SUMMARY:
-
Eighth General Congregation: Christian education in difficult family
situations
-
Ninth General Congregation: listen to the laity
-
Message for families affected by conflicts
-
“Useless slaughter”: believers and the Holy See during the First
World War
-
Other Pontifical Acts
______________________________________
Eighth
General Congregation: Christian education in difficult family
situations
Vatican
City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) – During the eighth general
Congregation, held yesterday afternoon, the general debate continued
to follow the agenda of the Instrumentum Laboris, focusing on the
theme “The Church and the Family in the Challenge of Upbringing
(Part III, Chapter 2). The Challenge of Upbringing in General /
Christian Education in Difficult Family Situations”.
Firstly,
the vocation of life as a basic element of the family was emphasised;
this led to an invitation to the faithful to deepen their knowledge
of Paul VI’s Encyclical, Humanae Vitae, thus better understanding
the meaning of the use of natural methods of fertility control and
the non-acceptance of contraception. Union and procreation, it was
said, are not separate from the conjugal act. The condemnation of
genetic manipulation and cryopreservation of embryos was therefore
reiterated forcefully.
From
various quarters there emerged the tendency of several states and
organisations based in the Western world to present, especially in
the context of Africa, various concepts (including abortion and
homosexual unions) as “human rights”, linked to economic aid and
strong pressure campaigns for the promotion of such concepts. In this
respect, it was highlighted that the expression “rights to sexual
and reproductive health” does not have a precise definition in
international law and ends up encompassing mutually contradictory
principles such as the condemnation of forced abortion and the
promotion of safe abortion, or the protection of maternity and the
promotion of contraception. Also without any binding value, the
promotion of such “rights” represents a risk, as it may influence
the interpretation of other norms, especially in combating
discrimination against women.
The
Assembly reiterated the importance of adequate preparation for
marriage, as its celebration seems to be increasingly reduced to the
social and legal status, rather than a religious and spiritual bond.
The preparatory course, it was noted, is often perceived by couples
as an imposition, a task to complete without conviction, and as a
result it is too brief. Since marriage is a vocation for life,
preparation for it should be long and detailed, as in the case of
preparation for religious life. It was also shown that, among
couples, there is a frequent lack of awareness of the sacramental
value of the marriage bond, so much so that the celebration of the
marriage rite, it was said, is not automatically the celebration of
the marriage sacrament.
With
regard to the streamlining of procedures for the process of verifying
matrimonial nullity, it was recalled that a special study Commission
for the reform of the canonical marriage nullification process was
instituted by the Holy Father Francis on 20 September 2014, and the
hope was expressed that it will enable a simpler procedure to be put
into effect, which must however be single and uniform for all the
Church. Furthermore, with regard to the double confirming sentences
consequent to mandatory appeal, it was asked whether the possibility
had been raised of leaving the decision of recourse to appeal to the
discretion of the bishop. At the same time, the hope was expressed
that there would be a greater presence of suitably prepared lay
judges, women in particular.
The
Assembly went on to insist on the importance of good preparation for
priests in relation to the pastoral care of marriage and the family,
and remarked that homilies can be used as a special and effective
moment for proclaiming the Gospel of the family to the faithful. It
was commented that there is a need for formation and information, as
the spiritual holiness of the priest, his creativity and his direct
relationship with families are particularly appreciated by the
faithful.
There
were further reflections on the relationship between migration and
family, in which it was reiterated that the family unit is a
fundamental right to be accorded to every migrant, and the importance
of protection for the right to family unity through international
migratory policies was emphasised. It was said that the family is an
essential element for the integration of migrants in host countries.
During
the hour dedicated to free discussion – between 6 and 7 p.m. –
three themes emerged in particular: with regard to divorced and
remarried persons, the need for a penitential path was highlighted,
to be accompanied by reflection on the case of divorced persons who
remain alone and suffer in silence, at the margins of social life.
