Robert Mickens, Cardinals Oppose Francis's Synod Process Commonweal, Letter from Rome, October 14, 2015 It has been known for quite some time that a number of cardinals and bishops, both in Rome and abroad, are—to put it mildly—uncomfortablewith the way Pope Francis’s pontificate is unfolding. Well, this week it all spilled out into the open when it was unveiled that several cardinals—including three top Vatican officials (Cardinals Pell, Müller and Sarah)—wrote a letter to the Pope that basically criticized theway he is running the Synod of Bishops. One should be magnanimous and give these birds credit for being honest with the Pope and telling him their concerns. (They were not happy that the public found out, which is another story.) But one should also be aware that, at least some of these prelates, are active ringleaders of an opposition to Francis.

1. 15 al 21 DE OCTUBRE DE 2015 ESPECIAL SÍNODO
Contenido
Robert Mickens, Cardinals Oppose Francis's Synod Process.........................................2
Synod reports again express differences among bishops, cardinal denies stalemate .....3
Australian archbishop: Synod should propose 'less negative' reading of reality............6
Los círculos hispanos del Sínodo piden "poner acento en la gradualidad y
procesualidad"...............................................................................................................11
UPDATED: The Vatican Publishes Second Batch of Reports on Synod’s Discussion
from 13 Language Groups ............................................................................................14
Synode: le rapport audacieux du groupe germanophone..............................................25
German group at synod united: Church doctrine has developed over time..................27
Un couple d’auditeurs au synode appelle à "changer de regard sur les divorcés
remariés".......................................................................................................................28
La question des divorcés-remariés amplement abordée par les pères synodaux..........30
Synod debates divorce question, Pell says mercy found in hard truths ........................31
El Sínodo se centra en posibles soluciones para los divorciados vueltos a casar .........33
Quelle issue pour le synode sur la famille? ..................................................................35
Gerard O'Connell: Inclusion, Confronting Poverty, Violence Emerge as Themes ......35
No African Bloc............................................................................................................37
Will Bishops Consider Women Deacons?....................................................................37
Continúan las opiniones sobre divorciados y homosexuales........................................38
Marx's plea for divorced, remarried Catholics: Eucharist 'not a prize for the perfect' .41
NCR Editorial Staff | Synod fathers should relish the uncertainty.............................42
El niño con padres divorciados que puede cambiar el Sínodo de la Familia ...............43
Adolfo Nicolás, sj., general de jesuitas: "La Iglesia necesita tiempo para cambiar"....45
Les femmes du synode demandent à l’Eglise de revoir sa position sur contraception.47
Cardinal Wuerl: Bishops and synod should meet people where they are.....................48
Un Sínodo dividido vota mañana las conclusiones de los círculos menores................51
Jesús Martínez Gordo, "Esperemos las propuestas del Sínodo"...................................53
Divorcés remariés: Kasper croit en l'ouverture ............................................................54
Synode sur la famille: divorcés remariés, homosexuels… les pères synodaux dans les
médias ............................................................................................................................55
Les voix de “peur” ne sont pas la voie de l’avenir, assure Mgr Coleridge....................56
Indian cardinal at synod: Church needs 'new way of being' amidst suffering..............57

2. Cardinal Napier: No more concerns about synod process, optimistic about outcome .59
A l’approche de la fin du synode, le consensus peine à se dessiner .............................61
Pas de communion pour les divorcés-remariés, mais des pistes à creuser ...................62
Müller, hasta ahora en contra, defiende la comunión "en casos específicos" ..............63
Martin Gelabert: La doctrina cambia............................................................................67
Robert Mickens, Cardinals Oppose Francis's Synod Process
Commonweal, Letter from Rome, October 14, 2015
It has been known for quite some time that a number of cardinals and bishops, both in
Rome and abroad, are—to put it mildly—uncomfortablewith the way Pope Francis’s
pontificate is unfolding.
Well, this week it all spilled out into the open when it was unveiled that several cardinals—
including three top Vatican officials (Cardinals Pell, Müller and Sarah)—wrote a letter to
the Pope that basically criticized theway he is running the Synod of Bishops.
One should be magnanimous and give these birds credit for being honest with the Pope and
telling him their concerns. (They were not happy that the public found out, which is
another story.) But one should also be aware that, at least some of these prelates, are active
ringleaders of an opposition to Francis.
