Following the Pope’s urging of the Synod Fathers to be open to the promptings of the Spirit, a leading theologian considers how Francis’ theology guided its proceedings I was in Rome during the Synod on the Family. On the final Saturday morning, I visited the ancient church of Santa Maria in Trastevere during a Nuptial Mass. As the couple knelt below the dome with its shimmering mosaic of the Coronation of the Virgin, I thought how beautifully that image evoked the sacrament of marriage, which constitutes the earthly participation of baptised Catholics in the heavenly wedding feast.Metaphors of marriage and parenthood recur throughout Scripture. These relationships offer us our most intimate glimpses of the unconditional love of God for Creation and of Christ for the Church,