There are no suggestions for doctrinal change in this document. It points to Jesus Christ as the ontological revelation of Matrimony in His Self-gift to death on the Cross for the Church, reminiscent of St. Paul's "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the Church" (Eph. 5, 25). It points out the contextual problem that is the culural individualism, which is characterized as "exasperated" and "that distorts family bonds and ends up considreing each component of the family as an isolated unit," but the meaning of the family, the self-giving oneness of the spouses, images the oneness of the Father and the Son: "12. In order to 'walk among contemporary challenges, the decisive condition is to maintain a fixed gaze on Jesus Christ, to pause in contemplation and in adoration of His Face. ... Indeed, every time we return to the source of the Christian experience, new paths and undreamed of possibilities open up' (Pope Francis, Address of 4 October 2014).... 13. From the moment that the order of creation is determined by orientation towards Christ, it becomes necessary to distinguish without separating the various levels through which God communicates the grace of the covenant to humanity. Through the law of gradualness (cf. Familiaris Consortio, 34), typical of divine pedagogy, this means interpreting the nuptial covenant in terms of continuity and novelty, in the order of creation and in that of redemption.
14. Jesus Himself, referring to the primordial plan for the human couple, reaffirms the indissoluble union between man and woman, while understanding that "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning" (Mt 19,8). In this way, He shows how divine condescension always accompanies the path of humanity, directing it towards its new beginning, not without passing through the cross."
And so it seems that at root there is a metaphysical ground to this half-way document where the "Being" of the conjugal - "unum" - is the meaning of the human person as found in the Person of Christ. He is the "unum" with the Church - the ikon of matrimomy - for Whom He gave Himself totally as God-man. The "divine condescension" is the divine mercy for the persons of man and woman in a gradual development of conversion from the individualism of self-referentialy in which marriages have fallen into social and economic individualism.
| Oct.
15, 2014
Synod14 -- Eleventh General Assembly:
"Relatio post disceptationem" of the General Rapporteur,
Card. Péter Erdő, 13.10.2014
Introduction
1.
During the prayer vigil held in St Peter's Square on 4
October 2014 in preparation for the Synod on the family, Pope Francis evoked
the centrality of the experience of family in all lives, in a simple and
concrete manner: "Evening falls on our assembly. It is the hour at which
one willingly returns home to meet at the same table, in the depth of
affection, of the good that has been done and received, of the encounters which
warm the heart and make it grow, good wine which hastens the unending feast in
the days of man. It is also the weightiest hour for one who finds himself face
to face with his own loneliness, in the bitter twilight of shattered dreams and
broken plans; how many people trudge through the day in
the blind alley of resignation, of abandonment, even resentment: in how many
homes the wine of joy has been less plentiful, and therefore, also the zest --
the very wisdom -- for life [...]. Let us make our prayer heard for one another this
evening, a prayer for all".
2. The source of joys and trials, of deep affections and relations
-- at times wounded -- the family is truly a "school of humanity" ("Familia
schola quaedam uberioris humanitatis est", Vatican Council II,
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World,Gaudium et Spes, 52), of which
we are in great need. Despite the many signs of crisis in the institution of
the family in various contexts of the "global village", the desire
for family remains alive, especially among the young, and is at the root of the
Church's need to proclaim tirelessly and with profound conviction the
"Gospel of the family" entrusted to her with the revelation of God's
love in Jesus Christ.
3. The Bishop of Rome called upon the Synod of
Bishops to reflect upon the situation of the family, decisive and valuable, in
its Extraordinary General Assembly of October 2014, a reflection which will
then be pursued in greater depth in the Ordinary General Assembly scheduled to
take place in October 2015, as well as during the full intervening year between
the two synodal events. "The convenire in unum around the Bishop of
Rome is already an event of grace, in which episcopal collegiality is made
manifest in a path of spiritual and pastoral discernment": thus Pope
Francis described the synodal experience, indicating its tasks in the dual
process of listening to the signs of God and the history of mankind and in the resulting dual
and unique fidelity.
