Presentation

Through the synodal process you rediscovered the power and the dynamism of common research, of team work and of community solidarity. For a good number of you, it was a special opportunity to become more keenly aware of your responsibility as baptized persons. This responsibility for the future of the Church was entrusted to the believers by Christ himself: "Go , therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you" (Mt 28,19-20). The vitality of our Church depends at one and the same time on the commitment of each one of us and on our openness to the action of the Spirit.

The Synod opened under the theme "One Church: A Thousand Faces". During the course of the consultation process of the Synod and of the work in synodal teams, this theme was broadened to "A Thousand and one Faces, One Church.". A new vision of Church had sprung up, more open to the plurality of cultures and age groups, of women and men, more welcoming to the diversity of spiritualities and mentalities, of visions and pastoral approaches.

Together, then you opted for a Church of communion, for a Church as an assembly of communities. A Church of communion finds its source in God - Father, Son, and Spirit (L.G.no 4).1 "That they may be one as we are one " (Jn 17, 22). The Church is the sacrament of the communion of men and women with God, One and Three, and of the communion of men and women with one another. Because it is theological, a Church of communion has no borders: it opens out to all humanity. It is missionary. And it is this Church of communion that you desire to see realized in our diocese.

Each Christian community has been entrusted with the same mission: to proclaim Jesus Christ to today's world, to celebrate its faith through the sacraments, to bear witness to the fraternity of the disciples of Christ in a world in search of meaning, to welcome women and men journeying towards God, to support them, to accompany them, and to strive to build a more just and humane society.

Throughout the synodal process, you identified multiple needs of the Christian community. You also wished the laity to participate more in taking responsibility for the life of the Church and for its future, conscious that, in view of mission, the Spirit acts in the heart of everyone; conscious too, that it is in the heart of the Church community, in the very heart of a Church of communion, as promoted by Vatican Council II, that the evangelization of our world is designed and carried out.

In the First section of this post-synodal document : PROMULGATION OF THe PROPOSALS, I am presenting the proposals that describe "the face of the Church as we would like it to be". They are structured around five themes that highlight the various facets and principal responsibilities of a Church of communion:

I. COMMUNITIEs THAT PROCLAIM JESUs CHRIST TO THe WORLD OF TODAY
II. COMMUNITIEs THAT CELEBRATe THEIR FAITH AND GIVe THANKs FOR THe GIFT OF GOD.
III. MISSIONARY COMMUNITIEs AT THe SERVICe OF THe WORLD.
IV. COMMUNITIEs THAT ARe OPEN, WELCOMING AND FRATERNAL.
V. COMMUNITIEs IN WHICH TRUe CO-RESPONSIBILITY EXISTS.

The presentation of each of these themes includes:
A. An Introduction
texts of presentation or explanation that provide the framework for the proposals and reflect the convictions of the persons who studied them and voted on them. They help us to understand the meaning of the proposals and to situate them in the context of the life of the people of the diocese and of the Christian communities.
B. The Text of the Proposals being Promulgated
C. A Declaration

In the Second section, I articulate some COMMENTARIEs ON THe RECOMMENDATIONs THAT ARe NOT BEING PROMULGATED. These recommendations received 2/3 of the votes in the Synodal Assembly, but are not being promulgated, some because they do not fall within my jurisdiction, - I shall draw them to the attention of my brother bishops and to that of our Holy Father the Pope - others, because they contain some ambiguities or could lead to confusion. Furthermore, I believe that it is important to consider certain recommendations, not retained by the Synodal Assembly, since these afford us an opportunity to reflect on questions relating to the mission of the Church and to some other aspects of the life of our diocesan Church.

The "Pastoral Orientations" proposed in this document do not touch upon every aspect of faith nor of the Christian life. During the Synod, the people of the diocese highlighted pastoral issues they considered most urgent if our Church is to draw still closer to the people and be tuned in to their needs and expectations. We must not, then, in this document, search for an answer to or for enlightenment on all the questions that can arise or on every problem that we may experience concerning religious practices. But I am convinced that the serious work accomplished in each phase of the synodal process will enable us to consider a number of human and ecclesial realities which are full of promise for tomorrow. You will notice, as I did, that the follow-up to the Synod calls us to a very demanding commitment in order to build a Church community that is vibrant and responsible. Such a commitment relies upon the support of constant prayer. "If Yahweh does not build the house, in vain the masons toil. " (Psalm 126)