Bishop Bouchard goes to world synod

St. Paul prelate is 1 of 4 Canadian delegates to 3-week chat on the Bible

- WCR file photo St. Paul Bishop Luc Bouchard will attend his first World Synod of Bishops in October.

By LASHA MORNINGSTAR
WCR News Editor
St. Paul

Bishop Luc Bouchard takes a simple, yet profound message in his presentation to the Synod of Bishops on the Bible next month in Rome.

The St. Paul bishop’s thrust will be “how to present Scripture in an easy way so folk can understand it – to better communicate the word of God to the people of God. And that is a challenge in itself.”

He describes his emotions surrounding the three-week trip to Rome as “anxious – I’ve never done anything like this before but confreres who have gone before describe it as a wonderful experience of Church universal.”

Bouchard explained the meeting is a gathering of delegates elected and then approved by Rome coming from all the corners of the world.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops appointed four bishops, two English and two French. As well, Pope Benedict named Cardinal Marc Ouellet to the influential role of recording secretary for the synod.

The mandate of the delegates is to prepare a document on the theme of the Oct. 5-26 synod – the Word of God. Traditionally, the pope takes the results of synod deliberations and works them into a letter to the whole Church.

Each delegate must prepare a six-minute talk on an aspect of the Bible.

“You cannot extend that time or they cut off the mike,” Bouchard said with a laugh.

Importance of Scripture

The 180 bishops will have 41 experts to serve as resource people for the synod members as they discuss the importance of the Scriptures in the life of the Church, look at the Bible’s role in Catholic prayer and liturgy, evaluate its role in ecumenical and interreligious relations, and discuss ways to improve biblical literacy at every level of the Church.

Direction from the pope can be found in the foreword of his 2007 book, Jesus of Nazareth, Benedict said the books of Scripture involve three interacting subjects: the individual author, the Church and God.

“The people of God — the Church — is the living subject of Scripture; it is in the Church that the words of the Bible are always in the present.”

The study of the Bible comes naturally to Bouchard. His passion for the Scriptures is profound.

“It isn’t just the word –- it is the spirit of the word. I could read it as a book or I could read it as a life-giving, spirit-filled word that gives me life.”

The challenge for the Bible reader, says Bouchard, is to “put it into practice. It is God speaking to us and we must live is out by loving God and neighbour. We are human beings called to love put into practice. It is a loving message of God to us, God speaking to us.”

Bouchard first learned his Bible at his mother Lucienne’s knee and she “lovingly made us repeat our catechism.”

Catholic schooling reinforced and expanded his knowledge of the sacred book.

He also studied the Bible at the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome and the Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem. Before becoming a bishop in 2001, Bouchard served as rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton.

Asked about the importance for the individual to read the Bible, he is emphatic.

“It is especially important in these times, so important. But it must be done with a prayerful attitude. These writings were done many, many years ago and need time to study, absorb.”

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