4. In the light of the same discourse we have gathered together
the results of our reflections and our dialogues in the following three
parts: listening, to look at the situation of the family today, in the
complexity of its light and shade; looking, our gaze fixed on Christ,
to re-evaluate with renewed freshness and enthusiasm what the revelation
transmitted in the faith of the Church tells us about the beauty and dignity of
the family; and discussion in the light of the Lord Jesus to discern
the ways in which the Church and society can renew their commitment to the
family.
Part I
Listening: the context and
challenges to the family
The socio-cultural context
5. Anthropological and cultural change today influences all
aspects of life and requires an analytic and diversified approach, able to
discern the positive forms of individual freedom. It is necessary to be aware
of the growing danger represented by an exasperated individualism that
distorts family bonds and ends up considering each component of the family as
an isolated unit, leading in some cases to the prevalence of an idea of the
subject formed according to his or her own wishes, which are assumed as
absolute.
6. The most difficult test for families in our time is often
solitude, which destroys and gives rise to a general sensation of impotence in
relation to the socio-economic situation that often ends up crushing them. This
is due to growing precariousness in the workplace that is often experienced as
a nightmare, or due to heavy taxation that certainly does not encourage young
people to marriage.
7. Some cultural and religious contexts pose particular
challenges. In African societies the practice of polygamy remains, along with,
in some traditional contexts, the custom of "marriage in stages". In other
contexts the practice of "arranged marriages" persists. In countries
in which Catholicism is a minority religion, there are many mixed marriages
with all the difficulties that these may lead to in terms of legal form, the
education of children and mutual respect from the point of view of religious
freedom, but also with the great potential that derives from the encounter
between the differences in faith that these stories of family life present. In
many contexts, and not only in the West, the practice of cohabitation before
marriage, or indeed cohabitation not orientated towards assuming the form of an
institutional bond, is increasingly widespread.
8. Many children are born outside marriage, especially in
certain countries, and there are many who subsequently grow up with just one of
their parents or in an enlarged or reconstituted family context. The number of
divorces is growing and it is not rare to encounter cases in which decisions
are taken solely on the basis of economic factors. The condition of women still
needs to be defended and promoted, as situations of violence within the family
are not rare. Children are frequently the object of contention between parents,
and are the true victims of family breakdown. Societies riven by violence due
to war, terrorism or the presence of organized crime experience deteriorating
family situations. Furthermore, migration is another sign of the times, to be
faced and understood in terms of the burden of consequences for family life.
The relevance of emotional life
9. Faced with the social framework outlined above, a greater
need is encountered among individuals to take care of themselves, to know their
inner being, and to live in greater harmony with their emotions and sentiments,
seeking a relational quality in emotional life. In the same way, it is possible
to encounter a widespread desire for family accompanied by the search for
oneself. But how can this attention to the care for oneself be cultivated and
maintained, alongside this desire for family? This is a great challenge for the
Church too. The danger of individualism and the risk of living selfishly are
significant.
10. Today's world appears to promote limitless affectivity,
seeking to explore all its aspects, including the most complex. Indeed, the
question of emotional fragility is very current: a narcissistic, unstable or
changeable affectivity do not always help greater maturity to be reached.
In this context, couples are often uncertain and hesitant, struggling to find
ways to grow. Many tend to remain in the early stages of emotional and sexual
life. The crisis in the couple destabilizes the family and may lead, through
separations and divorce, to serious consequences for adults, children and
society as a whole, weakening the individual and social bonds. The decline in
population not only creates a situation in which the alternation of generations
is no longer assured, but over time also risks leading to economic
impoverishment and a loss of hope in the future.
Pastoral challenges
11. In this context the Church is aware of the need to offer
a meaningful word of hope. It is necessary to set out from the conviction that
man comes from God and that, therefore, a reflection able to reframe the great
questions on the meaning of human existence, may find fertile ground in
humanity's most profound expectations. The great values of marriage and the
Christian family correspond to the search that distinguishes human existence
even in a time marked by individualism and hedonism. It is necessary to accept
people in their concrete being, to know how to support their search, to
encourage the wish for God and the will to feel fully part of the Church, also
on the part of those who have experienced failure or find themselves in the
most diverse situations. This requires that the doctrine of the faith, the
basic content of which should be made increasingly better known, be proposed
alongside with mercy.
