of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, for Spanish; Don Markus GRAULICH, S.D.B., for German) accompanied by a Synod Father for each language, will take place on Tuesday 18 October 2005 at 12.30 p.m. (In the place indicated for briefings in Bulletin No. 2).
The following is a list with the names of the Synod fathers for each language group.
Italian language group
H.Exc. Most. Rev. Msg. Tadeusz KONDRUSIEWICZ
English language group
H. Em. Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON
French language group
H.Exc. Most. Rev. Msg. Laurent MONSENGWO PASINYA
Spanish language group
H. Em. Card. Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ OSSA
German language group
H. Em. Card. Walter KASPER
The audio-visual operators (cameramen and technicians) are reminded to apply to the Pontifical Council for Social Communication for access permits (very restricted in number).
● THIRD PRESS CONFERENCE
Accredited journalists are informed that on Saturday 22 October 2005, at 12:15 p.m., in the John Paul II Conference Hall of the Holy See Press Office, the Third Press Conference will be held on the works of the XI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Elenchus finalis).
● H. Em. Card. George PELL
Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)
● H. Em. Card. Marc OUELLET, P.S.S.
Archbishop of Québec (Canada)
● H.Exc. Most. Rev. Msg. Roland MINNERATH
Archbishop of Dijon (France)
Special Secretary
● H.Exc. Most. Rev. Msg. Salvatore FISICHELLA
Titular Bishop of Voghenza
Auxiliary of Rome
Magnificent Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome
● BULLETIN
The next Bulletin, No. 24 (with the summary of the Nineteenth General Congregation, which will take place on Tuesday, 18 October 2005) will be available for the accredited journalists at the conclusion of the Congregation.
● OPENING HOURS OF THE PRESS ROOM
Friday 14 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 15 October: from 9:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 16 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Monday 17 October: ore 09.00 - 6:00 p.m.
From Tuesday 18 October to Saturday 22 October: From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 23 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
From Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday 29 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Sunday 30 October: from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday 31 October: from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
