VATICAN - “The Church's priority, at the beginning of this new millenium, is above all to nourish itself with the Word of God, so as to promote the new evangelization, the preaching of the Gospel in our times,” Benedict XVI said in the Closing Mass for the Synod, where he also announced his first trip to Africa

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “All of us who have taken part in the Synod sessions, come away with a renewed awareness of the fact that the Church's priority, at the beginning of this new millenium, is above all to nourish itself with the Word of God, so as to promote the new evangelization, the preaching of the Gospel in our times. Now we must take this ecclesial experience to each community; there is a need to understand the necessity that exists of translating the word that has been heard into gestures of love, since only in this way is the proclamation of the Gospel made believable, despite human weaknesses. This requires above all a more intimate familiarity with Christ and constant docility in listening to His word.” These are words taken from the homily given by the Holy Father Benedict XVI on October 26, at the Closing Mass with the Synodal Fathers in St. Peter's Basilica, for the closure of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme: “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.”
Commenting the passages from Sacred Scripture read during the Mass, the Pope reflected on the fact that “being Christ's disciples means placing his teachings into practice, namely, the greatest commandment of Divine Law, the commandment of love. The First Reading, from the Book of Exodus, also insists on the obligation to love; a love that is borne witness to in interpersonal relationships, which should be relationships of respect, collaboration, and generous assistance...In the Second Reading, we see a concrete application of the greatest commandment of love in one of the first communities of Christians. Saint Paul writes the Thessalonians, telling them that although he has known them for a brief time, he esteems them and carries them affectionately in his heart...They experience a certain weakness and difficulty in that recently-founded community, but love is what overcomes everything, renews everything, is victorious over everything: the love of the person who, aware of their own limitations, with docility follows the words of Christ, the Divine Teacher, transmitted by His faithful disciple.”
The Pope then reflected on “link between a loving listening to the Word of God and disinterested service towards our brothers,” noting that in the Synod, they addressed “the growing need today for a more intimate listening to God, for a clearer understanding of His saving word, for a more sincere sharing of the faith that is constantly nourished at the table of the Divine Word.” He then thanked all the Synodal Fathers for their contribution to their reflections on the themes, asking that once they return to their homes, they may express “the affectionate greetings from the Bishop of Rome” to everyone. “A special thought goes out to the Bishops of continental China, who were unable to attend the Synod. I wish to to here give voice to, and give thanks to God for, their love for Christ, their communion with the universal Church and their fidelity to the Successor of the Apostle Peter. They are present in our prayer, together with the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care. We ask the “Supreme Pastor of the Flock” to grant them joy, strength, and apostolic zeal in order to guide the Catholic community in China, which we hold so dear, with wisdom and foresight.”
Recalling the strong expression of the Apostle Paul - “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16) – the Pope expressed his hope that “in every community there may be an increased commitment to this longing of Paul, in the vocation to work at the service of the Gospel throughout the world... Many people are seeking, perhaps without realizing it, to encounter Christ and his Gospel; many need to find in him the meaning of their lives. Giving a clear and shared testimony of a life according to the Word of God, demonstrated by Jesus, is therefore an indispensable criteria for verifying the mission of the Church.”
Benedict XVI continued, saying: “One who thinks they've understood Scripture, or at least a part of them, without making the effort to build, through his intelligence, the double love for God and for neighbor, shows that in reality he is still far from having understood its profound sense.” The Second Vatican Council has done much in making the Sacred Scripture more accessible to the faithful, “an indispensable requisite today for evangelization,” however, “a dynamic and credible pastoral promotion of Sacred Scripture is indispensable for preaching, celebrating, and living the Word in the Christian community, dialoguing with the culture of our time, placing it at the service of the truth and not the current ideologies and promoting the dialogue that God wishes to have with all men. In a special manner, this is linked to the preparation of priests, especially in supporting the spreading the Bible. There are also current efforts to bring about a biblical movement among the laity and formation of group leaders, with a special focus on the youth. There is a need to support the effort to teach the faith using the Word of God also to those who are 'far away' and especially to those who are sincerely seeking the meaning of their lives.”
In concluding his homily, Benedict XVI focused on the privileged place where the Word of God resounds and edifies the Church: the liturgy. “Here the Bible shows itself to be the book of a people and for a people; an inheritance, a testament entrusted to readers, so that they can live out written salvation history in their lives...Scripture and liturgy converge, therefore, in the same goal of bringing the people to a dialogue with the Lord and to obedience to the Lord's will.” Entrusting the fruits of this Synod and that of the second Special Assembly of the Synod of Africa, which will take place in Rome in October 2009, to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Benedict XVI announced his first trip to Africa: “It is my intention to travel next March to Cameroon, to give the bishops of the continent the 'instrumentum laboris' of the synod. From there, I will continue on, God willing, to Angola, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of that country.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 27/10/2008)