PART II
The gaze upon Christ: the
Gospel of the Family
The gaze upon Jesus and gradualness in the history of salvation
12. In order to "walk among contemporary
challenges, the decisive condition is to maintain a fixed gaze on Jesus Christ,
to pause in contemplation and in adoration of His Face. ... Indeed, every time
we return to the source of the Christian experience, new paths and undreamed of
possibilities open up" (Pope Francis, Address of 4 October 2014).
Jesus looked upon the women and the men he met with love and tenderness,
accompanying their steps with patience and mercy, in proclaiming the demands of
the Kingdom of God.
13. From the moment that the order of creation
is determined by orientation towards Christ, it becomes necessary to
distinguish without separating the various levels through which God
communicates the grace of the covenant to humanity. Through the law of gradualness
(cf. Familiaris Consortio, 34),
typical of divine pedagogy, this means interpreting the nuptial covenant
in terms of continuity and novelty, in the order of creation and in that of
redemption.
14. Jesus Himself, referring to the primordial
plan for the human couple, reaffirms the indissoluble union between man and
woman, while understanding that "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives
because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning"
(Mt 19,8). In this way, He shows how divine condescension
always accompanies the path of humanity, directing it towards its new
beginning, not without passing through the cross.
The family in God's salvific plan
15. Since, by their commitment to mutual acceptance and with
the grace of Christ couples promise fidelity to one another and openness to
life, they acknowledge as constitutive elements of marriage the gifts God
offers them, taking their mutual responsibility seriously, in His name and
before the Church. Now, in faith it is possible to assume the goods of marriage as
commitments best maintained with the help of the grace of the sacrament.
God
consecrates love between spouses and confirms its indissolubility, offering
them help in living in fidelity and openness to life. Therefore, the
gaze of the Church turns not only to the couple, but to the family.
16. We are able to distinguish three fundamental phases in
the divine plan for the family: the family of origins, when God the creator
instituted the primordial marriage between Adam and Eve, as a solid foundation
for the family: he created them male and female (cg. Gn 1,24-31;
2,4b); the historic family, wounded by sin (cf. Gn 3) and the family
redeemed by Christ (cf. Eph 5,21-32), in the image of the Holy
Trinity, the mystery from which every true love springs. The sponsal covenant,
inaugurated in creation and revealed in the history of God and Israel, reaches
its fullest expression with Christ in the Church.
The discernment of values present in wounded families and in
irregular situations
17. In considering the principle of gradualness in the
divine salvific plan, one asks what possibilities are given to
married couples who experience the failure of their marriage, or rather how it
is possible to offer them Christ's help through the ministry of the Church. In
this respect, a significant hermeneutic key comes from the teaching of Vatican
Council II, which, while it affirms that "although many elements of
sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure ... these
elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling
toward Catholic unity" (Lumen Gentium, 8).
18. In this light, the value and consistency of natural
marriage must first be emphasized. Some ask whether the sacramental fullness of
marriage does not exclude the possibility of recognizing positive elements even
the imperfect forms that may be found outside this nuptial situation, which are
in any case ordered in relation to it. The doctrine of levels of communion,
formulated by Vatican Council II, confirms the vision of a structured way of
participating in the Mysterium Ecclesiae by baptized persons.
19. In the same, perspective, that we may consider
inclusive, the Council opens up the horizon for appreciating the positive
elements present in other religions (cf. Nostra Aetate, 2) and cultures,
despite their limits and their insufficiencies (cf. Redemptoris Missio,
55). Indeed, looking at the human wisdom present in these, the Church learns
how the family is universally considered as the necessary and fruitful form of
human cohabitation. In this sense, the order of creation, in which the
Christian vision of the family is rooted, unfolds historically, in different
cultural and geographical expressions.
