Christ the Cornerstone

Open your mind and heart toward growing in holiness

Today, Oct. 11, 2024, is the 62nd anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council. Today is also the memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, whose visionary leadership made Vatican II possible.

Pope Francis has warmly embraced the pastoral style of his predecessor John XXIII.

In fact, the Synod of Bishops that is taking place in Rome this month is continuing the teaching of the Second Vatican Council by deepening our understanding and practice of the concept of synodality. By its commitment to themes such as listening, dialogue and missionary discipleship, the synod is effectively implementing the pastoral vision of John XXIII, who is affectionately known as “the Good Pope.”

The theme of the 2020–2024 Synod, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” reflects the spirit and the teachings of Vatican II. The theme of the current session, “How to be a Missionary Synodal Church,” directly addresses the Second Vatican Council’s concern for an openness to the world that makes genuine dialogue possible—despite the significant religious, cultural and political differences that threaten to divide Christians from each other and from their sisters and brothers who do not share their beliefs.

Synodality is not a new phenomenon. Long before Vatican II, dating back to the experiences of the Apostles and the first Christians, the leaders of our Church have gathered to listen to God’s word, to pray together, and to respond to the opportunities and challenges of their time.

As noted in the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) for the 2024 synod:

Growing as missionary disciples means answering Jesus’ call to follow him, responding to the gift we received when we were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It means learning to accompany each other as a pilgrim people journeying through history toward a common destination, the heavenly city. By walking this path, nourished by the word of God and the Eucharist, we are transformed into what we receive.

The transformation that takes place when missionary disciples open their minds and hearts corresponds to the universal call to holiness that is emphasized in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, especially in “Lumen Gentium” (“The Dogmatic Constitution of the Church,” #39–42).

All the baptized without exception are called to be transformed by the grace of God and to grow in holiness. A Church whose pastoral style is characterized by listening, openness and dialogue promotes the growth in holiness that Vatican II teaches is of primary importance to the work of evangelization.

The life and ministry of St. John XXIII, including his many years of diplomatic service before being elected pope at the age of 76, demonstrate the pastoral style recommended by the council he initiated in 1962. While many examples could be cited from the life and ministry of this great saint, his interaction with Muslims and Jews is especially remarkable today.

Pope St. John XXIII was absolutely clear about his commitment to the truth of our Catholic faith. But he did not hesitate to dialogue with those who do not share our beliefs. His years as papal nuncio in predominantly Muslim Turkey, and his efforts to assist Jewish refugees both before and during the Second World War, were clear signs of his openness to other faiths and cultures.

In a powerful address to Jewish victims of antisemitism, he offered this statement of repentance:

We are conscious today that many, many centuries of blindness have cloaked our eyes so that we can no longer see the beauty of thy chosen people nor recognize in their faces the features of our privileged brethren. We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads. Across the centuries, our brother Abel has lain in blood which we drew or shed tears we caused by forgetting thy love. Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews. Forgive us for crucifying thee a second time in their flesh. For we know not what we did.

This is the pastoral style that the Second Vatican Council sought to adopt and that the contemporary Synod on Synodality hopes to establish as a permanent way of “being Church” in our dioceses, parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations.

As we remember Good Pope John XXIII, let’s recommit ourselves to the vision he had when he opened the Second Vatican Council 62 years ago. May we be a Church that listens attentively to God’s Word and that has a deep reverence for the truth of our Catholic faith as it extends an open hand to people of all faiths and cultures. †