A synod summary from the Polish synod fathers – Oct 9

Vatican City, Oct 9, 2018 / 10:57 am (CNA).-   The synod of bishops on young people, the faith, and vocational discernment is being held at the Vatican Oct. 3-28.

CNA plans to provide a brief daily summary of the sessions, provided by the synodal fathers from Poland.

Please find below the Polish fathers’ summary of the Oct. 9 session:

The first session on October 9 was dedicated to thirteen reports collected in individual language groups. The novelty was that a Portuguese language group was included. The reports contained over 300 corrections.

“Every report has a different spirit since it reflects the character of the continent. The issues discussed in the reports concern the Instrumentum laboris. In the reports, a more positive look at youth is postulated, treating young people not as a group remaining next to the Church, but as a group belonging to the Church. The youth do not look at the Church, but are part of the great family that is the Church. Hence the desire that often appeared in today’s reports was that the Church would be presented as a great family, as well as a mother and teacher,” said Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki of Poznań.

Some reports were in the form of narratives, others in the form of remarks. “They primarily concerned postulates so that the Church would be more empathic today, forming, but at the same time supporting, various movements and liturgies,” noted Archbishop Gądecki.

The President of the Polish episcopate noted that the salvific mission, for which the Church was established and in which young people participate, was also emphasized. “Not only the baptized and confirmed young people, who are in the Church, but the young all over the world, of different cultures and beliefs. In this context, attention was paid to the formation of pastors who would have better contact with young people through a better pastoral strategy. At the same time, there was emphasized the need to educate young people, leading to a personal encounter with Christ in faith, grace, being a witness of Christ, and an active participation in building a world open to spiritual and evangelical realities,” said Archbishop Gądecki.