20. Realizing the need, therefore, for spiritual
discernment with regard to cohabitation, civil marriages and divorced and
remarried persons, it is the task of the Church to recognize those seeds of the
Word that have spread beyond its visible and sacramental boundaries. Following
the expansive gaze of Christ, whose light illuminates every man
(cf. Jn 1,9; cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22), the Church turns
respectfully to those who participate in her life in an incomplete and
imperfect way, appreciating the positive values they contain rather than their
limitations and shortcomings.
Truth and beauty of the family and mercy
21. The Gospel of the family, while it shines in the witness
of many families who live coherently their fidelity to the sacrament, with
their mature fruits of authentic daily sanctity, must also nurture those seeds
that are yet to mature, and must care for those trees that have dried up and
wish not to be neglected.
22. In this respect, a new dimension of today's family pastoral
consists of accepting the reality of civil marriage and also cohabitation,
taking into account the due differences. Indeed, when a union reaches a notable
level of stability through a public bond, is characterized by deep affection,
responsibility with regard to offspring, and capacity to withstand tests, it
may be seen as a germ to be accompanied in development towards the sacrament of
marriage. Very often, however, cohabitation is established not with a view to a
possible future marriage, but rather without any intention of establishing an
institutionally-recognized relationship.
23. Imitating Jesus' merciful gaze, the Church
must accompany her most fragile sons and daughters, marked by wounded and lost
love, with attention and care, restoring trust and hope to them like the light
of a beacon in a port, or a torch carried among the people to light the way for
those who are lost or find themselves in the midst of the storm.
Part III
The discussion: pastoral
perspectives
Proclaiming the Gospel of the family today, in various contexts
24. The Synod dialog has allowed an agreement on some of the
more urgent pastoral needs to be entrusted to being made concrete in the
individual local Churches, in communion cum Petro et sub Petro.
25. The announcement of the Gospel of the family is an
urgent issue for the new evangelization. The Church has to carry this out with
the tenderness of a mother and the clarity of a teacher
(cf. Eph 4,15), in fidelity to the merciful kenosis of
Christ. The truth is incarnated in human fragility not to condemn it, but to
cure it.
26. Evangelizing is the shared responsibility of all God's
people, each according to his or her own ministry and charism. Without the
joyous testimony of spouses and families, the announcement, even if correct,
risks being misunderstood or submerged by the ocean of words that is a
characteristic of our society (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 50). On various
occasions the Synodal Fathers underlined that Catholic families are called upon
themselves to be the active subjects of all the pastoral of the
family.
27. It will be decisive to highlight the primacy of grace,
and therefore of the possibilities that the Spirit gives in the sacrament. This
is about letting it be known that the Gospel of the family is a joy that «fills
the hearts and lives», because in Christ we are «set free from sin, sorrow,
inner emptiness, and loneliness» (Evangelii Gaudium, 1). In the light of the
parable of the sower (cf. Mt 13,3), our task is to cooperate in the
sowing: the rest is God's work. We must not forget that the Church that
preaches about the family is a sign of contradiction.
28. For this reason, what is required is a missionary
conversion: it is necessary not to stop at an announcement that is
merely theoretical and has nothing to do with people's real problems. It must
not be forgotten that the crisis of faith has led to a crisis in matrimony and
the family and, as a result, the transmission of faith from parents to children
has often been interrupted. Confronted by a strong faith, the imposition of
certain cultural perspectives that weaken the family is of no importance.
29.
Conversion has, above all, to be that of language so that this might prove to
be effectively meaningful. The announcement is about letting it be
experienced that the Gospel of the family is the response to the deepest
expectations of a person: to his or her dignity and its full realization in
reciprocity and communion. This is not merely about presenting a set of
regulations but about putting forward values, responding to the need of
those who find themselves today even in the most secularized countries.
30. The indispensable biblical-theological study is to be
accompanied by dialog, at all levels. Many insisted on a more positive approach
to the riches contained in diverse religious experiences, while not
being blind to the difficulties. In the diverse cultural realities the
possibilities should first be grasped and in the light of them the limits and
radicalizations should be rejected.
