"The word 'synod' means 'walking together'. What we went through was the experience of the Pilgrim Church on its way, especially on its way with the families of the holy People of God scattered around the world.” The Synod “was moved by prayer and a spirit of true communion. It was tough, but it was a true gift of God, which will surely bear much fruit."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis addressed a crowd of some 100,000 people at the Angelus today. He spoke about families forced to flee their homelands and the end of the Synod on the Family.

The People of God “on the way” is “made up of families”. It “is a people that does not exclude the poor and the disadvantaged”; a people that includes “refugees making their way along the roads of Europe, a tragic reality of our times”. These families, which have suffered the most, uprooted from their lands, were here with us, at the Synod, in our prayers and work.”

“This morning, with a Mass celebrated in St Peter's Basilica, the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the family came to a close,” said the Pontiff. Hence, “I urge everyone to give thanks to God for these three weeks of intense work, moved by prayer and a spirit of true communion. It was tough, but it was a true gift of God, which will surely bear much fruit".

"The word 'synod' means 'walking together'. What we went through was the experience of the Pilgrim Church on its way, especially on its way with the families of the holy People of God scattered around the world.

“For this reason, I was struck by today’s Word of God that comes to us in Jeremiah’s prophecy. ‘Look! I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the earth, the blind and the lame in their midst, Pregnant women, together with those in labour – an immense throng – they shall return.’ Likewise, said the prophet, "With weeping they shall come, but with compassion I will guide them; I will lead them to streams of water, on a level road, without stumbling. For I am a father to Israel’ (31, 8-9).

“Such a Word of God tells us that the first one who wanted to walk with us, who wanted to make 'synod' with us, is actually Him, our Father. His 'dream', always and forever, is to create a people, bringing it together, leading it towards the land of freedom and peace. Such a people is made up of families. They include ‘Pregnant women, together with those in labour’. It is a people that, as it walks, it propels life forward, with God's blessing."

"It is a people that does not exclude the poor and the disadvantaged; in fact, it includes ‘the blind and the lame in their midst,’ the Lord said. It is a family of families, in which those who are under strains are not marginalised and left behind, but can [instead] keep up with the others, because such a people walks as fast as its slowest member, as it is done in families, and as the Lord teaches, who became poor with the poor, small with the small, and last with the last. He did not do it to exclude the rich, the eminent and those at the top. He did it because this is the only way to save them too, [and] save everyone."

“I confess that this prophecy of a people on their way is one that I have also seen in the images of refugees making their way along the roads of Europe, a tragic reality of our times. God told them, ‘‘With weeping they shall come, but with compassion I will guide them.’ These families, which have suffered the most, uprooted from their land, were here with us, at the Synod, in our prayers and work, through the voice of some of their pastors present at the meeting. Such people in search of dignity [and] such families in search of peace are still with us. The Church will not abandon them, for they are part of the people that God wants to free from slavery and lead to freedom.”

"Thus, in this Word of God, is reflected both the synodal experience we have lived and the tragedy of the refugees making their way along the roads of Europe. May the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, also help us implement the ideas that emerged in fraternal communion."

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