Synod Faces

What better way to finish my coverage of the Synod than by a few photographs that didn’t make it into earlier posts? Father Waldemar Linke from Poland Father Leo Bos from the Netherlands; behind him is Father Jesus Maria Aristin Father Antonio Curto from Italy listening Father Piergiorgio Bartoli from Italy listening, while Father Antonio [...]

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Synod Sketch – Day Ten

The Final Day at the Passionist General Synod. There was a change of timetable today. We had nothing to do until the first session at 9.00 a.m. which was to be followed by Mass. The usual routine has been as follows: Synod Mass at 7.00; morning sessions from 9.00 until 12.30, with dinner (-most people [...]

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Passionist Synod – Closing Homily

Homily of Most Reverend Father Ottaviano D’Egidio for the Closing of the 14th Passionist General Synod, Rome, 31 October 2010. My dearest Brothers of the Congregation, Let us thank God for these days that we have spent together. Let us do this with the Eucharist where Jesus himself becomes thanksgiving to the Father by his [...]

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Day Ten of the Synod – Summary from the Drafting Commission

The closing session began with a prayer reflection led by Fr Orven Gonzaga. The session was chaired by Fr Luigi Vaninetti, who began by saying that the session would consist of four parts: the reading by the Synod Secretary of the decisions taken by the Synod; a statement from the General Econome on the expenses [...]

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A Synod Marches on its Stomach

At the Passionist General Synod, one of the compensations for sitting in the aula for hours on end is the food. In Italian monasteries the food is always good, but during the Synod the Servants of the Passion and of Our Lady of Sorrows, who have a convent in the grounds of Saints John and [...]

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Synod Sketch – Day Nine

The day began with Mass celebrated in Spanish. I have mentioned before that I find Spanish religious a little bit too enthusiastic first thing in the morning but once again I was lucky, as the celebrant was Father Franz Damen, the Belgian Provincial, who worked for many years in Bolivia. After breakfast, I headed for [...]

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Day Nine of the Synod – Summary from the Drafting Commission

Fr Franz Damen was the principal celebrant at this morning’s Mass which was celebrated in Spanish. The morning session was chaired by Fr Denis Travers. It was preceded by a prayer reflection; the theme was ‘The Passion of Jesus – The bridge which unites us’, based on no. 5 of the Constitutions. Fr Michael Mullins [...]

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Synod Sketch – Day Eight

Today was a game of two halves, as the football fans among us might say. The morning was a kind of Synod housekeeping exercise, while the afternoon was devoted to the central question of the Synod. I say ‘housekeeping’ not to take away from the importance of the morning’s business, but simply because it consisted [...]

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Day Eight of the Synod – Summary from the Drafting Commission

Mass today was celebrated in language groups. The morning prayer reflection was on the theme of having the mind of Christ crucified; it was led by Fr Giovanni Cipriani. The session was chaired by Fr Luis Alberto Cano. An update was given on the situation of Fr Mario Bartolini in Perú. The Synod members had [...]

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Synod Sketch – Day Seven

Today, as well as being present to listen to all the things you can read about in the previous post, the little drafting commission of which I am a member (consisting of Fr Adolfo Lippi, myself and – for assistance with the Spanish language – Fr Alejandro Ferrari Freyre) had its first bit of drafting [...]

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