As the Vatican II-minded theologian, Enzo Bianchi, noted this week in the Rome daily, La
Repubblica, they have at times waged a fierce battle.
Bianchi, who is founder and prior of the Ecumenical Monastery of Bose in Northern Italy,
said, “What’s at play here is not Catholic doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage… No,
it’s the pastoral dimension, his attitude towards those who make mistakes and towards
contemporary society.” Then he thundered: “Let’s be clear – what scandalizes them is
mercy!”
Who knows if Pope Francis read that article on Wednesday after saying his morning
prayers and before heading to his two-pronged general audience in the Paul VI Hall (for
several hundred sick and handicapped people) and St. Peter’s Square (for the rest of the
visitors)?
But it did not seem to be a coincidence that, as he began to read his prepared remarks to the
tens of thousands of people in the square, he put down his pages and said, “Before
beginning this catechesis I would like, in the name of the Church, to ask your forgiveness
for the scandals that have occurred recently both in Rome and in the Vatican. I ask your
forgiveness.”
To which scandals was he referring? There have been a few in the last several weeks – like
the Polish monsignor and former Vatican official who “came out” and admitted to being in
a gay relationship. And there was the former nuncio and defrocked archbishop, also Polish,
who died this past summer while awaiting trial for sexually abusing adolescent boys.
Obviously, the Pope was not referring to the scandal of mercy. But he could have had in
mind the scandalous behavior of those who, in these days, are leading the opposition to his
mission of mercy.
****

3. Pope Francis does not seem to be overly nervous about those bishops who are not entirely
“on message”—that is, those who don’t agree with him on everything or do not share his
style of episcopal ministry. Nor should he be.
He is the first to say—indeed, to promote the idea—that we can accommodate a great deal
of diversity within the Catholic community without being worried that it will diminish
Church unity.
Still, it is hard to understand how any pope could tolerate blatant opposition to him coming
from within the very structure that is supposed to be, principally, at his service—that is, the
Roman Curia.
The titular bishops or emeritus diocesan ordinaries that work in Vatican offices are already
a bit of an anomaly. They are, in effect, bishops without a people. Their main task should
be to support the Bishop of Rome in his universal ministry, not put up obstacles.
There have been uncooperative Curia prelates in every pontificate, but former popes
usually kicked them upstairs or sent them somewhere else to neutralize them and thwart
their negative influence. Mostly these were officials inherited from their predecessor.
Surprisingly, Pope Francis has not done this, except on very few occasions.
The transfer of the conservative Cardinal Mauro Piacenza from the Congregation for
Clergy to the Vatican’s tribunal for the internal forum and indulgences is one example.
His removal of Cardinal Raymond Burke as head of the Church’s supreme court, sending
him to be the glorified chaplain and cardinal-protector of the Knights of Malta, is another.
But most everyone else Francis found on the upper rungs of the Curia hierarchy when he
arrived have kept their jobs.
Part of the reason is that the man who put them there—Benedict XVI—is still around and
living in the Vatican Gardens. The ex-pope saddled Francis with people like Gerhard
Müller (prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) and Georg Gänswein
(prefect of the pontifical household) after he had already decided (but before announcing)
that he was going to resign the papacy.
Francis could have dismissed both of them. Instead, he made one of them a cardinal and
kept them both in their jobs. More difficult to understand is why he appointed Cardinal
Robert Sarah head of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
None of the three are enthusiastic supporters of the general and overall thrust of this
pontificate. They have, at various times, publicly voiced concern over the direction it has
taken. More serious, however, is what is happening behind the scenes. Unfortunately, as
long as the retired man in white is still in Rome they won’t be going anywhere.
Synod reports again express differences among bishops, cardinal denies
stalemate
Joshua J. McElwee | ncr, Oct. 14, 2015
Family Synod 2015
VATICAN CITY
The Catholic prelates attending the worldwide meeting of bishops on family have again
revealed what appear to be rather significant differences of opinion on how the church
should approach families, particularly over whether and how it should use more open or
inclusive language in its teachings.

4. Where some prelates are expressing primary concern that any new language must clearly
and directly outline church doctrines and disciplines, others are stressing that the church’s
parlance must be less legal and more accessible to the men and women of today.
Participants of the ongoing Oct. 4-25 Synod of Bishops made their observations
Wednesday with the second release of reports from 13 different small discussion groups
that have been helping guide the meeting’s discussions.
