A Jubilee of hope and communion
The Jubilee opened on 24 October, with registration and morning introductions, followed by the opening prayer and address by the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Mario Cardinal Grech. His reflection, rooted in Charles Péguy’s The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, set the tone for the three-day gathering.
“Faith sees what is, Hope sees what will be and Love loves what is,” Cardinal Grech said, inviting delegates to contemplate the three theological virtues as the foundation of a synodal Church.
He described love as the heartbeat of the Church’s mission and the glue that sustains communion even amid tension and uncertainty. Love, he said, “is the decision to remain present, the refusal to disengage when tensions arise, the willingness to listen when voices clash and the courage to stay at the table when consensus seems distant.”
Cardinal Grech reminded participants that faith anchors the Church in truth, while hope points her toward the future that belongs to God. “The Church is not perfect, far from it, but within her we see something divine. Faith allows us to see the grace amid imperfection,” he said.
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The Maltese-born Cardinal concluded by calling the Jubilee a celebration not only of achievements but of hope in the Church’s future.
“We are here because we love the Church and believe in the Church, but perhaps more importantly, because we hope in the Church. Hope reminds us that the future is in God’s hands, and that the Church, guided by the Spirit, always has a future,” he said.
Listening, learning and walking together
The second day of the Jubilee began with a pilgrimage and passage through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica. Delegates were then dispersed into smaller groups to participate in 24 workshops and six seminars, covering key themes such as dialogue, inculturation and participatory leadership.
In one of the sessions, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, Australia, reflected on the dangers of replacing clericalism with new forms of domination.
“We run the risk of creating a new type of clericalism, not by priests alone, but by anyone who ‘lords it over’ others. That’s the opposite of what Synodality seeks to achieve,” Archbishop Costelloe cautioned.
He spoke of the “spirituality of Synodality” as the foundation for renewal in the Church, saying, “We are not a multinational corporation. We are the Body of Christ, the universal sacrament of salvation. Renewal begins not with structures but with a culture of the Gospel.”
He reminded participants that “culture eats structures for breakfast,” stressing that no reform will last without a change in mindset rooted in the Gospel’s logic of love and service.
At the heart of his reflection was a call to deep listening, what he described as “hearing the voice of the Spirit in what others say.” He urged that this attentive posture must define every parish council, diocesan body and episcopal assembly.
“You don’t have to agree with everything you hear,” the Vatican Cardinal said, and continued, “but you must truly listen, because the Spirit may be speaking to you through the very person you disagree with.”
The voice of the youth: A vocation to holiness
Another highlight was the workshop on “Youth and Synodality: A Vocational Perspective”, which Fr. Clemens Blattert facilitated.
Fr. Blattert invited delegates to reflect on young people who inspire faith through how they live their vocation.
The member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits/SJ) encouraged a broader understanding of vocation, not limited to Priesthood or marriage, but as God’s invitation to live a holy and joyful life.
Youths, he said, “are not just the future of the Church; they are its present, the now of the Church.”
Fr. Blattert spoke of the tensions young people face in their process of growth between desire and direction, restlessness and hope and how the Church must accompany them patiently.
Synodality, the Jesuit Priest explained, “means walking together, listening to the Spirit and helping the young to hear how Jesus calls them to serve and live in love.”
Pope Leo XIV’s homily: “A Church that walks together”
The Jubilee culminated in the Sunday, October 26 Eucharistic celebration at St Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Pope Leo XIV.
The Holy Father’s homily invited the faithful to rediscover the Church as a mystery of communion sustained by the Holy Spirit.
“The Church is not merely a religious institution, nor simply hierarchies and structures,” he said, adding that the Church “is the visible sign of the union between God and humanity, a family of beloved children united in the one embrace of God’s love.”
Pope Leo XIV emphasized that relationships in the Church must follow the logic of love, not power. “The supreme rule in the Church is love. No one is called to dominate; all are called to serve. No one should impose his or her ideas,” he said, and added, “We must all listen to one another.”
Drawing on the Gospel of the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Holy Father warned against pride and individualism that destroy communion. “The Pharisee’s prayer was a mirror of self-justification. When the ego prevails, we lose the sense of walking together.”
Instead, he called the people of God to imitate the humility of the tax collector, recognizing dependence on God and one another. “Christ belongs to the humble, not to those who elevate themselves,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV commended synodal teams and participatory bodies for embodying a Church that listens, discerns and seeks truth together.
“You help us understand that before any differences, we are called to walk together in the pursuit of God. By clothing ourselves with the sentiments of Christ, we expand the ecclesial space so that it becomes collegial and welcoming,” the Holy Father said.
He urged the people of God to allow the Holy Spirit to transform tensions into sources of harmony rather than polarization. “Truth is not possessed but sought together through prayer, humility and mutual trust,” he said.
In closing, Pope Leo XIV prayed for a humble and servant Church, saying, “Let us dream of and build a Church that does not stand upright like the Pharisee, but bends down to wash the feet of humanity; a Church that welcomes all, listens to everyone and remains rooted in love.”
Invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he concluded with a prayer from Don Tonino Bello, “Holy Mary, woman of conviviality, nourish in our Churches the desire for communion… extinguish the fires of factionalism and reconcile our hearts.”
Mario Cardinal Grech expresses joy at the jubilee turnout
In an interview with ACI Africa, Cardinal Grech expressed his delight at the remarkable turnout for the Jubilee of the Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies in Rome, saying, “It is marvellous, not only the number of participants but also the diversity and the many nations represented. This gives hope.”
The Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops emphasized that the journey of Synodality is rooted in dialogue and openness to one another, even among Bishops who he said may still be hesitant to embrace it.
“Synodality is, first and foremost, a conversion of the heart before a conversion of structures,” Cardinal Grech said, and added, “I understand that some have questions or doubts, and that’s okay. Let’s come forward and learn from one another. It’s a new culture for the Church, and I understand the challenge.”
Kati Dijane contributed to this story
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