The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales is consulting
the faithful countrywide in preparation for the important Extraordinary
Synod of Bishops, called by Pope Francis for October 2014, on the
“pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization”.
It has invited every diocese, parish, Catholic organization, and
individual Catholic to give their input to that synod by responding to
the 9 sets of topics, articulated in 39 questions, prepared by the
Council for the Synod.
The Bishops Conference has published the questions, together with
synod’s Preparatory Document, after receiving them from Vatican
Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of
Bishops. It has published them in this weekend’s edition of ‘The
Universe’, the highest circulation Catholic weekly in the UK and
Ireland.
“Your participation is important”, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of
Westminster, president of the Conference, told the Catholics of England
and Wales in a message accompanying the documentation in ‘The Universe’.
Encouraging them to respond – also on line -before December 20, he
assured them that their input would bring “the thoughts and experiences
of people who live the vocation of Christian marriage and family life”
to the synod.
As a participant in next October’s synod, Nichols
promised he would take careful note of their input.
Archbishop Nichols explained that the consideration of these
‘pastoral challenges’ will take place over two synods, both held in the
Vatican: the Extraordinary Synod of 2014 and the Ordinary Synod of
2015.
The purpose of the 2014 synod “is to establish an accurate
picture of the situation we face, together with proposals for “our
proclamation and living of the Gospel of the Family in a credible
manner”, he stated. “The task of formulating working guidelines in
pastoral care will be the main task of the Ordinary Synod in 2015”.
He emphasized that the 2014 synod “is not just about the pastoral
care of people who have been divorced and are re-married”, although
“that is part of its concern” but, as the Preparatory Document and
Questions show clearly, “the scope of the consultation is the entire
vocation of marriage and family life, how well we present and understand
the wonderful vision of marriage and human sexuality today, how well we
prepare young couples for marriage and support them in their family
lives” and so on.
In actual fact, the Preparatory Document offers a rich and readable
presentation of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family, and
highlights the contemporary ‘pastoral challenges’ facing the family.
However, it is the questions that are particularly striking: they go
right to the heart of the crisis surrounding the family.
The questionnaire, prepared by the Council of the Synod, contains
nine themes, articulated in 39 questions, which are open-ended and do
not duck the controversial issues. They can be summarized as follows.
The first theme focuses on “the diffusion of the teachings on the
Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium”, also since the
Second Vatican Council. It asks how well this is taught, and whether it
“is understood by people today”, and- where known - “if it is
accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice?”
It asks what “cultural factors” hinder “the full reception” of the
Church’s teaching on the family?
The second topic relates to “Marriage according to the Natural Law”.
It poses several questions, such as: “What place does the idea of the
natural law have in the cultural areas of society: in institutions,
education, academic circles and among the people at large?”, and
“whether the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a
woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general? “ It asks
how “the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and
woman” is “proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?”
It wants to know how the local bishop and priests deal with cases “where
non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the
celebration of marriage”.
The third theme concerns “the Pastoral Care of the Family in
Evangelization”. It wants to know the “experiences” that have emerged
in recent decades “regarding marriage preparation” and the
evangelization of the couple and the family. It asks whether an
awareness of the family as the "domestic Church" is being promoted, if
families are being taught to pray, and whether Christian families have
been able to transmit the faith? It asks “what pastoral care” is
provided to “couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?
The fourth topic addresses the much discussed question of “Pastoral
Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations”. It seeks to ascertain
the extent that cohabitation “as a way of trying out marriage before
making the commitment” is a pastoral reality in the local Church, and
whether there are unions “which are not recognized either religiously or
civilly”? It seeks to quantify the extent that “separated couples and
those divorced and remarried” are a reality in the local Church, and how
it deals with this situation. It asks “how do the baptized live in this
irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent?
Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving
the sacraments?” It wants to know “what questions do divorced and
remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the
Eucharist and of Reconciliation?” and how many of these “ask for these
sacraments?“
The synod inquiry asks whether “a simplification of canonical
practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond”
could “provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the
persons involved?” and, if so, “what form would it take? “ Lastly, it
asks whether there is a ministry in the local Church “to attend to these
cases”, and “How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and
those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice
her support for them in their journey of faith?”
The fifth topic zones in on “Unions of Persons of the Same
Sex”. It asks whether there is a law in the country “recognizing civil
unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to
marriage?” and what is “the attitude” of the local Church “towards both
the State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same
sex and to the people involved in this type of union? “
It also wants
to know “what pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen
to live in these types of union?” and, in the case of persons in
same-sex unions “who have adopted children”, what can be done pastorally
“in light of transmitting the faith?”
The sixth theme deals with important question of “the Education of
Children in Irregular Marriages”. It calls for an “estimate” of the
“proportion of children and adolescents in these cases” and of “children
who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?” It asks,
“How do parents in these situations approach the Church?” and whether
“they request the sacraments only” or “also want catechesis and the
general teaching of religion? “ It wants to know how the local Church
attempts to respond to “the needs of the parents of these children to
provide them with a Christian education?”, and what is “the sacramental
practice” in such cases?
In its seventh topic, the pre-synod inquiry raises questions relating
to “The Openness of the Married Couple to Life”. It begins by asking
“What knowledge” Christians today have of the teachings of Humanae
Vitae, Paul VI’s document on responsible parenthood, and whether couples
are “aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family
planning?” and if this moral teaching “is accepted”.
It wants to know
“What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couples’
accepting this teaching?”
It asks “what natural method” of birth
control is promoted by the local Churches “to help spouses put into
practice the teachings of Humanae Vitae?” And it seeks to ascertain the
experience of bishops, priests and people, regarding all this “in the
practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the
Eucharist?” Last but not least, it asks “how can a more open attitude
towards having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be
promoted?”
The eight theme relates to “the Relationship between the family and the person”. Noting that Jesus
Christ “reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person”, it asks
“How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?” and what
“critical situations in the family today” can “obstruct” a person’s
encounter with Christ? It seeks to understand to what extent “the many
crisis of faith which people can experience affect family life?”
The ninth and last topic is an open one: it invites people to mention
any other “challenges or proposals” they consider the synod should
address.
The searching questions are many and realistic. The Bishops of
England and Wales hope their initiative will spark a good response and
rich input from their people which they can then feed into the October
2014 synod.