31. Christian marriage cannot only be considered
as a cultural tradition or social obligation, but has to be a vocational
decision taken with the proper preparation in an itinerary of faith, with
mature discernment. This is not about creating difficulties and
complicating the cycles of formation, but of going deeply into the issue and
not being content with theoretical meetings or general orientations.
32. The need was jointly referred to for a
conversion of all pastoral practices from the perspective of the family,
overcoming the individualistic points of view that still characterize it. This
is why there was a repeated insistence on renewing in this light the training
of presbyters and other pastoral operators, through a greater involvement of the
families themselves.
33. In the same way, the necessity was underlined for an
evangelization that denounces clearly the cultural, social and economic
factors, for example, the excessive room given to market logic, that prevents
an authentic family life, leading to discrimination, poverty, exclusion, and
violence. For this reason a dialog and cooperation has to be developed with the
social structures, and lay people who are involved in cultural and
socio-political fields should be encouraged.
Guiding couples on the path in preparation for marriage
34. The complex social reality and the changes that the
family is called on today to deal with require a greater undertaking from the
whole Christian community for the preparation of those who are about to be married.
As regards this necessity the Synodal Fathers agreed to underline the need for
a greater involvement of the entire community privileging the testimony of the
families themselves, as well as a rooting of the preparation for marriage in
the path of Christian initiation, underlining the connection between marriage
and the other sacraments. In the same way, the necessity was highlighted for
specific programs for preparation for marriage that are a true experience of
participation in the ecclesial life and that study closely the diverse aspects
of family life.
Accompanying the early years of married life
35.
The early years of marriage are a vital and delicate period during which
couples grow in the awareness of the challenges and meaning of matrimony. Thus
the need for a pastoral accompaniment that goes beyond the celebration of the
sacrament. Of great importance in this pastoral is the presence of experienced
couples. The parish is considered the ideal place for expert couples to place
themselves at the disposal of younger ones. Couples need to be encouraged
towards a fundamental welcome of the great gift of children. The importance of
family spirituality and prayer needs to be underlined, encouraging couples to
meet regularly to promote the growth of the spiritual life and solidarity in
the concrete demands of life. Meaningful liturgies, devotional practices and
the Eucharist celebrated for families, were mentioned as vital in favoring
evangelization through the family.
Positive aspects of civil unions and cohabitation
36. A new sensitivity in today's pastoral consists in
grasping the positive reality of civil weddings and, having pointed out our
differences, of cohabitation. It is necessary that in the ecclesial proposal,
while clearly presenting the ideal, we also indicate the constructive elements
in those situations that do not yet or no longer correspond to that
ideal.
37. It was also noted that in many countries an "an
increasing number live together ad experimentum, in unions which have not
been religiously or civilly recognized" (Instrumentum Laboris, 81). In
Africa this occurs especially in traditional marriages, agreed between families
and often celebrated in different stages. Faced by these situations, the Church
is called on to be "the house of the Father, with doors always wide open
[...] where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems"
(Evangelii Gaudium, 47) and to move towards those who feel the need to take up
again their path of faith, even if it is not possible to celebrate a religious
marriage.
38. In the West as well there is an increasingly large
number of those who, having lived together for a long period of time, ask to be
married in the Church. Simple cohabitation is often a choice inspired by a
general attitude, which is opposed to institutions and definitive undertakings,
but also while waiting for a secure existence (a steady job and income). In
other countries common-law marriages are very numerous, not because of a
rejection of Christian values as regards the family and matrimony, but, above
all, because getting married is a luxury, so that material poverty encourages
people to live in common-law marriages. Furthermore in such unions it is
possible to grasp authentic family values or at least the wish for them. Pastoral
accompaniment should always start from these positive aspects.
39. All these situations have to be dealt with
in a constructive manner, seeking to transform them into opportunities to walk
towards the fullness of marriage and the family in the light of the Gospel.
They
need to be welcomed and accompanied with patience and delicacy. With a view to
this, the attractive testimony of authentic Christian families is important, as
subjects for the evangelization of the family.