Secondly, mention was made of the need to protect the children of
divorced couples from suffering the psychological affects of their
parents’ divorce. In this respect, it was recalled that adequate
pastoral care of children often causes their parents to draw closer
to the Church.
Thirdly,
the importance of the relationship between the family and the
education of children was affirmed, with particular reference to
parents’ right to choose the most suitable educational plan for
their children, so that they may receive a quality education.
Finally,
the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri,
announced that during the eight general Congregations, there had been
a total of 180 interventions from the Synod Fathers, with the
addition of 80 more during the hours of open debate.
Ninth
General Congregation: listen to the laity
Vatican
City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) – During the ninth general
Congregation, which took place this morning, 15 interventions were
heard (6 from couples and 9 from single Auditors), almost all
laypersons engaged in the fields of family pastoral care, bioethics
and human ecology. From various countries throughout the world and
representing almost all the continents, the Auditors brought to the
Assembly their living testimony of family apostolate lived in
everyday life.
Firstly,
mention was made of the difficulties experienced by families living
in the Middle East, especially in Iraq: these numerous conflicts have
serious repercussions on families, divided by the death of their
members, forced to migrate in search of a safe place to live,
deprived of a future for the young who are removed from schools or
for the elderly who are abandoned to their own devices. The unity of
the Christian family in the Middle East is profoundly disrupted, with
consequences also for the social and national unity of the countries
in the region. Faced with such dramatic situations, the Church truly
represents a safe haven, a “family of families” that offers
comfort and hope. It is also necessary to prepare married couples to
be “mediators” of peace and reconciliation.
Another
point highlighted by the Auditors was the need for the Church to
listen more to laypeople in the search for solutions to the problems
of families, especially in relation to the sphere of intimacy in the
life of couples. For this reason it is important for there to be
synergy between the academic world and the pastoral world, so as to
form not “technicians” but rather pastoral workers who know and
understand how to promote the themes of family and life through a
solid Catholic overall anthropological vision.
Furthermore,
the Auditors remarked on the need for greater dialogue between Church
and State, also through the efforts of lay faithful who, without
motivations of personal ambition, know how to promote the protection
of the rights of the family and the defence of life, working for a
State with a human face. The laity, it was remarked, must be active
and competent in the public defence of the values of life and the
family.
The
interventions focused on the need to adequately and permanently
prepare priests in relation to themes regarding the family,
especially in relation to openness to life, so that they are able to
explain and speak naturally and clearly about conjugal love. It was
also noted that if natural family planning is explained in depth,
highlighting its positive worth, it can strengthen the life of the
couple. In this respect, it was reiterated that homilies, if well
prepared, may ensure that the faithful participate more fully in the
celebration of Mass.
A
further starting point for reflection shed light on the importance of
testimony: the young do not need theory, it was said, but they
clearly understand the centrality of the family if it is demonstrated
by families themselves, credible witnesses and subjects of
evangelisation. For this, the Assembly reflected on the need for
couples to be accompanied by adequate pastoral care after marriage as
well as before.
The
Auditors then gave voice to the suffering of those who lose a family
member: widows and widowers, orphans, or parents who lose a child.
For these people, the accompaniment of the Church is fundamental,
through support groups and sharing, so that they do not become lost
in the profound anguish of loss, and the fear of a “desert” of
emotions, but remain firm in their faith.
The
Synod Fathers went on to speak about the importance of “human
ecology”, which helps to combat the negative affects of economic
globalisation, which often proposes models contrary to Catholic
doctrine. They expressed their firm condemnation of all forms of
domestic violence, especially in relation to women, showing that this
is often perpetrated by young people.
Finally,
the need for communication within families was emphasised, as sharing
between couples, participation of both parents in the education of
children, and above all prayer within domestic walls, all contribute
to strengthening the family unit.
