“Family spirit” is like “a
constitutional charter for the Church”. Indeed, “this is how Christianity must
appear, and this is how it must be”. The
Pope stated this in the catechesis given during the General Audience on
Wednesday, 7 October, in St Peter’s Square. The following is a translation of
the Holy Father’s address, which was given in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! Just a few days ago the Synod of Bishops
opened on the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and
in the contemporary world”. The family that walks in the way of the Lord is
fundamental to the witness of God’s love and therefore deserves all the
dedication the Church is capable of. The Synod is called to interpret, for
today, this concern and this attention of the Church. Let us accompany the
entire path of the Synod first of all with our prayer and our interest. In this
period the catecheses reflection will draw inspiration from certain aspects of
the relationship — which we might well
call indissoluble! — between the Church and the family, whose horizon is open
to the good of the entire Christian community. An
attentive look at the everyday life of today’s men and women immediately shows
the omnipresent need for a healthy injection of “family spirit”. Indeed, the
form of the relationship — civil, economic, juridical, professional, civic —
seems quite rational, formal, organized, but also very “dehydrated”, arid,
anonymous. At times it becomes unbearable. While seeking to be inclusive in its
forms, in reality it abandons more and more people to loneliness and discards
them. This
is why, for the whole of society, the family opens a much more human prospect: it opens its sons
and daughters’ eyes — and not only sight but also all the other senses — to
life, representing a vision of the human relationship built on the free
covenant of love. The family posits the need for the bonds of loyalty, sincerity,
trust, cooperation, respect. It
encourages its members to plan an inhabitable world and belief in trusting
relationships, even in difficult conditions; it teaches them to honour one’s
word, to respect each individual, to share within one’s personal limitations
and those of others. We are all aware of the irreplaceable family attention for
the littlest, most vulnerable, most wounded, and even the most debilitated
members, in living their lives. In society, those who practice these attitudes
have assimilated them from the family spirit, certainly not through competition
and the desire for self-fulfillment. Well,
although knowing all this, the family is not accorded due importance — or
recognition, or support — in the political and economic organization of
contemporary society. Furthermore, I would like to say: not only does the
family not receive adequate recognition, but it no longer engenders learning!
At times it might be said that, with all its science, its technology, modern
society is no longer able to translate this knowledge into better forms of
civil coexistence. Not only is the organization of ordinary life increasingly
thwarted by a bureaucracy completely irrelevant to fundamental human bonds but,
even social and political customs often show signs of degradation —
aggressiveness, vulgarity, contempt —
which are well below the threshold of even a minimal family education. In such
circumstances, the opposite extremes of this abasement of relationships —
namely technocratic obtuseness and amoral familism — join and incite each other. This is a paradox. The
Church identifies today, at this exact point, the historical meaning of her
mission with regard to the family and to the authentic family spirit: beginning
from a careful review of life, which examines itself. One could say that the
“family spirit” is a constitutional charter for the Church: this is how
Christianity must appear, and this is how it
must be. It is written in bold characters: “you who were far off” — St
Paul says — […] are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:17, 19).
The Church is and must be the family of God. Jesus,
when he called Peter to follow him, told him that he would make him a “fisher
of men”; and for this reason a new type of net is needed. We should say that
today families are one of the most important nets for the mission of Peter and
of the Church. This is not a net that takes one prisoner! On the contrary, it
frees people from the cruel waters of abandonment and indifference, which drown
many human beings in the sea of loneliness and indifference. Families know well
the feeling of dignity conferred by being sons and daughters and not slaves,
nor strangers, not just a number on an identity card. From
here, from the family, Jesus resumes his passage among human beings to persuade
them that God has not forgotten them. From here Peter draws the strength for
his ministry. From here the Church, obeying the Teacher’s word, puts out to
fish in the deep waters, certain that, if she does so, the catch will be
miraculous. May the enthusiasm of the Synod Fathers, enlivened by the Holy
Spirit, foster the impetus of a Church that abandons the old nets and puts out
again to fish, trusting in the word of her Lord. Let us pray earnestly for this! Christ, after all, promised and
encourages us: even if bad fathers do not deny their hungry children bread, how
much more will God give the Spirit to those who — imperfect as they are — ask
him with fervent persistence (cf. Lk
11:9-13)! After
the catechesis, the Holy Father greeted various groups in the Square: I
offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and
visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland,
Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, Norway, Nigeria,
Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. I ask you to continue to pray for the Synod
on the Family, and to recommit your families to Christ. May you always be witnesses to his mercy and
love in the world. God bless you all!…
(Vatican Radio) Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. opened the daily press conference by explaining what had happened in the morning session. He said that the general secretary of the Synod, Cardinal Baldisseri, had explained “certain processes of the methodology” and its new elements. Lombardi said that Pope Francis also thought it was important for him to make a contribution and so he too said a few words.
