EUROPE/RUSSIA - The Catholic community of Moscow: in the face of conflict, pray for peace, hope in God, touch the wounds of the suffering

Moscow (Agenzia Fides) - "The armed hostilities in Ukraine, the suffering of the population of that Country and - even if not comparable - of Russia provoke requests and 'demands' towards God himself, the Church, doubts about the meaning of life, as well as hatred and anger. In this situation of polarization, even co-religionists are sometimes perceived as 'enemies'. This is why the zealous prayer for peace in the spirit of the consecration of Ukraine and Russia by Pope Francis to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is important, also seen by some Orthodox as an important sign, because, as always in extreme circumstances, the awareness of one's own powerlessness gives us the possibility of placing our hopes in God himself with greater awareness, of rediscovering the strength and importance of prayer, which in many cases becomes 'the only possible answer, even to divisions". This is what we read in the Concluding Document of the synodal works for the Archdiocese of the Mother of God, just published and sent to Agenzia Fides. The text, referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine, asks for "the willingness to touch one's own wounds and that of others, as the apostle Thomas touched the wounds of Christ; maintaining contact, even 'on the other side of the border'; to serve peace in every context; serve the needy, regardless of their background or opinions". The Synod "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission", convened by Pope Francis for the two-year period 2021-2023, is divided into several phases and provides for the first time the broad and active involvement of the laity during this initial phase, dedicated listening to requests from different groups and communities. "The most important result, in my opinion, is the openness to relationships with others, which has led us to want to continue this 'path together' also in the future; and to become aware of our common responsibility towards the Church", reports to Agenzia Fides Oksana Pimenova, coordinator of the "Youth Center" ("Molodëžnyj centr") in Moscow, one of the groups of Russian Catholics of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God, who since September 2021 has participated in the first phase of the synodal journey. Together with Fr. Stephan Lipke SJ, secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Russian Federation, and with Fr. Georgij Kromkin, Director of the diocesan information service, Oksana Pimenova was charged with drafting the text.
With the concluding documents of the other three suffragan dioceses that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church in Russia, the text is sent to the Catholic Episcopal Conference of the Federation which, starting from the four provisional documents, will compose the definitive text that will reach the Synodal Commission of the European continent.
The Archdiocese of the Mother of God, led by Msgr. Paolo Pezzi, covers an area of 2,629,000 km² and includes about a hundred communities, in which 82 working groups were born in which the synodal journey was discussed as a way to experience full belonging to the Catholic Church and to one's own local community. Due to various difficulties related to the pandemic and the geopolitical situation, it was not possible in all groups to reach a jointly drafted text, but 52 contributions were delivered and discussed at the final meeting of the first synodal phase, held in St. Petersburg on June 15 and 16. Starting from this base of texts that expressed the issues discussed in the months of work, the Archdiocese's Concluding Document is the bearer of the problems and requests for renewal expressed both by majority and minority groups. As we learn from the text, there were several Orthodox exponents and other Christian confessions that took part in the synodal meetings. Among the various problems that emerged and needs highlighted in the text: the need to deepen the community dimension of the life of faith; the problem of clericalism, which is contrasted by the desire for greater collaboration between clergy and laity; the need to improve the formation of catechists; wider effective use of the means of communication; the difficulty in dealing with the issue of the exercise of authority in the Church. Furthermore, the need for specific accompaniment of spouses belonging to different Christian confessions, whose experience is defined as "the highest form of inter-confessional dialogue", is emphasized. The Document, as can also be read in the accompanying letter to its publication signed by Msgr. Pezzi, expresses the hope that the synodal work will continue in the years to come, recalling that the purpose of life in the Church is the encounter with Christ himself.
Looking at the new pastoral year, Oksana Pimenova concludes: "I am deeply impressed by the action of the Holy Spirit, because we experience together a real conversion of heart and, like the written Document, we ourselves become 'living documents', called to witness and to continue the synodal journey in our communities: a sign of the living Church and fruitful relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ". (CD/PA) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2022)

Share:

local churches

---

---

synod of bishops

---

---