The groups are organized by language preference and are split into circles of French,
English, Italian, Spanish and German.
The four English language groups -- led respectively by Australian Cardinal George Pell,
British Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Irish Archbishop Eamon Martin, and Canadian Cardinal
Thomas Collins -- take different approaches towards what the prelates should be doing.
The first two groups particularly mention the language the church uses towards families,
but seem to take very different tacks.
Pell’s group, being co-led by U.S. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, stresses a primary concern on
clarity of church doctrine.
“Though every effort should be made to provide for streamlined, attractive language, a
primary concern was the clarity of well-grounded explanations of Church teaching on
marriage and the family,” wrote that group.
Nichols’ group, being co-led by Irish Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, stated that they wanted
to “search for a language accessible to the men and women of our times.”
That group even proposed modification of one key term that has often surfaced in
discussions about the synod: the church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage.
“We propose alongside the term ‘indissolubility’ to use a language which is less legal, and
which shows better the mystery of God’s love speaking of marriage as a grace, a blessing,
and a lifelong covenant of love,” they wrote.
Nichols sought to downplay any disagreement among the some 270 prelates participating in
the synod meeting during a mid-day press briefing Wednesday, saying that use of the word
“stalemate” was inappropriate.
"That is not my experience at all,” said the cardinal. “I do not think it is like that. There is a
lot of energy in the synod. There are differences of opinion because … we’re a family and
families have differences of opinions.”
"I myself have no sense of stalemate,” he said. “I have a sense of real willingness to explore
in depth some of these really difficult issues. And that will continue. It’s hard work. It’s
half way. But there is no sense of negativity in the synod.”
The Synod of Bishops is meeting over three weeks in a mix of general sessions and
discussions in the 13 small groups. Wednesday’s reports are the second of three to be
released from the small groups, which are discussing part-by-part a working document
being used by the synod.
The discussions among the prelates have attracted a wide range of interest, and a certain
amount of intrigue over what the synod might be considering. While the Vatican is
providing daily press briefings on the deliberations, the meetings themselves are closed to
the press.
The issue of the church’s language is known to have surfaced in discussions, particularly
regarding the church’s stance towards divorced and remarried persons and gay people.
Nichols’ group focused their reflections on various themes: “The Divine Pedagogy, the
Word of God in the Family, Indissolubility and Faithfulness, The Family and the Church,
Mercy and Brokenness.”

5. That group defined marriage as having three “basic characteristics:” monogamy,
permanence, and equality of the sexes.
Commenting on Jesus’ attitudes towards families, Nichols’ group said that Jesus often did
what was considered inappropriate for his time -- giving examples that he spoke to a
Samaritan woman and did not condemn another woman who had committed adultery.
“He dirtied his hands through work, but not with stones to throw at others,” said the group,
writing of Jesus' ministry.
That group also asked the synod put a particular focus on God’s mercy towards humanity.
“All of us need God’s mercy,” they wrote. “In many societies today there is a sense of self-
sufficiency, whereby people feel that they have no need of mercy and no awareness of their
own sinfulness.”
“At times this is due to an inadequate catechesis on sin, not recognizing sin as a wounding
of our relationship with God and with each other, a wound which can be healed only
through the saving power of God’s mercy,” they continued.
“The group felt a strong need for a deeper reflection on the relationship between mercy and
justice,” the group stated. “We should always remember that God never gives up on his
mercy. It is mercy which reveals God’s true face. God’s mercy reaches out to all of us,
especially to those who suffer, those who are weak, and those who fail.”
Eamon Martin’s group, being co-led by Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge, wrote that
they identify a “need to see more clearly how the Church through the ages has come to a
deeper understanding and surer presentation of the teaching on marriage and the family
which has its roots in Christ himself.”
“The teaching has been constant, but the articulation of it and the practice based upon that
articulation have not been,” they wrote.
That group also highlighted a need for the church to speak differently to different cultures,
perhaps obliquely referring to proposals that certain issues of church authority could be
handled by regional or local bishops’ conferences.
“A great richness and challenge of our discussions continues to be the different
modulations of marriage and the family in the various cultures represented in the group,”
they wrote.
“There are certainly points of convergence, arising from our shared sense of God’s plan
which is inscribed in creation and which comes to its fullness in Christ crucified and risen,
as proclaimed by the Church,” they continued. “But the different ways in which that
mystery takes flesh in different parts of the world make it challenging to balance the local
and the universal.”
