Shift from maintenance to mission, Cardinal Grech tells Church in Ireland (General Secretariat of the Synod)

Cardinal Mario Grech told members of the Irish National Synodal Assembly to move from maintaining existing structures to focusing on mission. In a letter dated October 17, the Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod advised the Irish Church not to judge its future solely by what is being lost, but to discern what the Holy Spirit is creating.

Grech urged the Church to re-position itself for mission rather than simply managing a shrinking religious landscape. He stated that synodality serves to keep the Church constantly ready for mission.

Regarding marriage and family life, Grech said the pastoral task is not to measure people against a Christian ideal. Instead, he said priests and leaders should discern the grace already present in people's lives, accompany them patiently, and help them move toward the fullness of their Christian vocation.