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Prayer for the Synod
"Send Forth Your Spirit of Love and Truth"
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 2, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is the prayer published by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops at the start of the assembly which will focus on the Eucharist.
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Prayers for the Success of the Synod
Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father has commanded us to listen as his beloved Son, shed your light upon your Church, so that she might have nothing more holy than to listen to your voice and follow you. You are the Supreme Shepherd and Ruler of Souls. Look then upon the Pastors of your Church gathered in these days with the Successor of St. Peter in synod assembly. We implore you to sanctify them in truth and confirm them in faith and love.
Lord Jesus Christ, send forth your Spirit of love and truth on the bishops in synod and on all who assist them in fulfilling their task. Make them more faithful to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches; stir their souls and teach them truth by that same Holy Spirit. Through their work, may the faithful of their Churches be purified and strengthened in spirit, so that they might greater follow the Gospel through which you accomplished salvation and they might make of themselves a living offering to the heavenly Father.
May Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God and Mother of the Church, assist the Bishops in these days, as she assisted the Apostles in the Upper Room, and intercede with motherly affection to foster brotherly communion among them, to allow them to rejoice in prosperity and peace in the calmness of these days, and, in reading the signs of the times, to celebrate the majesty of the merciful God, the Lord of History, to the praise and glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Why the Synod of Bishops Came About
An Extension of Conciliar Collegiality
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 2, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Synod of Bishops as an institution was a response to the desire of the Second Vatican Council fathers to keep alive the positive spirit of the conciliar experience.
A synod, a Greek word meaning "coming together," is a religious meeting or assembly at which bishops, representing the Catholic episcopate, have the task of helping the Pope in the governing the universal Church by rendering their counsel.
The idea of the Synod of Bishops grew from a need to provide the bishops with a way to assist the Pope in his governing of the universal Church.
Pope Paul VI, while he was still archbishop of Milan, in a talk commemorating the death of John XXIII, made reference to an "ongoing collaboration of the episcopate that is not yet in effect, which would remain personal and in union, but given the responsibility of governing the whole Church."
As Pope Paul VI, he then established the Synod of Bishops at the end of Vatican II.
Church's well-being
Announcing the news to the council fathers, the Pope said: "We intend to give you some institution, called for by this council, a 'Synod of Bishops,' which will be made up of bishops nominated for the most part by the episcopal conferences with our approval and called by the Pope according to the needs of the Church, for his consultation and collaboration, when for the well-being of the Church it might seem to him opportune.
"It goes without saying that this collaboration of the episcopate ought to bring the greatest joy to the Holy See and to the whole Church."
The Synod of Bishops was officially instituted Sept. 15, 1965.
The principal characteristic of the synod is service to the communion and collegiality of the world's bishops with the Holy Father.
The Synod of Bishops has a permanent General Secretariat located in Rome, but is not part of the Roman Curia. It is subject directly and solely to the Holy Father.
Though the institution of the synod is permanent in character, its actual functioning and concrete collaboration are not. That is, the synod meets and operates only when the Pope considers it necessary or opportune to consult the episcopate.