Message
for families affected by conflicts
Vatican
City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) – The full text of the message of the
Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for
families who suffer as a result of conflicts is published below:
“Gathered
around the Successor of the Apostle Peter, we the Synod Fathers of
the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,
along with all participants, share the paternal concern of the Holy
Father, expressing our profound closeness to all the families who
suffer as a consequence of the many conflicts in progress.
“In
particular, we raise to the Lord our prayers for Iraqi and Syrian
families, forced on account of their profession of the Christian
faith or their belonging to other ethnic or religious communities, to
abandon everything and flee towards a future without any form of
certainty. We join with the Holy Father Francis in emphasising that
no-one may use the name of God to commit violence, and that to kill
in the name of God is a grave sacrilege. Offering thanks to
International Organisations and Countries for their solidarity, we
invite persons of good will to offer the necessary assistance and aid
to the innocent victims of the current barbarism, and at the same
time we implore the international community to act to re-establish
peaceful co-existence in Iraq, in Syria, and in all the Middle East.
“Equally,
our thoughts go to those families that are torn apart and suffering
in other parts of the world, and who suffer persistent violence. We
wish to assure them of our constant prayer that the Lord may convert
hearts and bring peace and stability to those who are now in need.
“May
the Holy Family of Nazareth, which suffered on the painful road of
exile make every family a community of love and reconciliation a
source of hope for the whole world”.
“Useless
slaughter”: believers and the Holy See during the First World War
Vatican
City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) – A press conference was held yesterday
at 11 a.m. in the Holy Press Office to present the International
Congress “Useless Slaughter: Catholics and the Holy See in the
First World War”, organised by the Pontifical Council for
Historical Sciences. The speakers were Fr. Bernard Ardura, O. Praem.,
president of the Pontifical Council for Historical Sciences and
Professor Roberto Morozzo della Rocca of the “Roma Tre”
University.
“The
initiative of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences aims to
bring together numerous specialists in the field, with the intention
of offering a reinterpretation of the conflict not only seen but also
experienced by believers, mostly Catholics but also Protestants and
Orthodox – and more specifically for the Holy See that, at the time
again without territory of its own, and therefore within the
territory of Italy, involved in the conflict, sought as far as
possible to safeguard its specific nature”.
The
theme of the congress, “Useless Slaughter”, are two words that
express the drama of the First World War. One hundred years after the
outbreak of the first world war, the Pontifical Committee for
Historical Sciences, in collaboration with the Hungarian Academy in
Rome and the Commission International d'Histoire et Etudes du
Christianisme, have offered the opportunity to review the
historiography with particular attention to the commitment of
Catholics and the Holy See in the conflict.
Fr.
Bernard Ardura explained that although the central theme of the
meeting was Catholics and the Holy See in the First World War, the
congress also includes interventions from various historians
regarding States with predominantly Protestant or Orthodox citizens.
It is hoped, he affirmed, that a second Congress will be held in 2018
on the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles which were, at least
in part, at the origin of the Second World War and whose
repercussions can still be felt at the dawn of the 21st century.
Other
Pontifical Acts
Vatican
City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Rev.
Jose Joao dos Santos Marcos of the clergy of Lisbon, Portugal, as
coadjutor of the diocese of Beja (area 12,300, population 211,964,
Catholics 175,946, priests 54, permanent deacons 10, religious 75),
Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Monte Perobolso, Portugal in
1949 and was ordained a priest in 1974. He studied at the Higher
Institute of Theological Studies in Lisbon, and has served in a
number of pastoral roles, including parish priest of the Church of
“Sao Tiago” in Camarate and “Nossa Senhora da Encarnacao” in
Apelacao. He is currently spiritual director of the Christ King major
seminary (Olivais) of the patriarchate of Lisbon, spiritual director
in the “Redemptoris Mater” seminary, Lisbon, member of the
pastoral council of the patriarchate of Lisbon, and canon of the
Cathedral Chapter of Lisbon.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
No comments:
Post a Comment