“That remains an overarching task of this Synod,” stated the group.
Collins’ group, being co-led by U.S. Archbishop Charles Chaput, said they were concerned
that the synod’s working document does not clearly define marriage.
“This is a serious defect,” they wrote. “It causes ambiguity throughout the text.”
Suggesting a definition, the group printed a half-page-long section of the Second Vatican
Council documentGaudium et spes defining marriage.
Collins’ group also praised four types of witness families today give, identifying them as:
holiness in prayer, not being self-referential, being sensitive to environmental issues, and
living together in charity, in shared, everyday life.
That group also said some bishops in the group “noted the importance of women in the life
of the Church and the need to focus more attention on giving them appropriate leadership
roles.”

6. At the Vatican briefing Wednesday, Nichols said he hoped that instead of issuing its own
final document that Francis would later issue an apostolic exhortation on behalf of the
synod.
"My hope is certainly that he will complete this process because it seems to me that it will
need bringing to a conclusion, and there's only one person who can do that,” said the
cardinal.
Nichols also praised the universality of the church in his remarks, saying that the local
church has to “strive for is a kind of critical distance from its local setting, its particular
culture."
"The church has to have a critical distance, a bit like an arc light,” he said. “If there’s going
to be some light, then the two elements have to be at a critical distance. The universality of
the church holds the local church to a critical distance, otherwise it gets too close to the
prevailing culture and the light disappears.”
The Synod of Bishops is meeting Wednesday-Friday in open session. The prelates will
resume meeting in small groups Monday and Tuesday.
[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address
is jmcelwee@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]
Australian archbishop: Synod should propose 'less negative' reading of reality
Joshua J. McElwee | Oct. 14, 2015
Family Synod 2015
ROME
The ongoing worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops should adopt a "less negative" reading
of reality that recognizes and encourages the good aspects of modern societies, an
Australian archbishop participating in the gathering has said.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who leads one of the working groups of the Oct. 4-25 Synod
of Bishops, said "crude and bleak readings" of modern society "are not what the doctor
ordered."
"It's always the language of crisis," said Coleridge, speaking of how the church talks about
marriage and family life.
"I understand what crisis is, but sometimes I think that when we talk about that marriage
and family are in crisis that in part what we mean is that our understanding of marriage and
the family are in crisis," said the archbishop, who heads eastern Australia's Brisbane
archdiocese.
"You can't all the time be saying, 'It's out there; there's the problem,'" he said. "The problem
is often within us and within the church. And we have to have the honesty and the clarity of
vision to say that."

7. Now available: The Chronicles of Francis, the
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Buy it now!
Coleridge was speaking Monday in an NCR interview. During the encounter, which lasted
some 45 minutes, the archbishop touched an incredible number of themes. In order to
present the archbishop's thoughts in their entirety, NCR is printing the full interview in two
parts Tuesday and Wednesday.
Interview, part 1: Australian archbishop: Synod must change church’s language, actions
In this second part, the Australian gives his thoughts on how the church might modulate its
language towards gay people, calls from synod bishops that certain pastoral issues handled
at the Vatican might be devolved to regional or national bishops' conferences, and how the
bishops are being called to act with fearlessness in their work.
Coleridge begins by speaking of discussions at the synod about the church using more
inclusive language when speaking to gay persons.
"I don't think we can any longer say that we condemn the sin but not the sinner," states the
archbishop.
"A person will say in the cultures that you and I come from that my sexuality isn't just part
of me, it's part of my whole being," he states. "Therefore, you can't isolate my sexuality by
identifying it with this act that you call intrinsically disordered that is somehow distinct
from or separate from me, the sinner."
Later, Coleridge speaks on what the synod bishops are being called to do. He reflects on
Monday's Gospel reading, when Jesus is said to tell a crowd: "There is something greater
than Solomon here."
"As I listened to that, I thought this is the word being spoken to us at the synod: 'There is
something greater than Solomon,'" said the archbishop. "And if there's not something
greater than Solomon, then we should all pack up and go home."
"There is a maelstrom, there's no doubt," said Coleridge. "And everyone's feeling it. But
that may well be what happens when you get into the very turbulent, and in the end
uncontrollable, process of discernment. Once you're into that maelstrom of discernment you
really have to make an act of faith that there is something greater than Solomon."
