THIRD GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 2001 (VIS) - The Third General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began at 9 a.m. in the Synod Hall, in the presence of John Paul II and 247 synod fathers. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.

Following are excerpts from some of the talks given this morning:

ARCHBISHOP JOSE MARIO RUIZ NAVAS OF PORTOVIEJO, ECUADOR, PRESIDENT OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE. "Vatican Council II proposed episcopal collegiality as an authentic form of the exercise of the episcopal ministry together with the Successor of Peter. Great steps forward have been made. Nevertheless, it is possible to improve the way of putting collegiality into practice and of living the collegial spirit or love. ... It seems to me that the central point of reflection regarding Episcopal Conferences in 'Apostolos suos' and in the Instrumentum laboris is the theme of their power. ... The point is that the Episcopal Conferences must be 'the home and school of communion'. ... It is necessary, above all, that these same potentials are manifested in the regular relations between the Episcopal Conferences and the See of Peter and not only in relations with each bishop. The central point of the interpretation of the Episcopal Conferences must be shifted from power - yet without negating or minimizing it - to communion. ... I submit to the attention of the Pope, if he deems appropriate, that the synodal assembly itself expresses its conclusions in a final text, remembering that the Pope can pronounce a directing word at any time during the deliberations. The text would be less organized and less complete, but it would represent the clearest fruit of the collegiality of the bishops with the Pope. Waiting for the document diminishes enthusiasm. ... As already done many times, it seems opportune that the Episcopal Conference organizes meetings collegially with the dicastery in order to better analyze the challenges in different fields of pastoral care and draw already from this dialogue on directives."

BISHOP NIKOL JOSEPH CAUCHI OF GOZO, MALTA. "It is known that the Church in every time and in every situation has a triple role in society which consists in: (1) announcing the truth about the dignity and the rights of man, (2) denouncing the existing unjust situations and (3) contributing to the realization of positive changes to society. The Encyclical 'Sollecitudo Rei Socialis', number 41, says that 'The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of evangelization in the social field which is an aspect of the Church's prophetic role. But it should be made clear that proclamation is always more important than condemnation'. The Encyclical continues saying that 'The teaching and spreading of her social doctrine are part of the Church's evangelizing mission', and therefore is also one of the Bishops'. If it is true that with their teaching the bishops should guide the moral conduct of the individuals entrusted to them, it follows that they must also support them in favor of 'the commitment to justice'."

BISHOP CARLOS AGUIAR RETES OF TEXCOCO, MEXICO. "It is necessary to recognize that we Bishops need each other, we cannot achieve our mission in an isolated way. However, we need each other not only to share our projects and pastoral plans but also to recreate a spirit of the Apostolic College in a human and spiritual dimension. We must humbly accept that bishops need permanent formation in order to revive the gift of God which was entrusted to us in Episcopal Ordination. If all the members of the Church require this, there is even more reason for us bishops to take care of our permanent formation with special commitment."

CARDINAL ZENON GROCHOLEWSKI, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION. "It would be useful to underline the bishops' responsibility in having the right formators in seminaries, who can be distinguished by their excellent priestly and human virtues, for their faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church, for their pastoral fervor and for their continuous updating. We should also recall the necessity of safekeeping the specific configuration of the seminary, as an institution that truly forms priests, that acknowledges their identity, their own spirituality, their own responsibility, their high and irreplaceable mission. Closely linked to the preparation of priests and inserted in the 'munus docendi' of the bishop is, without a doubt, the obligation to promote priestly vocations. Success depends on various factors connected between each other. However, I do think that in the first place one must place the emphasis on teaching the identity of the ministerial priesthood, his specific irreplaceable and important role in the Church."

CARDINAL WILLIAM HENRY KEELER, ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE, U.S.A. "The national and regional conferences of bishops are indispensable as servants of communion between the bishops of the particular churches and the Universal Church. ... "All of these activities imply a teaching dimension of the ministry of the bishops involved in the communion of the Bishops' Conference. Therefore, I propose that the propositions we present to the Holy Father include a request that, continuing the reflections begun by 'Apostolos suos,' there be a more profound study of the role of Episcopal Conferences in support of the communion of the Church, a study which would also deepen our understanding of the specific task of the Conferences in teaching the Catholic faith to God's people in our day."

FR. FRANCOIS EID, O.M.M., SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE MARIAMITE MARONITE ORDER. "The worsening of the religious situation in the world makes the life of Christians in the land of Islam particularly dramatic. ... In this context, an urgent mission is entrusted to the bishop - being a promoter of dialogue. ... The bishop thus has the commitment to be visible and help the faithful to free themselves from ignorance and prejudice towards others, to clear religious discourse from any tension generating aggression, to encourage the faithful to attach themselves to their land, to their country and to accede to state institutions for the safeguarding of the rights of individuals and the community. In this way Christians and Muslims can ease tensions and conflicts for a life of cooperation at the service of humanity."

CARDINAL WILLIAM WAKEFIELD BAUM, MAJOR PENITENTIARY, VATICAN CITY. "For many reasons and because of the pressures put on him, a bishop may hesitate or become faint-hearted in exercising the office of teaching and in correcting error. If he is faithful to his responsibilities he will inevitably become the target of much criticism and, even at times, ridicule from people both within and outside the Church. We must be prepared to follow in the footsteps of Peter, Paul, the Apostles, and the great bishops who have preceded us. ... How often, because of sloth or timidity, have we failed to proclaim the truth about Christ and the truth about the human condition. This synodal assembly is, in itself, a God-given opportunity - a moment of grace - to examine ourselves anew. For us bishops, as well as for those we serve, confession is good for the soul."

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