“Jesus’ direct and pressing questions to Peter have always struck me greatly, even fifty years ago, when, very young, I received priestly ordination in the Cathedral of Lucca. They have always resonated in my mind and heart and I have always seen before me the face of the savior who, with his penetrating eyes, while asking me if I really loved him, scrutinized me with infinite love into the most hidden recesses of my soul.” .
With these words the Bishop of Pistoia and Pescia, Monsignor Fausto Tardelli, began the homily of the closing celebration of the XX Synod of the Church of Pistoia which falls exactly 50 years after the presbyteral ordination of the Bishop of Pistoia.
“What has always struck me,” Monsignor Tardelli emphasized, “has also been the Lord’s conclusion each time: “Feed my lambs”; “Feed my sheep”; “Feed my sheep”. In this repeated conclusion of Jesus there is my vocation, my whole life, the meaning of this life of mine, spent, despite all my deficiencies, serving the lambs and sheep of the Lord”. But the largest part of the Bishop’s reflections focused on the synodal path that the Church of Pistoia has gone through in these last two years.
“Tonight, however, we are here also and above all because our diocesan synod has concluded truly happily,” continued Msgr. Tardelli, “which has seen us engaged in attentively listening to the Holy Spirit, in different ways, for a good two years. The synodal groups, the smaller circles, the synodal assemblies, have been intense moments of listening and discussion. The Holy Spirit has guided us with a patient hand in these laborious steps of synodality; he has taken us by the hand like children who slowly learn to walk. And we have let ourselves be guided and now we can truly say that what we have said and written is our work and that of the Holy Spirit in synergy.”
“I see in the synodal path desired by Pope Francis – reflects the Bishop of Pistoia and Pescia – for the entire universal church and for the churches that are in Italy and in particular in our synod, a great prophecy, a great sign of hope for the world. While wars are being waged in the world and in societies there is ever more violent opposition, the church instead gathers together, its members, although very different and with very different personal orientations, confront each other by humbly listening to the voice of the Spirit. The church seeks paths of communion and brotherhood. In this sense it goes clearly against the current, showing itself as it is: “A sign and instrument of the unity of the entire human race. However, we do not want to stop tonight almost to pay ourselves compliments. Far be it from us to think and behave like this. What has happened is the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. To all of us, not just me, this evening, the questions that the Lord asked Peter are addressed. In the end, what matters is to answer Him: “Do you love me, church of Pistoia?” “Do you really love me?” Do you really love me, church of Pistoia, with all your heart and with all your soul, in all your components?”. These are the questions we cannot avoid”.