Following is the second part of the interview with Coleridge, edited only lightly for
context.
NCR: You've given a couple examples of language that might be changed by the
synod. We were hearing that some bishops had talked about more inclusive language,
particularly toward gay people. Is that an area where you would identify church
language perhaps changing?
Coleridge: That's right. The language of intrinsically disordered -- that kind of thing.
If you're one of the insiders, you know what that means. But see a point that I have made ...
is that some of that language we simply have to revisit because it no longer communicates
in the way that we think it does.

8. For instance: The distinction between sin and sinner breaks down, particularly in the area of
sexuality. I don't think we can any longer say that we condemn the sin but not the sinner.
Because, you see ... a person will say in the cultures that you and I come from that my
sexuality isn't just part of me, it's part of my whole being. Therefore, you can't isolate my
sexuality by identifying it with this act that you call intrinsically disordered that is
somehow distinct from or separate from me, the sinner.
So to say that this act is intrinsically disordered is now taken for granted to mean I am
intrinsically disordered.
Another distinction that's broken down is the distinction we relied on for a very long time
between public and private. We do truth in public and mercy in private. In other words, the
compassion of the confessional tempered the clarity of the pulpit.
That doesn't work anymore. I think you see in Pope Francis -- and it's one of the most
powerful things about his pontificate -- the public enactment of mercy. And I think that's
one of the directions we have to move in. I'm not saying we cease to minister mercy in
private. Of course we do. But we've also got to enact mercy publicly.
Now, when the pope when asked a question about homosexuality says 'Who am I to judge?'
he's not changing church teaching, but very publicly he's enacting something else.
When he washes the feet of a young Muslim woman at a detention center -- again, it's a
public enactment of mercy. And when he says that absolution, mercy will be more freely
available to women who have had abortion during the year of Jubilee, it's the same kind of
thing.
One of the key questions, I think, in exploring this vast middle ground is what might it
mean for us to enact mercy publicly? Just as, I've suggested, how might we speak
differently of sin and sinner in a way that communicates with people today?
Because in ways that we scarcely imagine the language we bishops take for granted, and
perhaps even find wondrous, it is absolutely incomprehensible and alienating to most
people, even Catholics -- let alone those who are not Catholics.
There's also the language of gesture, and I think Pope Francis is a very good case of that.
He's modeling something that we need to ponder very carefully. And the question becomes
how in the area of marriage and family do we enact mercy publicly and not just privately?
And that can be a tough question to ask for Catholics, who for so long have been used to a
particular understanding and arrangement of public and private. It's not easy for us to
imagine what the public enactment of mercy might look like. But I hope the Year of Jubilee
will prompt us to do that. I'd also like to see the synod will.
In another interview, you spoke about divorced and remarried couples and same-sex
couples, saying: "I personally think it's just not in touch with reality to say there is no
good in those relationships."
To generalize is extremely risky because there are all kinds of second marriages.
I've known people who have been divorced and civilly remarried who are still people of
quite striking faith, who have a stable, enduring, and fruitful relationship that has all the
signs of grace upon it. But I've also known second marriages that are brutal and
dehumanizing.
I'm not prepared to generalize about second marriages just as I'm not prepared to generalize
about same-sex unions.
I think in these extremely complex situations, we as a synod have to be very careful about
broad generalizations. At the same time, we have to keep an eye firmly on core principals
but modulate the way those principals are applied by looking at particular situations.

9. That's what the Catholic church has always done. I've been a priest for over 40 years and in
the confessional, in a counseling situation, you've got to negotiate the detail of this person's
situation or these people's relationship. That's why I say that broad generalizations are
simply not enough.
At this synod what's become clear, too, is the vast cultural modulations of marriage and
family. And that's why in our group, and I think in other groups, there has been at times a
tendency to say that some of these questions have to be addressed locally. Now that's
alarmed one or two of the bishops. They see this as a fragmentation of the church.
I don't see it in those terms. I just think that marriage and the family are modulated so
differently from continent to continent that certain questions or arguments should be
addressed locally or regionally.
But at the same time, there are some fundamental truths about marriage in any time, in any
place, in any culture. And the Catholic church needs to articulate those truths. But at the
same time, those truths are modulated from time to time, place to place, culture to culture.
I don't see this as one or the other. The unity in diversity of the Catholic church has always
been a very complex arrangement. That's putting it mildly. Some people tell me the
Catholic church is monolithic. My God, it's the least monolithic institution I know, like
herding cats.
