Synod: Church to consider "challenge" of "new" realities of family
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The cultural changes of our time have profoundly affected the family as it was understood by Christianity. This is evidenced by phenomena such as the spread of de facto couples , same sex marriages, mixed or inter- religious marriages, single-parent families and , within the Church herself, a weakening or loss of faith in the sacramental nature of marriage.
These are the realities that the
Church is facing and must consider in order to really deal with a true "pastoral
challenge" : how to propose the original dignity of love between a man and
woman as affirmed by Jesus in today's world.
The
family will be so subject of two assemblies of the Synod of Bishops , the
Extraordinary General Meeting of 2014 , aimed at clarifying the "status
quaestionis " and collecting testimonies and proposals and the General
Assembly in 2015, to try and find operational guidelines for the pastoral care
of the human person and the family.
Ahead of the first of these
stages the Preparatory Document for the III extraordinary general meeting of
the Synod was presented today at the Vatican, with the theme "The pastoral
challenges of the family, in the context of evangelization."
The
main purpose of the document is to find out as much as possible about the
situation of families today from a cultural and legal point of view as well as
an ecclesial one to look more closely for the answers to this "pastoral
challenge " .
Hence
the 38 questions, grouped into 8 chapters, which are being made to bishops
around the world, who are expected to distribute the questionnaire as widely as
possible. And, as said Msgr . Lorenzo
Baldisseri, secretary of the Synod , pointed out "the faithful too can
send feedback directly to the Secretariat of the Synod, here in the Vatican
."
Below please find the questions:
1. The
Diffusion of the Teachings on the Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church's
Magisterium
a) Describe how the Catholic Church's teachings on the value of the family
contained in the Bible, Gaudium et spes, Familiaris consortio and other
documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium is understood by people today? What
formation is given to our people on the Church's teaching on family life?
b) In those cases where the Church's teaching is known, is it accepted fully or
are there difficulties in putting it into practice? If so, what are they?
c) How widespread is the Church's teaching in pastoral programmes at the
national, diocesan and parish levels? What catechesis is done on the family?
d ) To what extent - and what aspects in particular - is this teaching actually
known, accepted, rejected and/or criticized in areas outside the Church? What
are the cultural factors which hinder the full reception of the Church's
teaching on the family?
2. Marriage according to the Natural Law
a) What place does the idea of the natural law have in the cultural areas of
society: in institutions, education, academic circles and among the people at
large? What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis
of the family?
b) Is the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman
commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general?
c) How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and
woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and
developed in civil and Church institutions?
d) In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request
the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt
with?
3. The Pastoral Care of the Family in Evangelization
a) What experiences have emerged in recent decades regarding marriage preparation?
What efforts are there to stimulate the task of evangelization of the couple
and of the family? How can an awareness of the family as the "domestic
Church" be promoted?
b) How successful have you been in proposing a manner of praying within the
family which can withstand life's complexities and today's culture?
c) In the current generational crisis, how have Christian families been able to
fulfill their vocation of transmitting the faith?
d) In what way have the local Churches and movements on family spirituality
been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?
e) What specific contribution can couples and families make to spreading a
credible and holistic idea of the couple and the Christian family today?
f) What pastoral care has the Church provided in supporting couples in
formation and couples in crisis situations?
4. Pastoral Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations
a) Is cohabitation ad experimentum a pastoral reality in your particular
Church? Can you approximate a percentage?
b) Do unions which are not recognized either religiously or civilly exist? Are
reliable statistics available?
c) Are separated couples and those divorced and remarried a pastoral reality in
your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage? How do you deal with
this situation in appropriate pastoral programmes?
d) In all the above cases, how do the baptized live in this irregular
situation? Are aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel
marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?
e) What questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church
concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation? Among those
persons who find themselves in these situations, how many ask for these sacraments?
f ) Could a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration
of nullity of the marriage bond provide a positive contribution to solving the
problems of the persons involved? If yes, what form would it take?
g) Does a ministry exist to attend to these cases? Describe this pastoral
ministry? Do such programmes exist on the national and diocesan levels? How is
God's mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried
and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey
of faith?
5. On Unions of Persons of the Same Sex
a) Is there a law in your country recognizing civil unions for people of the
same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?
b) What is the attitude of the local and particular Churches towards both the
State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and the
people involved in this type of union?
c) What pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in
these types of union?
d) In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children,
what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?
6. The Education of Children in Irregular Marriages
a) What is the estimated proportion of children and adolescents in these cases,
as regards children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?
b) How do parents in these situations approach the Church? What do they ask? Do
they request the sacraments only or do they also want catechesis and the general
teaching of religion?
c) How do the particular Churches attempt to meet the needs of the parents of
these children to provide them with a Christian education?
d) What is the sacramental practice in these cases: preparation, administration
of the sacrament and the accompaniment?
7. The Openness of the Married Couple to Life
a) What knowledge do Christians have today of the teachings of Humanae vitae on
responsible parenthood? Are they aware of how morally to evaluate the different
methods of family planning? Could any insights be suggested in this regard
pastorally?
b) Is this moral teaching accepted? What aspects pose the most difficulties in
a large majority of couple's accepting this teaching?
c) What natural methods are promoted by the particular Churches to help spouses
put into practice the teachings of Humanae vitae?
d) What is your experience on this subject in the practice of the Sacrament of
Penance and participation at the Eucharist?
e) What differences are seen in this regard between the Church's teaching and
civic education?
f) How can a more open attitude towards having children be fostered? How can an
increase in births be promoted?
8. The Relationship Between the Family and the Person
a) Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person. How can
the family be a privileged place for this to happen?
b) What critical situations in the family today can obstruct a person's
encounter with Christ?
c) To what extent do the many crisis of faith which people can experience
affect family life?
9. Other Challenges and Proposals
What other challenges or proposals related to the topics in the above questions
do you consider urgent and useful to treat?
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