Speak Boldly and Listen Humbly

The upcoming Synod is causing quite a stir all around the world. There are those who are in favor of it, and others who are very sceptical of its outcome. In the middle of all this there is a Maltese Cardinal, Mario Grech, who is the Secretary of the Synod. He’s been criticized and called negative adjectives which should never be used in church circles. But he keeps going and working, with Pope Francis at his side. The synodal process invites people to speak freely. In fact, no synodal process can really work without candor. Pope Francis recognized this back in 2014 when he opened the first synod of his pontificate, which focused on the family. Back then, he used an expression which struck me as very precise in its description of how we should act as Catholics in this day and age. He told the gathered synod fathers to "speak boldly and without fear and listen with humility." Yes, that is the way to minister today, speak courageously and without any fear of negative comments coming from all directions, as Cardinal Grech has experienced over the past year. And then it is our duty also to listen with humility, knowing that there are people who will not always be happy with we have to say. And it’s OK if we make mistakes, as no one is perfect. Although, it does hurt when you do so much good and never get any credit, while the moment you utter a phrase that may not be precise, you get a lot of criticism. As we say, ‘when you’re right, no one remembers, and when you’re wrong, nobody forgets!’ But please, never give up – speak boldly and listen humbly.