Synod As Opportunity for Bishops to Get to Know Each Other

VATICAN, Oct 25, 01 (CWNews.com) - With the 10th ordinary Synod of Bishops drawing to a close, the 250 bishops who have spent the past month together in Rome are in agreement that their discussions have provided them with a welcome opportunity to get to know each other better.

Each evening, at the conclusion of the day's formal meetings, most of the bishops climb onto the minibuses that have been hired to take them to their temporary lodgings. The majority of the bishops who have come to Rome for the Synod are staying in the old city of Rome, in the general vicinity of the famous Piazza Navona. But a brave few are staying closer to the Vatican, and making their daily trip by foot-- often encountering reporters or natives of their home lands along the route.

The bishops who live in Rome throughout the year-- most of them working in the Roman Curia-- have their own arrangements for traveling back and forth; a few have regular chauffeurs. These year-round residents have also played host to dinner parties, entertaining their colleagues from out of town.

A few of the bishops have chosen to stay for the month at St. Martha House, inside the walls of the Vatican, in the simple rooms that are designed to house cardinals during a papal conclave.

The dining habits of the visiting prelates are also diverse. Some prefer the fashionable restaurants as at Eau Vive; others look for smaller establishments around the Borgo district; still others are content with a pizza and gelato.

The deliberations of the Synod will come to a formal close on Saturday, with Pope John Paul presiding at a closing Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The bishops are now working on a final statement, which will be the basis for an apostolic exhortation by the Holy Father.

Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
25. oktober 2001