Vatican City, 26 June 2014 (VIS) – A
press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office this morning
to present the Instrumentum Laboris of the 3rd Extraordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (5-19 October 2014) which will focus
on “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of
evangelisation”. The speakers were Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri,
secretary general of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Peter Erdo,
archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, and relator general of the
3rd Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal
Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France and delegate
president; Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, and special
secretary, and Professors Francesco Miano and Pina De Simone.
Cardinal Baldisseri explained that the
Instrumentum Laboris consists of three parts, conforming to the
themes of the Documento Preparatorio. “The first, dedicated to the
Gospel of the family, relates to God's plan, biblical and magisterial
knowledge and their reception, natural law and the vocation of the
person in Christ”, he said. “The difficulties that arise in
relation to natural law can be overcome through more attentive
reference to the biblical world, to its language and narrative forms,
and to the proposal to thematise and deepen the biblically-inspired
concept of the 'order of creation', like the possibility of
reinterpreting 'natural law' in a more existentially meaningful way.
Furthermore, the role of the family, 'fundamental cell of society,
where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to
belong to one another', is that of a privileged space for values such
as fraternity, love, respect and solidarity between generations,
where dignity is promoted, overcoming individualism and contributing
to the common good of society”.
“The second part relates to the
pastoral challenges inherent in the family, such as the crisis of
faith, critical internal situations, external pressures and other
problems. The responsibilities of the pastor include preparation for
marriage, increasingly necessary nowadays to enable engaged couples
make their decision in terms of their personal adhesion to faith to
the Lord, to build their families on solid foundations”.
He emphasised that special
consideration would be given to difficult pastoral situations, such
as unmarried couples who live together and de facto unions, separated
and divorced couples, remarried divorcees and eventual further
children, single mothers, those who are in canonically irregular
situations and non-believers or non-practising Catholics who wish to
marry”. The prelate added that with regard to the phenomenon of
unmarried couples who live together and de facto unions, increasingly
widespread, “the Church has the duty to accompany these couples in
the trust that they are able to bear a responsibility, such as that
of marriage, that is not too great for them”. In relation to the
question of remarried divorcees, whose irregular condition within the
Church is a source of suffering, the Instrumentum Laboris “offers
real knowledge of their situation, from which the Church is required
to find solutions compatible with her teaching and which lead to a
serene and reconciled life. In this respect, the need to simplify the
judicial procedures for the annulment of marriage would appear
relevant”.
“Regarding same-sex unions, a
distinction is made between the contexts in which civil legislation
is more or less in favour; there is a need for pastoral care on the
part of the particular Churches in these situations, including
matters relating to children who may be present”.
The third part first presents themes
linked to openness to life, such as knowledge and difficulties in
receiving the Magisterium, pastoral suggestions, sacramental praxis
and the promotion of a mentality open to life. … With regard to the
educative responsibility of parents, difficulty emerges in terms of
transmitting faith to children, which is then made concrete in
Christian initiation; finally, this is a matter of Christian
education in difficult family situations, in which the effects on the
children extend to the sphere of faith and methods of celebration of
the sacraments”.
Cardinal Baldisseri mentioned that the
themes not included in the document will be considered in the
Ordinary General Assembly scheduled for 4-25 October 2015, based on
the theme “Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the
family”. This will be the third stage in the process of reflection
on the family, which began with the Consistory held on 20 February
2014.
Finally, he explained that the
Instrumentum Laboris offers a vision of the reality of the family in
the current context, which represents the beginning of a profound
reflection, which will take place in the two stages of the
Extraordinary General Assembly (2014) and the Ordinary General
Assembly (2015), which are closely linked by the theme of the family
based on the light of Christ's Gospel. The results of the first, the
Extraordinary Assembly, will be used in the preparation of the
Instrumentum Laboris of the subsequent Ordinary Assembly, which will
be made known only after the publication of the final document,
subject to the decision of the Holy Father.
Given the importance of the Synod, a
Day of Prayer for the Synod will be held on Sunday 28 September, and
the Eucharist will be celebrated every day during the work of the
Synod in the Salus Populi Romanii Chapel in the Basilica of St. Mary
Major in Rome.
