As Pope Francis’ high-stakes summit on the future of the Catholic Church entered its second week on Oct. 9, the some 460 participating bishops and lay members focused on the theme of “communion” and considered how the church might provide greater welcome to all of its members.
The delegates of the Oct. 4-29 Synod of Bishops are expected to continue discussions on that theme throughout the week, and also to discuss how Catholics can improve relations with other Christian denominations.
“If we act like Jesus, we will testify to God’s love for the world,” said Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, one of the principal coordinators of the 2023 synod. “Failing to do so will make us look like an identitarian club.”
Laying out the themes for the week ahead, the cardinal recalled the pope’s recent and now-often cited mantra that the Catholic Church should be open to “todos, todos, todos” (“everyone, everyone, everyone.”)
“Jesus extended this communion to all the sinners. Are we ready to do the same?” he asked at the beginning of the second week of synod meetings. “Are we ready to do this with groups which might irritate us because their way of being might seem to threaten our identity?”
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With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), Christopher White and Joshua J. McElwee, where this article originally appeared.
