English and Welsh bishops consult Catholics ahead of Synod on the family

GERARD O'CONNELL
Vatican Insider
November 2, 2013

The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales is consulting the faithful countrywide in preparation for the important Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, called by Pope Francis for October 2014, on the “pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization”.

It has invited every diocese, parish, Catholic organization, and individual Catholic to give their input to that synod by responding to the 9 sets of topics, articulated in 39 questions, prepared by the Council for the Synod.

The Bishops Conference has published the questions, together with synod’s Preparatory Document, after receiving them from Vatican Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. It has published them in this weekend’s edition of ‘The Universe’, the highest circulation Catholic weekly in the UK and Ireland.

“Your participation is important”, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Conference, told the Catholics of England and Wales in a message accompanying the documentation in ‘The Universe’. Encouraging them to respond – also on line -before December 20, he assured them that their input would bring “the thoughts and experiences of people who live the vocation of Christian marriage and family life” to the synod. As a participant in next October’s synod, Nichols promised he would take careful note of their input.

Archbishop Nichols explained that the consideration of these ‘pastoral challenges’ will take place over two synods, both held in the Vatican: the Extraordinary Synod of 2014 and the Ordinary Synod of 2015. The purpose of the 2014 synod “is to establish an accurate picture of the situation we face, together with proposals for “our proclamation and living of the Gospel of the Family in a credible manner”, he stated. “The task of formulating working guidelines in pastoral care will be the main task of the Ordinary Synod in 2015”.

He emphasized that the 2014 synod “is not just about the pastoral care of people who have been divorced and are re-married”, although “that is part of its concern” but, as the Preparatory Document and Questions show clearly, “the scope of the consultation is the entire vocation of marriage and family life, how well we present and understand the wonderful vision of marriage and human sexuality today, how well we prepare young couples for marriage and support them in their family lives” and so on.

In actual fact, the Preparatory Document offers a rich and readable presentation of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family, and highlights the contemporary ‘pastoral challenges’ facing the family. However, it is the questions that are particularly striking: they go right to the heart of the crisis surrounding the family.

The questionnaire, prepared by the Council of the Synod, contains nine themes, articulated in 39 questions, which are open-ended and do not duck the controversial issues. They can be summarized as follows.

The first theme focuses on “the diffusion of the teachings on the Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium”, also since the Second Vatican Council. It asks how well this is taught, and whether it “is understood by people today”, and- where known - “if it is accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice?” It asks what “cultural factors” hinder “the full reception” of the Church’s teaching on the family?

The second topic relates to “Marriage according to the Natural Law”. It poses several questions, such as: “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?”, and “whether the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general? “ It asks how “the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman” is “proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?” It wants to know how the local bishop and priests deal with cases “where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage”.

The third theme concerns “the Pastoral Care of the Family in Evangelization”. It wants to know the “experiences” that have emerged in recent decades “regarding marriage preparation” and the evangelization of the couple and the family. It asks whether an awareness of the family as the "domestic Church" is being promoted, if families are being taught to pray, and whether Christian families have been able to transmit the faith? It asks “what pastoral care” is provided to “couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?

The fourth topic addresses the much discussed question of “Pastoral Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations”. It seeks to ascertain the extent that cohabitation “as a way of trying out marriage before making the commitment” is a pastoral reality in the local Church, and whether there are unions “which are not recognized either religiously or civilly”? It seeks to quantify the extent that “separated couples and those divorced and remarried” are a reality in the local Church, and how it deals with this situation. It asks “how do the baptized live in this irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?” It wants to know “what questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation?” and how many of these “ask for these sacraments?“

The synod inquiry asks whether “a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond” could “provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the persons involved?” and, if so, “what form would it take? “ Lastly, it asks whether there is a ministry in the local Church “to attend to these cases”, and “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?”

The fifth topic zones in on “Unions of Persons of the Same Sex”. It asks whether there is a law in the country “recognizing civil unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?” and what is “the attitude” of the local Church “towards both the State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and to the people involved in this type of union? “ It also wants to know “what pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in these types of union?” and, in the case of persons in same-sex unions “who have adopted children”, what can be done pastorally “in light of transmitting the faith?”

The sixth theme deals with important question of “the Education of Children in Irregular Marriages”. It calls for an “estimate” of the “proportion of children and adolescents in these cases” and of “children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?” It asks, “How do parents in these situations approach the Church?” and whether “they request the sacraments only” or “also want catechesis and the general teaching of religion? “ It wants to know how the local Church attempts to respond to “the needs of the parents of these children to provide them with a Christian education?”, and what is “the sacramental practice” in such cases?

In its seventh topic, the pre-synod inquiry raises questions relating to “The Openness of the Married Couple to Life”. It begins by asking “What knowledge” Christians today have of the teachings of Humanae Vitae, Paul VI’s document on responsible parenthood, and whether couples are “aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family planning?” and if this moral teaching “is accepted”. It wants to know “What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couples’ accepting this teaching?” It asks “what natural method” of birth control is promoted by the local Churches “to help spouses put into practice the teachings of Humanae Vitae?” And it seeks to ascertain the experience of bishops, priests and people, regarding all this “in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the Eucharist?” Last but not least, it asks “how can a more open attitude towards having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be promoted?”

The eighth theme relates to “the Relationship between the family and the person”. Noting that Jesus Christ “reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person”, it asks “How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?” and what “critical situations in the family today” can “obstruct” a person’s encounter with Christ? It seeks to understand to what extent “the many crisis of faith which people can experience affect family life?”

The ninth and last topic is an open one: it invites people to mention any other “challenges or proposals” they consider the synod should address.

The searching questions are many and realistic. The Bishops of England and Wales hope their initiative will spark a good response and rich input from their people which they can then feed into the October 2014 synod.