Synod of Bishops: October 9 roundup

October 10, 2014

The seventh and eighth general congregations (sessions) of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family took place on October 9.

Preaching at Terce (Midmorning Prayer) during the seventh general congregation, Bishop Lucio Muandula of Xai-Xai, Mozambique, called upon the synod fathers to seek wisdom from the Bible in the midst of a pagan world.

Acting as president-delegate (that is, presiding in the place of the Holy Father), Cardinal André Vingt-Trois of Paris said that the synod would now turn its attention to openness to life and to education.

Many couples, he said, “do not believe that using birth control is a sin” and do not make their use of birth control a matter for confession. Stating that “we must encourage a mentality open to life to counteract the contraceptive mentality,” he added that society has not given adequate consideration to the serious effects of population decline in some areas.

The prelate then introduced Arturo and Hermelinda As Zamberline, who have been married for 41 years and lead the Équipes Notre-Dame movement in Brazil.

Sexuality within marriage, they said, has three functions: relationship, pleasure, and fertility. Noting that they have not often heard sermons on Humanae Vitae and many couples do not heed the Church’s teaching on contraception, the Zamberlines called upon the synod fathers to set forth a “pastoral pedagogy” that is faithful to Humanae Vitae.

During the discussion that followed, the synod fathers returned to the question of divorce and remarriage. Synod participants “reemphasized the indissoluble nature of marriage, without compromise, based on the fact that the sacramental bond is an objective reality, the work of Christ in the Church,” according to the summary of the discussion published by the Holy See Press Office.

“Such a value must be defended and cared for through adequate pre-matrimonial catechesis, so that engaged couples are fully aware of the sacramental character of the bond and its vocational nature,” the summary added.

“At the same time, it was said that it is necessary to look at individual cases and real-life situations, even those involving great suffering, distinguishing for example between those who abandon their spouse and those who are abandoned,” the summary continued. “For divorced and remarried persons, the fact of not having access to the Eucharist does not mean that they are not members of the ecclesial community; on the contrary, it is to be taken into consideration that there exist various responsibilities that may be exercised. Furthermore, the need to simplify and speed up the procedures for the declaration of marriage nullity was underlined.”

Discussion then turned to cohabitating couples and homosexuals:

With regard to cohabitation in certain regions, it was shown that this is often due to economic and social factors and not a form of refusal of the teachings of the Church. Often, moreover, these and other types of de facto unions are lived while conserving the wish for a Christian life, and therefore require suitable pastoral care. Similarly, while emphasizing the impossibility of recognizing same sex marriage, the need for a respectful and non-discriminatory approach with regard to homosexuals was in any case underlined.

Afterwards, among other topics, “the theme of responsible parenthood was considered, emphasizing that the gift of life (and the virtue of chastity) are basic values in Christian marriage, and underlining the seriousness of the crime of abortion. At the same time, mention was made of the numerous crises experienced by many families, for instance in certain Asian contexts, such as infanticide, violence towards women and human trafficking.”

“With regard to children, the negative impact of contraception on society and resulting decline in the birth rate was underlined,” the summary continued. “It was remarked that Catholics should not remain silent in relation to this issue, but should instead bring a message of hope: children are important, they bring life and joy to their parents, and they reinforce faith and religious practices.”

During the eighth general congregation, which began late in the afternoon, the agenda began to shift to education. Cardinal Vingt-Trois introduced Olivier and Xristilla Roussy, leaders of the apostolic branch of the Emmanuel Community.

The Roussys said that after having three children, they started using birth control, which had negative effects on their marriage. They turn turned to natural family planning, and they eventually had a fourth child.

The Roussys said that they seek to foster in their children a desire for holiness and that in their work with their community, “we offer an art of Christian living showing that sexuality and fertility can be lived according to the plan of God and not according to the consumerist and egoistic logic of the world.” The couple concluded by speaking about family devotion to the Sacred Heart and the importance of a welcoming, merciful attitude.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the discussion that followed then turned to contraception and homosexuality:

Firstly, the vocation of life as a basic element of the family was emphasised; this led to an invitation to the faithful to deepen their knowledge of Paul VI’s Encyclical, Humanae Vitae, thus better understanding the meaning of the use of natural methods of fertility control and the non-acceptance of contraception. Union and procreation, it was said, are not separate from the conjugal act. The condemnation of genetic manipulation and cryopreservation of embryos was therefore reiterated forcefully.

From various quarters there emerged the tendency of several states and organisations based in the Western world to present, especially in the context of Africa, various concepts (including abortion and homosexual unions) as "human rights", linked to economic aid and strong pressure campaigns for the promotion of such concepts. In this respect, it was highlighted that the expression "rights to sexual and reproductive health" does not have a precise definition in international law and ends up encompassing mutually contradictory principles such as the condemnation of forced abortion and the promotion of safe abortion, or the protection of maternity and the promotion of contraception. Also without any binding value, the promotion of such "rights" represents a risk, as it may influence the interpretation of other norms, especially in combating discrimination against women.

According to the press office, the synod fathers also discussed other topics, including a lengthier preparation for marriage, the annulment process, homilies, and migration.

Later, “three themes emerged in particular: with regard to divorced and remarried persons, the need for a penitential path was highlighted, to be accompanied by reflection on the case of divorced persons who remain alone and suffer in silence, at the margins of social life. Secondly, mention was made of the need to protect the children of divorced couples from suffering the psychological affects [sic] of their parents’ divorce. In this respect, it was recalled that adequate pastoral care of children often causes their parents to draw closer to the Church. Thirdly, the importance of the relationship between the family and the education of children was affirmed, with particular reference to parents’ right to choose the most suitable educational plan for their children, so that they may receive a quality education.”

 

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Further information:

• Synod14 - 7ª Congregazione generale: " Le sfide pastorali circa l’apertura alla vita (III parte, cap. 1)" (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 7a Congregazione generale: Sintesi non ufficiale del dibattito generale (9 ottobre 2014, mattina) (Holy See Press Office)
• Synod14 - 8ª Congregazione generale: "La Chiesa e la famiglia di fronte alla sfida educativa (III parte, cap. 2)" (Holy See Press Office)
• Turn to Bible, shun paganism, African prelate tells synod (CWN, 10/9)
• Synod14: 8a Congregazione Generale: Sintesi non ufficiale del dibattito generale (9 ottobre 2014, pomeriggio) (Holy See Press Office)