Pope Francis, last Wednesday officially appointed Mons. Mario Grech, Bishop Emeritus of Gozo, as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops

In his message to Pope Francis and others on his appointment, Bishop Mario Grech said;

“I remember that at the beginning of my episcopal ministry in my diocese of Gozo, I really hoped that my first pastoral letter was on the ” Church ” because I still believed, and still believe, that our pastoral action will be designed and verified according to the type of eccles logia we grow. I couldn’t write this pastoral letter, but the theme of the Church was and remained very close to my heart.

After a good experience leading a Church in the suburbs, made in my diocese, The Holy Father, called me for this new ministry in this Synod Secretariat. Reminiscing what Saint John Chrysostom said regarding the question: ” Church and Synod are synonymous,” with this new mandate cum magnus gaudio I found myself in the ” heart ” of the Church! Holy Father, I thank you for your trust.

With so much gratitude and admiration I salute His Eminence Cardinal Baldisseri who has been responsible for this Secretariat for seven years. Everyone agrees that His Eminence has truly worked to help build a synodal Church – to deeply re-shape the structure of the Synod. Let’s just remember that it was under your tenor that you gave us the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio.

I was struck by an observation made by His Eminence Cardinal Baldisseri in one of his interviews when he described the Synod as ” a mutual propensity of the Pope and the episcopate for greater communion and organic collaboration.”

This note matches the wish made for me by the new bishop of Gozo Mons. Teuma, when he described my new ministry here in the Secretariat as ” keeper of the unity of the Church.” Certainly we can say many things about the mission of this Secretariat, and let me say that here we have the core of our mission: we are at work, so that synodality should be understood as a complex expression of ecclesial communion.

I really want to follow the steps of my predecessor, His Eminence Cardinal Baldisseri. I had the opportunity to participate in three of the four synods His Eminence organised and I have always noticed how he, with his particular charisma, has been able to safeguard unity in diversity.

Also, I cannot forget the availability and kindness he showed me when, as representative of the Maltese Episcopal Conference, I came to meet him in this Secretariat. Thank you dear Eminence. I hope I can emulate his way of dealing with bishops in order to support communion with Peter.

With the intercession of Mary, servant of the Lord and Mother of the Church, all together in this Secretariat we will try to offer the service in this process already started of Communion Ecclesiology.”

Mario Grech – Vatican

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