“Become missionaries of synodality with your brother parish priests”, this is the task that Pope Francis entrusts to parish priests around the world in the Mandate to Parish Priests on the occasion of the International Meeting “Parish Priests for the Synod”, which was held from April 29 to May 2, in the Roman town of Sacrofano.
Continue listening to the voice of the parish priests
In the Mandate, the Holy Father asks the parish priests who have come on behalf of parish priests from all over the world and have participated in this event organized by the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops and the Dicastery for Clergy: “We need your help to continue listening to the voice of the parish priests ahead of the Second Session of the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.” This meeting was very important, says the Pontiff, but not enough.
“We must do more if we want to incorporate a greater number of priests into the synodal dynamism. And this cannot be done only by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia that organized this meeting”.
Missionaries of synodality
For this reason, Pope Francis asks parish priests to, once at home, become missionaries of synodality with their brother parish priests: encouraging reflection on the renewal of the parish ministry in a synodal and missionary key, promoting moments of conversation in the Spirit among parish priests, in person or online, taking advantage of the opportunity of a meeting already organized, or organizing one expressly.
“And then I ask you to inform the Synod Secretariat of the fruits of these meetings, following the instructions that will be given to you. When you return home, talk about this idea with your bishops and with the Episcopal Conferences, and also tell them that it is a task that the Pope has entrusted to you.”
Letter from the Pope to parish priests
Finally, in the Mandate the Holy Father recalls that, on May 2, he sent a “Letter to all parish priests in the world” to inform them of this initiative and present them as missionaries of synodality among themselves. “Now I will sign it and then a copy will be given to each of you – the Pope specifies – so that you can distribute it once you return home.”
