Synod of Bishops: October 7 roundup

October 08, 2014

On October 7, at the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, the third and fourth general congregations (sessions) of the synod took place.

During the third general congregation, with Pope Francis present, Haitian Cardinal Chibly Langlois preached a homily at Terce (Midmorning Prayer) in which he recalled the victory at Lepanto through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, lamented injustice in the world, and called upon the synod fathers to respond with faith and love to problems affecting the family.

Acting as president-delegate (that is, as one who presides in the place of the Holy Father), Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said that the third general session, like the second, would be devoted to “communicating the Gospel of the family in today’s world,” with a focus on “the Gospel of the family and the natural law” and “the family and vocation of the Person in Christ.”

Cardinal Tagle introduced George and Cynthia Campos of Couples for Christ; they discussed challenges they have faced, including vocation discernment, a dangerous pregnancy, and a breast cancer diagnosis. At the end of their presentation, they touched upon “couples in irregular situations”: “an enlightened pastoral charity inaugurating innovative forms of ‘accompaniment,’ of conjugal spirituality formation and of inclusionary participation in Church life leading to full communion needs promotion and enactment by our ordained ministers.”

The Holy See Press Office issued a ten-paragraph summary of the discussion during the third general congregation, during which an announcement was made of the upcoming consistory on the Middle East. This summary, available in various languages (including English), is found via the third link below.

During the discussion, the synod fathers agreed that “greater preparation for marriage is necessary, so that it is not only valid but also fruitful. It is necessary to transmit a vision of marriage that does not regard it as a destination, but rather as a path to a higher end.”

Marriage preparation “must therefore be long, personalized, and also severe, without the fear of eventually leading to a reduction in the number of weddings celebrated in Church. Otherwise, there is the risk of filling the tribunals with marriage cases.”

According to the summary:

A further point that emerged during the discussion was the influence of the mass media, at times intrusive, in presenting ideologies contrary to the doctrine of the Church in relation to family and marriage. In this respect, it was said, Catholics must be protected but must also be better prepared: the Church must offer her teaching in a more incisive manner, presenting doctrine not merely as a list of prohibitions, but also by drawing closer to the faithful, as Jesus did. In this way, acting with empathy and tenderness, it will be possible to reduce the gap between doctrine and practice, between the teachings of the Church and the daily life of families. What is needed is not a choice between doctrine and mercy, but rather the beginning of an enlightened pastoral care to encourage above all those families in difficulty, who are often aware of a sense of not belonging to the Church.

Today’s debate then turned again to couples in difficulty and divorced and civilly remarried persons, for whom, it was said, that the Church should offer not judgement but truth, with a gaze of understanding, because people follow the truth, and will follow the Church if she speaks the truth. The "medicine" of mercy offers acceptance, care and support. Also because – it was shown – suffering families do not seek rapid pastoral solutions, and they do not wish to be a mere statistical figure, but rather feel the need to be inspired, to feel that they are welcomed and loved. More space must be allowed for a sacramental rather than a juridical form of logic.

With regard to the approach to the Eucharist by the divorced and remarried, it was emphasized that it is not the sacrament of the perfect, but rather of those who are on the way.

“The Church must be more open to dialogue, and must listen more frequently (and not only in exceptional cases) to the experiences of married couples, because their struggles and their failures cannot be ignored; on the other hand, they can be the basis of a real and true theology,” the summary continued. The synod fathers also touched on other topics, including the call to holiness and mission, catechesis, and family prayer.

Late in the afternoon, the synod’s fourth general congregation (session) began. Cardinal Tagle said that the synod would turn its attention to “the pastoral program for the family in light of new challenges” and focus on “various proposals underway.” Cardinal Tagle then introduced Jeff and Alice Heinzen of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

In their remarks, Mrs. Heinzen spoke of growing up in an atmosphere of love, prayer, and devotion and lamented the decline of family life and sacramental practice.

“We must develop more robust and creative methods to share the fundamental truth that marriage is a divine gift from God, rather than merely a man-made institution,” the Heinzens said. “We therefore see the issue before us not as a crisis of truth, but rather as a crisis of methodology. How do we as a Church, effectively share what we know to be true in practical, simple, and convincing ways, so that all men and women are challenged and supported to live life-long marriages and build homes that reflect the domestic Church?”

During the fourth general congregation, “the link between the crisis of faith and the crisis of the family was underlined: it was said that the first generates the second,” according to the Holy See Press Office. “This is because faith is seen mostly as a set of doctrinal mores, whereas it is primarily a free act by which one entrusts oneself to God.”

The synod fathers also discussed the harmful influence of “atheist secularism, hedonism, and the ambition of power” before turning to a variety of other topics. For example, “numerous interventions, especially in relation to Africa, drew attention to the many challenges the family must face in this continent: polygamy, levirate marriage, sects, war, poverty, the painful crisis of migration, international pressure for birth control, and so on.”

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Synod14 - 3a Congregazione generale: Omelia del Card. Chibly Langlois, Vescovo di Les Cayes (Haïti), durante la preghiera dell’Ora Terza (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 3ª Congregazione generale: "Il Vangelo della famiglia e la legge naturale" (I parte, cap. 3) e "La famiglia e la vocazione della persona in Cristo" (I parte, cap. 4) (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 3a Congregazione generale: Sintesi del dibattito generale (Holy See Press Office)
• Pope calls cardinals to a consistory to discuss Middle East (CWN, 10/7)
• Synod14 - 4ª Congregazione generale: "La pastorale della famiglia: le varie proposte in atto (II parte, Cap. 1)" (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 4a Congregazione generale: Sintesi non ufficiale del dibattito generale (Holy See Press Office)