Pope Francis presided at the opening Mass of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in St. Peter’s Square on October 4 (video, booklet).
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 89, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, was the principal celebrant.
“We do not need purely natural vision, made up of human strategies, political calculations, or ideological battles,” Pope Francis preached. “We are here to walk together with the gaze of Jesus, who blesses the Father and welcomes those who are weary and oppressed.”
The Holy Spirit “often shatters our expectations to create something new that surpasses our predictions and negativity,” the Pope added. “Let us open ourselves to Him, the protagonist, the Holy Spirit. And let us walk with Him, in trust and with joy.”