I believe that the apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” holds the key to understanding Pope Francis’ hopes for the synod. And that is why I’m hopeful about the synod.

“The five ‘dubia’ deal exclusively with the perennial doctrine and discipline of the church, not the agenda of the pope and certainly not the agenda of the five of us cardinals,” Cardinal Burke said Oct. 3 at a conference in Rome.

At the opening of the General Assembly of the Synod, Pope Francis warned against a vision made up of “human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles.”

The devil will no doubt be a participant in the Synod on Synodality, even if as a non-voting member. Why? Because the synod presents a ripe field for the devil’s mischief. And because the stakes are so high.

Pope Francis’ “yes, and” message to cardinals critical of his papacy is reflective of the synod as a whole.

Anyone who has attended a synod of bishops will tell you that it’s more about the journey than the destination.