Caring for wounded families (the separated, the divorced who have
not remarried, the divorced who have remarried)
40. What rang out clearly in the Synod was the necessity for
courageous pastoral choices. Reconfirming forcefully the fidelity to the Gospel
of the family, the Synodal Fathers, felt the urgent need for new pastoral
paths, that begin with the effective reality of familial fragilities,
recognizing that they, more often than not, are more "endured" than
freely chosen. These are situations that are diverse because of personal as
well as cultural and socio-economic factors. It is not wise to think of unique
solutions or those inspired by a logic of "all or nothing". The
dialog and meeting that took place in the Synod will have to continue in the
local Churches, involving their various components, in such a way that the
perspectives that have been drawn up might find their full maturation in the
work of the next Ordinary General
Assembly. The guidance of the Spirit, constantly invoked, will allow all
God's people to live the fidelity to the Gospel of the family as a merciful
caring for all situations of fragility.
41. Each damaged family first of all should be listened to
with respect and love, becoming companions on the journey as Christ did with
the disciples of the road to Emmaus. In a particular way the words of Pope
Francis apply in these situations: «The Church will have to initiate everyone
-- priests, religious and laity -- into this "art of accompaniment",
which
teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Es 3,5).
The
pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our
closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages
growth in the Christian life» (Evangelii Gaudium, 169).
42. Such discernment is indispensable for the separated
and divorced. What needs to be respected above all is the suffering
of those who have endured separation and divorce unjustly. The forgiveness for
the injustice endured is not easy, but it is a journey that grace makes possible.
In the same way it needs to be always underlined that it is indispensable to
assume in a faithful and constructive way the consequences of separation or
divorce on the children: they must not become an "object" to be
fought over and the most suitable means need to be sought so that they can get
over the trauma of the family break-up and grow up in the most serene way
possible.
43. Various Fathers underlined the necessity to
make the recognition of cases of nullity more accessible and flexible.
Among the propositions were the abandonment of the need for the double
conforming sentence; the possibility of establishing an administrative means
under the responsibility of the diocesan bishop; a summary process to be used
in cases of clear nullity. According to authoritative propositions, the
possibility should then be considered of giving weight to the faith of those
about to be married in terms of the validity of the sacrament of marriage. It
needs to emphasized that in all these cases it is about the ascertaining of the
truth over the validity of the obstacle.
44. As regards matrimonial suits, the speeding-up of the
procedure, requested by many, as well as the preparation of a sufficient number
of operators, clerics and lay people, dedicating themselves to this, requires
an increase in the responsibilities of the diocesan bishop, who in his diocese
might charge a specially trained priest who would be able to offer the parties
advice on the validity of their marriage.
Divorced and Remarried
45. Divorced people who have not remarried
should be invited to find in the Eucharist the nourishment they need to sustain
them in their state. The local community and pastors have to accompany
these people with solicitude, particularly when there are children involved or
they find themselves in a serious situation of poverty.
46. In the same way the situation of the divorced who have
remarried demands a careful discernment and an accompaniment full of respect,
avoiding any language or behavior that might make them feel discriminated
against. For the Christian community looking after them is not a weakening of
its faith and its testimony to the indissolubility of marriage, but rather it
expresses precisely its charity in its caring.
Receiving
the Eucharist and Penance
47. As regards the possibility of partaking of the
sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, some argued in favor of the present
regulations because of their theological foundation, others were in
favor of a greater opening on very precise conditions when dealing with
situations that cannot be resolved without creating new injustices and
suffering. For some, partaking of the sacraments might occur were it
preceded by a penitential path -- under the responsibility of the diocesan
bishop --, and with a clear undertaking in favor of the children. This would
not be a general possibility, but the fruit of a discernment applied on a
case-by-case basis, according to a law of gradualness, that takes into
consideration the distinction between state of sin, state of grace and the
attenuating circumstances.
