ST. LOUIS — With three significant events happening within the next few months — the release of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical, the Pope’s visit to the United States and the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome — the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ spring 2015 general assembly had a lot of ground to cover. The question of how best to catechize the faithful on marriage and family took center stage, as that issue will be the focus of both the Holy Father’s visit to the United States and the theme of the synod.

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, presented the general findings from the recent survey on marriage and family that was conducted throughout the country at the parish level in anticipation of the synod. “There was a strong endorsement that we as pastors have much ground to cover in sharing the good news of the Gospel of the family among our people,” Archbishop Kurtz told the 250 bishops gathered in St. Louis for the June 10-12 assembly. “Specifically, we need to be more effective in our communication of the meaning of marriage as one man and one woman, on married couples’ call to be open to life and on the dignity and responsibility of the vocation of marriage.”

Other findings from the poll included the need for better formation for couples, both before and after marriage, as well as stronger formation for priests and seminarians in how to counsel married couples. These suggestions were echoed by three married couples who presented suggestions and insights on marriage and family to the assembly. “Assure us that taking the risk to go against the culture will bring us joy,” said Jeff Heinzen, who, along with his wife, Alice, was an auditor for last year’s Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. “Talk with us frankly that marriage is hard but worth the effort.”

Last year’s synod on the family left many Catholics confused, due to a lack of consensus among the synod fathers over controversial doctrinal topics. Archbishop Kurtz told Catholic News Agency that he would encourage Catholics to become “students of the process” of the synod and read the final document from last year’s meeting, in order to best understand how things would proceed this year. 

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said he hoped that the faithful were looking to the synod as a chance for the Church to strengthen the vocation of marriage rather than to redefine it. “(W)e’re a little afraid that sometimes this is all just coming across as some type of committee meeting to think about a change in the biblical understanding of marriage, which is impossible and which is anything but the Holy Father’s intent,” he told EWTN News Nightly. 

Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, published June 18, was also a prominent topic of discussion. When asked about Catholics who are weary of the politicization of climate change, Archbishop Wenski of Miami, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said he believed Pope Francis would speak across party lines. “It is a moral and ethical issue, and so the Pope is going to speak at it from that perspective,” he said in an interview with EWTN News Nightly.

When asked if the encyclical, rather than the World Meeting of Families, would become the focus of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said, “He keeps telling us the real reason he’s coming is the World Meeting of Families, so I take him at his word.” Pope Francis is scheduled to address the international meeting in Philadelphia, where more than 1 million people are expected to gather between Sept. 22 and 25. Pope Francis will be in Philadelphia Sept. 26-27 and celebrate Mass there on Sept. 27.

Toward the end of the assembly, as the bishops were voting on the top five priorities for the conference for 2017-2020, a lively discussion broke out as some bishops expressed concerns that the priorities did not reflect the “newness” of the themes that have surfaced during Pope Francis’ pontificate.

“I would argue that the newness of Francis should condition in a very visible way the priorities as such, so it’s clear that we take him seriously and we’re accepting his pastoral guidance,” said Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis, recommending the poor and marginalized of society as a new priority, during the assembly’s discussion on this matter.

Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, along with Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, emphasized that the difference was in the details of the proposals and that they were still in draft stage.

Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago asked for a longer discussion period on the priorities and also expressed his disappointment in the failure to reflect Pope Francis’ priorities, particularly when it came to immigration. “The only time the word ‘advocacy’ was used in the priorities was with regard to religious freedom. We are facing in this country right now a broken immigration policy. That has an enormous impact on family life and marriage,” said Archbishop Cupich.

Archbishop Aymond noted that while there will not be more than five priorities, the necessary emphases and nuances will be added to show more clear support for Pope Francis’ concerns: “We need to be more specific; we need to be more direct.”

Mary Rezac writes for

Catholic News Agency.