The Synod has begun!

The 12th Synod of Bishops is meeting in Rome to discuss “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” This is an important dialogue among the Bishops and others about Scripture and its importance in the life of the Church, and the central mission of the Church -- to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The USCCB has a wonderful site dedicated to the Synod, here. You will find excellent articles on Sacred Scripture by Dr. Peter Williamson, Dr. Scott Hahn and others on the USCCB site, here.

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Williamson's article:

We can only give to others what we ourselves possess. If
we wish to share in the Church’s mission of proclaiming
the Good News, we must immerse ourselves in the Word of
God. We must prayerfully read Scripture daily—whether we
follow the liturgical readings or a more comprehensive reading plan—and we must study the Bible to really understand it.

We must overcome an exaggerated fear of making mistakes
in interpretation. Our greatest danger today lies not in
mistaken interpretation but in unfamiliarity with the Word
of God. Many solid Catholic Bible resources are available
to guide our study and prayer. The Tradition of the Church
provides Catholics with extra protection. If we read the
Bible with the Church, interpreting it in harmony with the
Catechism and other expressions of the Church’s teaching,
we will not go astray, even if we do not understand every
text perfectly.

As we are nourished by reading, praying, and studying
the Bible, we will be changed and empowered by Christ.
As Pope Benedict has said, “The Church knows well that
Christ lives in the Sacred Scriptures” (Address, September
16, 2005). We will become witnesses as the Word of Christ
comes to dwell in us (Col 3:16) and we share what we
have learned. The Word of God is the foundation of the
Church’s mission because it bears divine power and is the
only thing capable of meeting humanity’s deepest need.
Christ has entrusted his Word to the Church and commands
us to proclaim it (Mt 28:20). That proclamation centers
on the Word that “became flesh and made his dwelling
among us” (Jn 1:14).

Also, there is a blog from the Synod itself, with daily updates, here. Finally, John Allen (NCR) reports on the "bubbling up" of the issue of the inerrancy of Sacred Scripture at the Synod, here.

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Stay tuned to my blog, SIGNS OF SALVATION, for analysis and updates.
Steve Smith.