48. Suggesting limiting themselves to only "spiritual communion" was
questioned by more than a few Synodal Fathers: if spiritual communion is
possible, why not allow them to partake in the sacrament? As a result a greater theological study was requested
starting with the links between the sacrament of marriage and the Eucharist in
relation to the Church-sacrament. In the same way, the moral dimension of the
problem requires further consideration, listening to and illuminating the
consciences of spouses.
49. The problems relative to mixed marriages were frequently
raised in the interventions of the Synodal Fathers. The differences in the
matrimonial regulations of the Orthodox Churches creates serious problems in
certain contexts to which have to be found suitable responses in communion with
the Pope. The same applies to inter-religious marriages.
Welcoming homosexual persons
50. Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the
Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to
them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a
Church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of
providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without
compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?
51. The question of homosexuality leads to a serious
reflection on how to elaborate realistic paths of affective growth and human
and evangelical maturity integrating the sexual dimension: it appears therefore
as an important educative challenge. The Church furthermore affirms that unions
between people of the same sex cannot be considered on the same footing as
matrimony between man and woman. Nor is it acceptable that pressure be
brought to bear on pastors or that international bodies make financial aid
dependent on the introduction of regulations inspired by gender ideology.
52. Without denying the moral problems connected to
homosexual unions it has to be noted that there are cases in which mutual aid
to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life of the
partners. Furthermore, the Church pays special attention to the children who
live with couples of the same sex, emphasizing that the needs and rights of the
little ones must always be given priority.
The transmission of life and the challenge of the declining
birthrate
53. It is not difficult to notice the spread of a mentality
that reduces the generation of life to a variable of an individual's or a
couple's plans. Economic factors sometimes have enough weight to contribute to
the sharp drop in the birthrate which weakens the social fabric, compromising
the relationship between generations and rendering the view of the future less
certain. Being open to life is an intrinsic requirement of married love.
54. Probably here as well what is required is a realistic
language that is able to start from listening to people and acknowledging the
beauty and truth of an unconditional opening to life as that which human life
requires to be lived to its fullest. It is on this base that we can
rest an appropriate teaching regarding natural methods, which allow the living
in a harmonious and aware way of the communication between spouses, in all its
dimensions, along with generative responsibility. In this light, we should go back
to the message of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae of Paul VI, which
underlines the need to respect the dignity of the person in the moral
evaluation of the methods of birth control.
55. So help is required to live affectivity, in marriage as
well, as a path of maturation, in the evermore profound welcoming of the other
and in an ever-fuller giving. It has to be emphasized in this sense the need to
offer formative paths that nourish married life and the importance of a laity
that provides an accompaniment consisting of living testimony. It is
undoubtedly of great help the example of a faithful and profound love made up
of tenderness, of respect, capable of growing in time and which in its concrete
opening to the generation of life allows us to experience a mystery that
transcends us.
The challenge of education and the role of the family in
evangelization
56. The fundamental challenge facing families today is
undoubtedly that of education, rendered more difficult and complex by today's
cultural reality. What have to be considered are the needs and expectations of
families capable of testifying in daily life, places of growth, of concrete and
essential transmission of the virtues that provide form for existence.
57. In this Church can carry out a precious role in
supporting families, starting from Christian initiation, through welcoming
communities. What is asked of these, today even more than yesterday, in complex
as well as mundane situations, is to support parents in their educative
undertaking, accompanying children and young people in their growth through
personalized paths capable of introducing them to the full meaning of life and
encouraging choices and responsibilities, lived in the light of the Gospel.
Conclusion
58. The reflections put forward, the fruit of the Synodal
dialog that took place in great freedom and a spirit of reciprocal listening, are
intended to raise questions and indicate
perspectives that will have to be matured and made clearer by the reflection of
the local Churches in the year that separates us from the Ordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of bishops planned for October 2015. These
are not decisions that have been made nor simply points of view.
All the same the collegial path of the bishops and the involvement of all God's
people under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will lead us to find roads of
truth and mercy for all. This is the wish that from the beginning of our work
Pope Francis has extended to us, inviting us to the courage of the faith and
the humble and honest welcome of the truth in charity.
No comments:
Post a Comment