“The Holy Father thought it important to say that what we are doing here must be seen as a continuation of last year,” Lombardi said. Pope Francis said that the group work, which the Synod Fathers begins on Tuesday afternoon, is going to be very important. The Pope reminded the Fathers that “Catholic doctrine on marriage was not called into question in the previous sitting of the Synod” and that “the Synod is not about one single issue – Eucharist for the divorced and remarried – but many issues and we must take them all into account.”
Fr. Lombardi listed different themes which arose in the contributions made during the session. He highlighted a number of them which included the passing on of the faith inter-generationally, migration, domestic violence, war, poverty, and polygamy.
Basilian Fr. Thomas Rosica, who is the English-speaking Media Attaché of the Holy See, said the comments made by the Synod Fathers were brief. Each is only allowed to speak for three minutes which “helps foster clarity.” He said that some interventions suggested there had been an over-emphasis on the problems the family faces and that one of the Fathers suggested that we acknowledge the “beauty and joy” of family life. “Some of the interventions suggested we should be more inclusionary in our language, especially in the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Gay persons are our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, neighbours and colleagues,” Rosica said.
“There was also a suggestion that the third form of penance, general absolution, be used widely in the Year of Mercy,” said Rosica. He pointed out and clarified that these were suggestions which “might be considered by the Fathers.”
At the end of the briefing, the panel was asked if the question of the admission of divorced and remarried Catholics to the Eucharist was still open to discussion. Archbishop Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council of Social Communication, said that the issue was open. “It is open on a pastoral level but remember what the Pope said about doctrine,” he said. Asked if the reception of the Eucharist by divorced and remarried persons was a “doctrine or a discipline” Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, Quebec, replied saying that different people may see this differently and that it was part of the work of the Synod to discuss this.
Archbishop Durocher went on to say that the bishops were all united in acknowledging that there is a gap between contemporary culture and church teaching. Archbishop Celli said that it was important for the church to find ways of entering into dialogue with the world. “We need to speak about what the Church teaches but must also avoid a ghetto mentality.”
Fr. Lombardi was asked if Pope Francis was going to participate in a small group. He said that the Pope did not normally attend small groups but that he was a Pope of surprises so “he may also surprise us!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On Tuesday afternoon, participants at the Synod of Bishops on the family move into small language group discussions, following on from one and a half days of presentations at the General Congregations. Philippa Hitchen takes a look at some of the key issues that have emerged during this first phase of the three week encounter….
Listen:
There’s no easy way to summarize the 72 interventions by Synod participants that took place over the past 24 hours. But I think it is possible, in broad brushstrokes, to distinguish two ways in which these Church leaders are reflecting on the challenges facing families today.
The first is a philosophical approach, starting with Scripture and doctrine to formulate solutions to perceived problems of secular culture threatening Catholic beliefs and traditions. If we open the door to that secular mentality, one bishop warned dramatically, then the wolves will come in.
A second approach, put forward by other bishops, is to start from the profound changes taking place in society and ask how the Church can use Scripture and tradition to remain relevant to peoples’ lives today. Not living in fear of a hostile and godless culture, but rather engaging with it, to offer the Good News of the Gospel to anyone and everyone searching for meaning in their lives.
