The Synod expresses thanks to those who have the courage to denounce the evil they have suffered: they help the Church to acknowledge what has happened and the need to respond decisively. The Synod also appreciates and encourages the sincere commitment of countless lay men and women, priests, consecrated men and women, and bishops who devote themselves every day with honesty and dedication to the service of the young. Their work is like a forest that grows silently. Many of the young people present at the Synod also expressed thanks for those who have accompanied them and they emphasized the great need for figures of reference. The Lord Jesus, who never abandons his Church, offers her the strength and the tools to set out on a new path. Confirming the line of timely “actions and sanctions that are so necessary” (Francis, Letter to the People of God, 20 August 2018, 2) and aware that mercy demands justice, the Synod recognizes that confronting the question of abuse in all its aspects, not without the valuable help of the young, can truly be an opportunity for a reform of epoch-making significance. Chapter III Identity and Relations Family and intergenerational relations
TheoFonsAt the sources of the faith