Christian Unity in the Synod Letter to the People of God

As the first phase of the sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops draws to a close, on 25 October, the members of the Synod addressed a “Letter to the People of God”. The letter gives thanks for the members’ experience of communion during the gathering and notes the presence in the Assembly of both men and women, “in the complementarity of our vocations, our charisms and our ministries”.

The Letter makes specific reference to the presence of delegates from other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, saying that their participation “deeply enriched our discussions”. In its reflection on the Synod’s times of prayer and silent reflection, the Letter also reflected on the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil that preceded the Synod on the evening of 30 September: “During the opening ecumenical vigil, we experienced how the thirst for unity increases in the silent contemplation of the crucified Christ. In fact, the cross is the only cathedra of the One who, having given himself for the salvation of the world, entrusted his disciples to his Father, so that ‘they may all be one’ (Jn 17:21).”

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