After the release of the 'Relatio Synodi' at the end of last October's Extraordinary Synod, the Secretariat publishes the 'Lineamenta' with questions designed to look in depth at the individual aspects of the issue from the perspective of a pastoral ministry of the family in light of today's reality.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Preparations are underway for the 14^th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, set to take place in the Vatican on 4-25 October 2015, with, as its topic, 'The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world'.

In line with the Relatio Synodi released at the end of the Extraordinary Synod last October, the Lineamenta published today contain 46 questions designed to deepen the individual aspects of the issue in view of the development of a pastoral ministry for the family that is attentive to the reality of today's world.

The starting point is a "prior question" that refers to the entire Relatio: "Does the description of the reality of the family in the Relatio Synodi correspond to what is found in today's Church and society? What missing aspects can be integrated?" From this perspective, the questions address the issues over which the ecclesial community expressed different opinions during and after the Synod, issues excessively and often misguidedly covered by the media.

For the assembly, the status of those who have been divorced and remarried appeared to be the central question. In this regard, the questionnaire notes that "the synodal discussion highlighted the need for a pastoral ministry informed by the art of accompanying."

This leads to the first question (no. 35). Is the Christian community ready to take care of wounded families in order to make them experience God's mercy? What can we do to remove social and economic factors that often causes it? What steps have been taken and what have to be taken to boost this action and the missionary awareness that supports it?" and then to the next ones, namely n. 36, "How can we promote the development of pastoral guidelines shared at the level of particular Churches? How can we develop the dialogue between the particular Churches 'cum Petro and sub Petro'?" and n. 38 "The sacramental ministry vis-à-vis those who have been divorced and remarried requires further study, assessing the Orthodox practice and bearing in mind 'the distinction between the objective situation of sin as well as extenuating circumstances' (n. 52). What are the prospects in which we can move? What are the possible steps? What suggestions can be made to remedy forms of undue and unnecessary impediments?"

Another "hot" topic is the pastoral care of homosexuals. Such a question "poses new challenges today, due also to the manner in which their rights are socially proposed." In this regard, the question is (n. 40), "How can the Christian community turn its pastoral attention to families who have within them people with homosexual tendencies? Whilst avoiding any unjust discrimination, how can we care for people in such situations in light of the Gospel? How can we propose them the needs of God's will vis-à-vis their situation?"

Such questions about such "crisis" situations follow those that ask (n. 10) What can we do to show the greatness and beauty of the gift of indissolubility, so as to awaken the desire to live and build it more and more?" and (12) "How can we make it clear that the Christian marriage corresponds to God's original disposition and is therefore an experience of fullness rather a limiting one?" and again (n. 17), "What initiatives can be undertaken to make others understand the value of marriage as an indissoluble and fruitful journey of personal fulfilment?"

The question of divorced people and more generally about marriage is usually framed as "challenges" to the family. The starting point is in fact how to understand and act in the current new multicultural context, by asking (n. 1) "What are the initiatives currently underway and planned with regards to the challenges posed by cultural contradictions (cf. Nos. 6-7): those oriented towards reawakening God's presence in the lives of families; those designed to educate and establish solid relationships; those meant to promote social and economic policies helpful to the family; those intended to alleviate the difficulties attached to caring for children, seniors and the sick; those about the more specific cultural context in which local churches are involved?"

When it comes to preparing pastoral action, the issues are (n. 16), "How to develop and promote initiatives of catechesis that enhance awareness and help us live the Church's teaching on the family in order to reduce the gap between what is lived and what is professed and promote paths of conversion?" and (n. 22) "What can be done so that in the various forms of union - in which we can recognise human values ​​- men and women may feel the Church's respect, trust and encouragement to grow in goodness and be helped to reach the fullness of the Christian marriage?"

Thus, what we need to know is whether the training of priests and other pastoral workers "encourages the family dimension" and "if families themselves are involved". Equally important is "the need for a greater commitment of the whole Christian community not only in preparing family life as but also in its early years."

The last part is dedicated to the transmission of life and faith. The questions here are (n. 41) "What are the most significant steps that have been taken to announce and effectively promote openness to life, beauty and the human dignity of becoming a mother or father, for example, in light of Blessed Paul VI's Humanae Vitae? How can we promote dialogue with the sciences and biomedical technologies in a way that respects the human ecology of having children?" and (n. 45) since "For parents, carrying out their educational mission is not always easy: Do they find solidarity and support in the Christian community? What kinds of education can we suggest? What steps need to be taken to recognise parents' educational role at the socio-political level?"

It is important to note that, in addition to calling for the involvement of the entire ecclesial community, the document also outlines questions "meant to encourage a needed realism by individual Bishops' Conferences in their reflection to avoid that their answers be provided in accordance with patterns and prospects based on a purely pastoral application of the doctrine, which would not respect the conclusions of the extraordinary Synod Assembly, and drive their reflection away from the already established path."

• vatican
• lineamenta
• relatio
• synodi