Posted: Dec 20 2005 at 4:20pm | IP Logged

There exists a prevalent opinion that the IIIrd Session of the Synod of Bishops (the IVth since the beginning) differs qualitatively from the previous sessions. Some bishops have stressed out that only now they understand the essence and the necessity of the existence of this institution serving [the] Pope with the information and counsels.

In the Polish Catholic press of December 1974 there have appeared many articles making attempts to evaluate the Synod in Rome. We chose from them the article by Card. Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Cracow Diocese, since many years profoundly engaged in the works of Synod. This extensive article can [sic] be published abridged, however.

Evangelization in the modern world is the subject of an extensive article by Card. Karol Wojtyla, published in Tygodnik Powszechny (nos 51-52). The article is a revised text of the lecture delivered by Card. Wojtyla towards the end of the Synod of Bishops at the Papal Institute for Church studies, a Polish centre run by Jesuit Fathers. Our Review extensively reported on the initiatives of Polish Catholicism during the preparatory stages of the Synod, and later, on Polish reactions to synodal developments. We are now presenting a slightly abridged version of Card. Wojtyla's article. It should prove interesting also because of the Cardinal's great personal contribution to the work of the Synod, appreciated by his appointment as a member of the permanent council of the Synod.
As Card. Wojtyla points out himself, the article is rather personal in character, since the author deals with this all-Church event, which the Synod was, on the basis of his own personal experience. The article is not meant to be a scientifically based analysis of individual documents or developments, but rather a collection of spontaneous reflections voiced by a participant and treated for publication purposes.