VATICAN CITY — As the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family drew to a close late last month, a large majority of synod fathers appeared to reject the most controversial proposals, such as admitting remarried divorcees to holy Communion. But they generally embraced a broad range of other pastoral recommendations aimed at strengthening marriage and family life.

As the Register went to press on Oct. 22, the 279 synod fathers were about to receive the first draft of the relatio finalis (final report), after having made thousands of amendments to a largely unpopular instrumentum laboris (working document) during the course of the three-week meeting.

“It has been a good experience,” Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston told the Register. The discussions in his small group had been “open, frank” and “intense,” and he also welcomed the input from the invited guests and auditors. The amendments, he added, reached “some very good conclusions.”

Speaking privately and off the record, a number of synod fathers echoed the positive comments of the U.S. cardinal, but also voiced concern about the way the synod was run, saying some of its methodology was “chaotic” and warning that the sacrament of marriage “was under attack” by some bishops under the guise of “reform.” Towards the end of the three-week meeting, some of those concerns had diminished, but they were still very real.

Controversial questions relating to doctrine, particularly involving eligibility to admission to the Eucharist of divorced-and-remarried Catholics, but secondarily involving pastoral care of homosexuals, dominated a substantial amount of the discussions while the bishops met collectively in the synod’s general congregations and also in their 13 circuli minores (small groups), where they discussed the working document’s text in greater depth.

The predominance of such issues was another concern raised by the synod fathers, but many other issues were also addressed. These included the question of why young people today delay marriage, the tension between God’s mercy and justice and the need for greater emphasis on Scripture to help families understand their mission and vocation.

Further subjects discussed included better marriage preparation, with the possibility of a “novitiate” lasting six months (see story on page one), more pastoral assistance and cooperation for newlyweds and those living happy marriages and the important role of women in the family.

The scourge of domestic violence, the difficulties experienced by migrant families, the detrimental effects of “ideological colonization” on the family of poor nations — an issue raised in particular by African synod fathers, referencing developed nations’ tying aid to acceptance of same-sex behavior and “reproductive rights” — and the call to parents to read the Bible, attend Mass and pray with their children were discussed as well.

The complexities of interfaith, intercultural, interreligious and multiracial marriages were also raised, as was the problem of pastorally dealing with polygamy, the trafficking of women and children and the suffering of couples who are not able to have children. (Adoption was spoken about in such cases.)

The word “accompaniment” was also used “many times” at the synod, according to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, who said the Church “needs to accompany individuals, couples and families” so they become “missionaries” for other families.

On Oct. 22, Pope Francis announced the establishment of a new department for laity, family and life that will replace the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family; it will be combined with the Pontifical Academy for Life.

“To this end, I have constituted a special commission that will prepare a text delineating canonically the competencies of the new dicastery,” Francis said. “The text will be presented for discussion to the council of cardinals at their next meeting in December.”

 

New Pastoral Language

A major subject for the synod fathers was the issue of language to help find a new, “genuine, pastoral approach” to things, according to Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, Australia. Although he said there would be “no substantial change in Church” teaching on issues related to remarried divorcees, homosexuality and cohabitation, a number of synod fathers called for more “inclusive” language.

Archbishop Coleridge said that although the Church may understand a certain language — like “love the sinner but not the sin” or “intrinsically disordered” — such language no longer communicates effectively with the people of our time.

“It would be helpful to find others words to express truths that are more positive,” he said, asking if there was another way, for example, that the Church could express “indissolubility” more positively.

Such sentiments were endorsed by a substantial number of other participants. But Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, South Africa, cautioned that in its effort to promote effective pastoral language, the synod had placed “a lot of emphasis on using language that doesn’t offend — politically correct, if you like, language. I’m not sure that that’s the best way to be prophetic.”

Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat on the Economy, told the Register on Oct. 20 he did not think calls for changes in language were “subtle efforts” to undermine Catholic moral teaching, but conceded “there is confusion in some quarters.” He urged “a clear reaffirmation of Catholic moral teaching and a list of suggestions for more effective pastoral support,” which, he said, “would be very useful.”

 

Unpopular Proposal

In the small groups, the proposal originally framed last year by German Cardinal Walter Kasper to admit divorced-and-civilly-remarried Catholics to holy Communion was largely rejected, with only one in four synod fathers reportedly favoring it, although the German small group supported handling the matter pastorally on a “case-by-case” basis.

They argued that the matter could be given to bishops’ conferences to handle in “internal forum” (privately), but other groups either refused to entertain the possibility or argued against the related idea of devolving the issue to regional and national episcopal conferences.

Cardinal Pell stressed to the Register the significance of Pope Francis’ Oct. 6 assurance to synod participants that “no doctrine will be touched.”

The teaching of Jesus on adultery and remarriage “is very explicit,” Cardinal Pell said, as is the teaching of St. Paul on the “proper dispositions necessary for the reception of holy Communion.” Any pastoral practice “has to work so that these are better understood and lived successfully,” he added.

The Pope’s Oct. 6 remarks came the day after a private letter was sent to Francis by a group of prominent cardinals, voicing reservations about some aspects of the synod process, the attention being given to controversial issues and the composition of the 10-member committee of synod fathers charged with drafting the final report.

Critics of the committee said that it was unrepresentative, as a majority of its members appeared to hold favorable views on the controversial doctrine-related proposals, in contrast to the majority of synod fathers as a whole.

While the Holy Father declined to make any changes to the committee membership, overall, there was wide agreement that the synod seemed to have taken place with less of the “particular ideology, agenda” that Cardinal Napier said was pushed last year.

The cardinal, one of the signatories of the letter of the 13 cardinals, said at an Oct. 20 press briefing that it was sent in the spirit requested by Pope Francis. And, he continued, it prompted the reassurances from the Holy Father, which “made a huge difference” to the “scale of confidence and of trust, that the concerns had been registered, they had been taken care of, and, therefore, from then on, everyone was going to work at the synod with all they had.”

 

Cardinal Pell

Cardinal Pell, also a signatory of the letter, said, “Whatever concerns we had initially, they have been met substantially.” He reiterated that the Pope had said, “‘Doctrine will not be touched,’ that there will be no manipulation, and members of the committee drafting the final report have undertaken to report the views of the synod fathers.”

The relatio finalis was to be presented on Friday, Oct. 30, and voted upon on Saturday afternoon, after the Register went to press.

Still, it remained possible that the final report could contain controversial elements, such as the German call for allowing reception of Communion to be handled in an internal forum, but any such paragraph would require support of a two-thirds majority of cardinals in the final vote on Saturday.

Speaking shortly before the final report’s release, Cardinal Pell remained positive, telling the Register he expected “a clear enunciation of Catholic teaching on sexuality, marriage and the family” and a list of “pastoral best practices” to strengthen marriage and the family.

Stressed the cardinal, “It is important that we move effectively to diminish whatever confusion there might be.”