As the youth synod draws to a close this week, it appears that some of the wounds from the synods of 2014 and 2015 on the family have been healed. Those highly divisive synods caused a widespread diminution of trust in the synod process. Trust destroyed is difficult to fully restore, but accounts from the synod participants indicate that it may have been recovered to some degree.
This synod on youth has been remarked by voices across the board as being a more joyful and more lively experience than in the past. This is usually attributed to the presence of some three dozen youth “auditors” in the hall alongside the bishops. Their enthusiasm – expressed in applause and cheering that would disturb prelates who snoozed through the interminable speeches in years previous – has been a decisive factor.
