Vatican Publishes Working Document

VATICAN CITY (VIS) — On June 23, the

Vatican published the working document for the

14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of

Bishops on the theme, “The vocation and mission

of the family in the Church and contemporary

world.” The synod will occur at the Vatican Oct.

4-25.

The working document or “Instrumentum

Laboris” is divided into three parts following the

structure of the Relatio Synodi, the document that

came out of the Third Extraordinary Assembly of

the Synod of Bishops in October 2014, dedicated

to the pastoral challenges of the family in the

context of evangelization.” The first part, entitled

“Listening to the challenges of the family,” relates

most directly to last year’s Synod, while the second,

“Discernment of the family vocation,” and

third, “The mission of the family today,” introduce

the theme of this fall’s meeting.

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of

the Synod of Bishops, highlighted certain elements

in the first part. The challenges, he

explained, are “poverty and social exclusion, old

age, widowhood, bereavement in the family, disability,

migration, the role of women, emotional

life and education in sexuality, and bioethics.”

In the second part, “Discernment of the family

vocation,” the Relatio Synodi is enriched with an

extension of the themes regarding natural marriage

and sacramental fullness, indissolubility as a

gift and a duty, family life, union and fruitfulness,

the missionary dimension, faith, prayer, catechesis,

the intimate bond between Church and family,

the young and fear of marriage, and mercy.

The third part, devoted to “The mission of the

family today,” begins with a broad-ranging reflection

on the family and evangelization, and it

explores in depth a number of other issues —

including the family as subject of pastoral ministry,

nuptial liturgy, renewed language and missionary

openness.

Cardinal Baldisseri noted that it makes reference

to “the family and ecclesial accompaniment, the

streamlining of procedures for causes for annulment,

the integration of the faithful in irregular

situations, the eventual introduction of a penitential

route, the pastoral problems regarding mixed

marriages and disparities of worship, and questions

related to responsible procreation, reduction

of births, adoption and fostering, respect for life

from conception to natural end and education of

future generations.

“The reference to the economic hardship experienced

by many families, who run the risk of being

subject to usury, is very relevant,” he added, “as is

the socio-political commitment of Christians in

favor of the family, also in the international context.

In this regard, it would be useful to re-propose the

Charter for the Rights of the Family, linked to the

Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man.”

In discussing the methodology of the upcoming

General Assembly, the cardinal noted that it is

Ordinary and not Extraordinary like the previous

one and, in accordance with the suggestions of the

members of the Synod, “it will continue with the

project of the development of the Synod taking a

dynamic approach more suited to our times.”

Cardinal Baldisseri mentioned the Holy Father’s

affirmation that “the Synod is a space in which the

Holy Spirit can act, not parliament. The Synod

Fathers are invited to express themselves with parrhesia.

They will be free to communicate with the

media at their discretion and with responsibility.”