VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
Joshua J. McElwee | Oct. 6, 2014
VATICAN CITY
Pope Francis opened discussions at his worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops Monday by telling the prelates they should speak openly, without fear of upsetting him or limiting discussions to things he would want to hear.
Using the Greek term parrhesia — meaning to speak candidly or boldly, and without fear — the pontiff told the some 190 prelates gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall they should “speak with parrhesia and listen with humility.”
Working in a synod, the pontiff continued, does not mean prelates should say only what Francis wants to hear. “This is not good!” said the pope.
“A general condition is this,” said the pope. “Speak clearly. Let no one say: ‘This you cannot say.'”
“You need to say all that you feel with parrhesia,” he continued. “And, at the same time, you should listen with humility and accept with an open heart what your brothers say.”
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Francis was opening discussions Monday at the Synod of Bishops, one of two worldwide meeting of bishops for 2014 and 2015 the pontiff has called to focus on issue of family life.
The meetings have raised expectations that there may be changes coming to certain church practices regarding family life, particularly how the church treats people who have been divorced and remarried without first obtaining an annulment from the church.
Yet Monday’s morning session — the only session of the meetings of the Oct. 5-19 synod to be televised, and the only to have release of the texts of the speakers — was a mix of exhortations from prelates that the synod should see open discussions on the one hand, but no substantial changes to church teachings on the other.
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