{UAH} Synod on Family gets into gear at the Vatican!

All Fathers who will participate in the next Synod on Family at the Vatican Rome have arrived.

The inaugural Mass tomorrow Sunday ( 04 October 2015 ) is expected to take place either in

St Peter's Basilica, if weather is unpredictable, or in St Peter's Square where 200,000 faithful would be expected

to assemble. The Mass will be presided by the Pope surrounded by 300 concelebrants who will include 70 cardinals

and very many bishops from all corners of the globe. And the relics of St Theresa of the Infant Jesus have already arrived

in Rome together with those of her parents Louis Martin and Zélie Martin who will be canonized saints on Sunday Oct 18, 2015

in a ceremony that is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of faithful to St Peter's Square.

The Pope has chosen this holy family to be the official spiritual patrons of the Synod.

Today Saturday evening the pope presided a special prayer vigil for the success of the Synode. Close to 150,000 people came to

St Peter's Square to pray with him. The ceremony was a mixture of church hymns, biblical readings, recitation of prayers, accounts and

stories of family life narrated by various couples including a very young Italo-Rwandese couple whose story which outlined the difficulties

 they have gone through as well as the success they have achieved through living amicably together impressed.

Then finally the Pope spoke in form of a homily. He requested the vast audience to pray for the success of the Synod. And, turning to family, he

outlined the many bad circumstances thay interfere with family life : wars, poverty, maladies, bad health, loss of a family member or a relative, etc..

He prayed that the holy gospel continues to remain the good tidings for the family in order to help in rehabilitation and in giving a new strength to

continue the journey.

After the reading of prayer intentions by several family groups, the Pope gave his blessing, went to pray at the nearby portrait of the Holy Family before

he went away while the choir intoned the Magnificat in Italian. And gradually the great crowds left the Square.

There is a lot of debate expected in the Synod which starts its deliberations this coming Monday. what the synod Fathers will decide or recommend

will be presented to the Pope who will make the required final decisions. He has already shown intention of ignoring no Christian as he wants his

Church to accommodate everyone, and he is resolved on this!

In the mean time on the African continent two important events have happened. One in Abidjan ( Ivory coast ) where Congo Kinshasa's very influential

charismatic intellectual Archbishop, Cardinal Laurent Pasinya Monsengwo, has been honoured by the opening of the Cardinal Laurent Pasinya Monsengwo Biblical Conference that will stand as a milestone for debates and exchange of ideas on scripture and theology. Cardinal Monswengo

arrived in Abidjan from the Americas where he had been accompanying the Pope who wanted him on his delegation. The intention of the Abidjan project is to honour this cardinal who is a renowned biblical scholar and theologian. The other African event was the opening of the St Padre Pio Congregation

of Sisters ( The Daughters of St Padre Pio ) in Benin. Seven sisters made their perpetual vows to remain nuns throughout life!

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )