Pope presents bishops with symbolic ring, given integrated document of propositions

Vatican City, Oct 17, 2005 / 22:00 pm

At the closing of this morning’s 19^th General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, Special Secretary Archbishop Roland Minnerath, of Dijon, France presented the Holy Father with the Integrated List of Propositions, from which, the Pope will begin to form his apostolic exhortation for the historic 11^th Synod.1

The list is the result of the unification of numerous propositions prepared by bishops in individual working groups, divided by spoken language, who met throughout last week.

It was compiled by the Synod’s Relator General along with the Special Secretary and the Relators of each of the working groups.

During the opening of yesterday’s General Congregation, Pope Benedict presented the Synod Fathers with a gift of his own--a ring emblazoned with an image of a pelican.

The image of the pelican has been used since the Middle Ages as a symbol for the Eucharist because the bird will, in extreme cases, pierce its own flesh in order to feed its young.

St. Augustine has written about this profound Eucharistic symbolism, as have St. Thomas Aquinas and the poet Dante. 

In addition to the presentation of the rings, experts and auditors who were invited to participate in the Synod were given a rosary.

The Synod will conclude this Sunday with a Papal Mass and beatification ceremony for five soon-to-be Saints.