From that perspective, the introductory presentation on Monday by Cardinal Peter Erdo can be seen as an exquisite and classical presentation of Church teaching on the family – but, as Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, former head of the Canadian bishops conference, pointed out – it is just one piece of the puzzle. Rather than the final word for the bishops, as some have tried to suggest, it’s simply a starting point, from which the small language groups now begin their discussions. It’s within this smaller, more interactive setting that every participant – lay men and women, plus the non-Catholic representatives – can share ways of upholding Church teachings while remaining in touch with real peoples’ lives. Or if you’d rather use words from Pope Francis’ vocabulary – how to be a Church with its doors wide open, not stuck in the sacristy but on the streets getting its hands dirty.
On the subject of vocabulary, there’s been lots of talk about the use of language that won’t alienate people who are thirsting to hear the word of God. Several participants warned strongly against a language of exclusion, especially when talking about people living in second marriages or in same-sex relationships. While we easily agree on sensitive, inclusive language to talk about victims of violence, the poor, or other marginalized people, we haven’t yet found consensus on a language to describe gay people as part of our own family, our own brothers and sisters.
Violence against women has been another hot topic raised by some synod fathers, one of whom quoted shocking statistics showing how one third of all women in the world are victims of domestic violence. He called for the Synod to stress in the strongest possible terms that Scripture (in particular St Paul’s letters) can never be used to justify male domination or violence against women. He also suggested the Church could show it means business by opening up greater roles for women in the Vatican and in local diocesan positions, or allowing lay men and women to preach the homily at Mass, underlining the unity between God’s word and their lived experiences.
If all of this sounds a bit overwhelming or straying from the strict confines of the Synod’s guiding document, well, one participant had a helpful image of how sometimes, in our cars, our Sat Nav systems come up against a road block and can’t find a way through. That’s when we have to trust technology to open up a path that might be quite different from the road we were expecting to take. Over to the small groups now, to continue the journey.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has warned against having a hard heart that is closed to God’s mercy.
Speaking on Tuesday morning during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta before joining the Synod Fathers gathered in the Vatican Synod Hall, the Pope urged the faithful not to put one’s own convictions or a list of commandments before the Lord’s mercy.
Drawing inspiration from the first reading of the Book of Jonah, the Pope pointed out that Jonah is initially resistant to God’s will, but eventually learns that he must obey the Lord.
Remarking on the fact that the city of Nineveh converts thanks to Jonah’s preaching, Pope Francis said “it really was a miracle, because in this case he abandons his stubbornness, his rigidity, to obey the will of God, and he did what the Lord commanded him.”
And afterwards, the Pope said, after the conversion of Nineveh, Jonah “who was not a man who was docile to the Spirit of God, was angry”. The Pope said he even rebuked the Lord.
So, Pope Francis observed, the story of Jonah and Nineveh unfolds in three chapters: the first “is Jonah’s resistance to the mission the Lord entrusts him with”; the second “is his obedience” and the ensuing miracle; in the third chapter, “there is resistance to God’s mercy”.
The Pope went on to say that Jesus too was misunderstood because of his mercy.
He recalled that Jesus lived with the Doctors of the Law who did not understand why he did not let the adulteress be stoned, they did not understand why he dined with publicans and sinners, “they did not understand. They did not understand mercy”.
Pope Francis said that the Psalm that we prayed today tells us to “wait for the Lord because with the Lord there is mercy, and redemption.”
“Where the Lord is – Francis concluded – there is mercy”. And, he added, as Ambrose said: “Where his ministers are there is rigidity. The rigidity that defies mission, which challenges mercy “:
“As we approach the Year of Mercy, let us pray the Lord to help us understand his heart, to understand what ‘mercy’ means, what it means when He says: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifice!’” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Following Sunday’s opening Mass for the Ordinary General Synod on the Family, Cardinal Francis Arinze reflected on the significance of the readings for the three week assembly of bishops.
Cardinal Arinze, who is Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, was present at the 5 Oct Mass at the Vatican with Pope Francis to open the Synod.
Listen to Vatican Radio’s interview with Cardinal Arinze:
“The readings were as if they were prepared for the Synod,” he said and noted that the family is a gift from God. Quoting from the Book of Genesis, he noted that uniting Eve with Adam means that God is the source of the family.
This unity is underscored by Christ’s admonition that “what God has put together, let nobody separate.” Cardinal Arinze added, this is “very clear.”
The Ordinary Synod runs from 4-25 October and focuses on the vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.
(from Vatican Radio)…