Vatican City, 21 October 2015 (VIS) –
On Monday and Tuesday this week the Synod Fathers examined the third
part of the Instrumentum Laboris, which deals with, among other
themes, irregular family situations, admission of divorced and
remarried faithful to communion, the pastoral care of homosexuals,
and responsible parenthood.
The working groups analyses the special
needs of families in irregular or difficult situations,
acknowledging, as affirmed by the English-speaking group C whose
rapporteur is Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge, that “those
cohabiting are in a quite different situation from those who are
divorced and civilly remarried. We also agreed that cohabitation,
though very widespread in many cultures now, could not be considered
a good in itself. We were prepared to recognise that there may be
good in the relationship of those cohabiting rather than in
cohabitation in some quasi-institutional sense”.
“We know that that are many other
families who feel they are far from the ideal model, and others who
to a greater or lesser extent do not even think it is for them”,
comments the French group represented by Bishop Laurent Ulrich.
“Divided families, mixed families, single parent families, families
without marriage, even civil only; we cannot reject them, and we do
not wish to think that their path does not lead them to God, Who
loves and draws all people towards Him. We believe that in them we
see the Spirit of the Lord Who inspires much of their behaviour in
their lives, and this detracts nothing from Christian families whom
we support and encourage”.
With regard to the divorced and civilly
remarried, there is general agreement about the need to provide more
effective pastoral accompaniment for these couples, and especially
for their children who also have rights. Some groups express
perplexity, however, in relation to what the Instrumentum Laboris
refers to as a “a penitential path”. “It is not clear to name
the journey taken by the divorced and remarried as a 'penitential
path'”, remarks the Spanish-speaking group represented by
Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo. “Perhaps it would be
better to speak about itineraries of reconciliation, as there are
some irreversible situations that cannot be subject to a penitential
path without the possibility of overcoming this”.
“It would appear that, with regard to
the issue of closeness, we are all in agreement, but what happens
when we consider access to the sacraments?” asked the
Spanish-speaking group whose rapporteur is Cardinal Jose Luis Lacunza
Maestrojuan, O.A.R. “Without doubt, we need to set in motion a
generous movement removing many of the obstacles from the way so that
divorced and remarried faithful can participate more widely in the
life of the Church: at the moment they cannot be godparents, they
cannot be catechists, and they are not able to teach religion. … We
must show that we are listening to the cry of many people who suffer
and who call to participate as fully as possible in the life of the
Church”.
“With regard to the discipline of
remarried divorcees, at present it is not possible to establish
general criteria covering all cases, which are very diverse”,
observes the Italian group represented by Cardinal Maurizio Piacenza.
“There are divorced and remarried faithful who apply themselves to
following the path of the Gospel, offering significant witness of
charity. At the same time, it is undeniable that in some
circumstances, factors are present that limit the possibilities of
acting differently. As a consequence, the judgement on an objective
situation cannot be assumed in the judgement on subjective
'impunity'. The limits and conditions thus become an appeal to
discernment – primarily on the part of the bishop – which must be
accurate and respect the complexity of such situations”.
The English group A, whose rapporteur
is Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz, expresses the view that “pastoral
practice concerning admission to the Sacrament of the Eucharist by
the divorced and civilly remarried ought not to be left to individual
episcopal conferences. To do so would risk harm to the unity of the
Catholic Church, the understanding of her sacramental order, and the
visible witness of the life of the faithful”.
The English group represented by
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin requests that “the Holy Father, taking
into account the rich material which has emerged during this synodal
process, consider establishing during the Jubilee Year of Mercy a
Special Commission to study in depth the ways in which the
disciplines of the Church which flow from the indissolubility of
marriage apply to the situation of people in irregular unions,
including situations arising from the practice of polygamy”.
There are many references to this issue
in St. John Paul II's encyclical “Familiaris consortio”.
The condition of homosexual persons is
considered primarily from the perspective of the family context. The
English group C insists that “we address this issue as pastors,
seeking to understand the reality of people's lives rather than
issues in some more abstract sense”. The group also asks that “the
final document include at an appropriate point a clear statement of
Church teaching that same-sex unions are in no way equivalent to
marriage”.
On the same issue, the English group A
reiterates that “the Church as the spouse of Christ patterns her
behaviour after the Lord Jesus, Whose all-embracing love is offered
to every person without exception. Parents and siblings of family
members with homosexual tendencies are called to love and accept
these members of their family with an undivided and understanding
heart”.
Some Fathers suggest that the issue be
eliminated from the discussions in this Synod as its importance would
call for a specific Synod on the matter.
The theme of responsible parenthood has
given rise to lively exchange, and is of great current importance in
relation to the dignity of the person and of life. The working groups
also considered mixed marriage, and called for greater pastoral focus
on the defence of women and children in precarious situations.
With regard to the Synod methodology,
the French group represented by Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher
writes, “like agronomists who talk about different methods of
irrigation, we have talked about the method of our Synod. Is it
well-suited to its purpose? We expend an enormous amount of energy,
from all points of view. People are exhausted from the work they are
doing. Will the result be worth the effort? Perhaps we could have
identified some specific themes to examine between the two Synods, so
as to have more time to study. Will Pontifical Commissions be
appointed to carry out the work we hope will be done? … We have
enjoyed the greater amount of time given to us in small groups. From
our exchanges, there strongly emerges the ministry of communion that
is ours as bishops”.
“The theme of mercy has run
throughout the Synod, challenging our pastoral ministry”, concludes
the Italian group B. “We are aware that the mystery of the
Incarnation fully expresses the salvific will of God. This divine
determination has also been entrusted to our mission and to the
sacramental means that find their true hermeneutic in the sense of
being an appeal to conversion, support, a medicine and an aid for our
salvation”.
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