Synod of Bishops (October 13 roundup): synod fathers critique interim document

October 14, 2014

The eleventh general congregation (session) of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family took place on October 13.

Preaching at Terce (Midmorning Prayer), Archbishop Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón of Ayacucho, Peru, upheld St. Rose of Lima as a model and thanked his late parents, “who taught me to love Jesus and serve in the Church.”

The session was devoted to a discussion of the synod’s interim “post-discussion report” (relatio post disceptationem), which called upon Catholic pastors to recognize the positive elements of all family situations, including those at odds with Church teaching.

According to the Holy See Press Office’s Italian-language summary of the discussion, which was released on October 14, the document “in general … was appreciated for its ability to ‘photograph’ well” the speeches of the preceding week. The document was praised for conveying the Church’s love for those who are suffering in difficult pastoral situations.

At the same time, “additional reflections” were suggested by the synod fathers, according to the summary. Among them:

• the synod should encourage and thank faithful Catholic families
• the synod should place greater emphasis on indissoluble Catholic marriage, rather than focus on “imperfect family situations”
• it is necessary to clarify what is meant by “gradualism”
• it would be difficult to grant exceptions to the Church’s practice on Communion for the remarried without the exceptions becoming the rule
• the Holy Family should be presented as a model of family life
• the word “sin” is almost absent from the document
• recalling “the prophetic tone of the word of Jesus,” the synod should not conform to the world’s mentality
• the synod should discuss surrogacy and pornography
• in offering pastoral care to homosexuals, the Church should not “create an impression of a positive evaluation of this orientation”

 

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Further information:

• Synod14 - 11a Congregazione generale: Omelia di S.E. Mons. Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón, Arcivescovo di Ayacucho (Perú) durante la preghiera dell’Ora Terza (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 11a Congregazione Generale: Sintesi non ufficiale degli interventi liberi in Aula (Holy See Press Office)
• Key synod report calls for 'gradualism' in Church response to irregular family situations (CWN, 10/13)