Whilst there have been voices expressing anxiety about referring certain to the local and
regional level, I don't share the anxiety. And I think a certain degree of healthy
decentralization is almost essential, if we really want to come to grips with the reality of
marriage and the family life around the world.
Has there been any discussion of what things might be decentralized?
No. Not really. We haven't got to that point. It may come up. I would think that the synod
could in fact propose an answer to that sort of question.
In other words, not waffle. What are the things that might be referred to the local and
regional level? Just as what are the things that might be done to help us speak and act
differently? Give me, or give the pope, concrete suggestions.
Because last year's synod was supposed to be a taking stock of the situations -- the reality
of families and marriages around the world. This synod, as I understand it, was supposed to
be about saying, 'OK, that's where we are. What are we going to do about it?'
This is an essentially practical synod. And that's what I think it means to call it pastoral. If
all that we come up with is either nothing, or waffle, I don't think the synod will have
succeeded.
And we'll just have to keep moving along the road of the synod journey until we do come
up with something that is faithful, creative, practical, realistic, merciful. That's all we're
after.
There's a lot of chatter, especially in the U.S., from people who do not want anything
to change.
There are people who are passionately committed to immutability, a kind of immobilism. I
think that, personally, is quite unrealistic. And is a path to nowhere.
If, on the other side of things, the synod goes forward but doesn't do much -- maybe
issues a very 'waffly' document -- what do you think happens? What do you think that
means for the church going forward?
Well, I think there will be an enormous sense of frustration and disappointment -- and by
many, many people. There will be a huge sense of frustration and disappointment. And
perhaps the sense of missed opportunity.

10. But it will certainly mean that we just have to keep journeying on this path. We haven't yet
come to a point where we can bring peace to the church and find that convergence of truth
and mercy that everyone wants.
In fact, among the bishops here, whatever the differences of view on hot button issues,
every bishop would say, 'Yes, I am passionately committed to finding the point where truth
and mercy embrace.' On those deep things, there's no difference at all. It's a question of
what that then means.
And a lot of the differences are about the understanding of the relationship between the
church and history, the Gospel and culture. They were the great questions underlying
Vatican II. They're still the great questions. If you even breathe the phrase "development of
doctrine" with some of the synod fathers, they think you're on the way to the stake.
But John Courtney Murray said the great underlying issue of Vatican II was the
development of doctrine. In some sense, and this needs to be carefully parsed, but in some
sense that remains true now.
I personally don't think it's a realistic option to think that we can inhabit this bubble of
immutability that prescinds from history and culture. The church is immersed in both. But
again, what does that mean in practice on the ground? That's the question.
[Yesterday] you blogged about your visit to St. Paul's Outside the Walls and getting a
model of leadership as a bishop from Paul, calling it: "faithful to the past, able to read
a messy present, unafraid of the future." To me, that's a model I would not identify
some bishops being comfortable with or knowing.
Possibly not. That's Paul. I'm a biblical scholar by training. I taught scripture for years.
One of the inspiring things about Pauline literature is the way it presents Paul as a kind of a
transcendent paragon of leadership. He becomes the message. I was very conscious of that
yesterday.
Faithful to the past: A bishop's got no option. We have to safeguard and promote the
apostolic tradition. That's the core of the episcopal ministry. But you've got to be able to
read now, and you're not faithful to the past unless you do that. That's why we are faithful
to the past, in order to give us the eyes that read the mess of now. It's always a mess. It was
for Paul; it is for us.
But unafraid of the future. And sometimes I hear voices at the synod -- they seem to me to
be the voices of fear. And one of the things that strikes me about Pope Francis is there's
quite a fearlessness about him. And perhaps it's the wisdom of old age -- that sense of
having nothing to lose. But it's also borne of faith, not just of the years. In the sense that in
this maelstrom the Holy Spirit is there.
The Gospel reading we had at Mass today: "There is something greater than Solomon
here." As I listened to that, I thought this is the word being spoken to us at the synod:
"There is something greater than Solomon." And if there's not something greater than
Solomon, then we should all pack up and go home.
There is a maelstrom, there's no doubt. And everyone's feeling it. But that may well be what
happens when you get into the very turbulent, and in the end uncontrollable, process of
discernment. Once you're into that maelstrom of discernment you really have to make an
act of faith that there is something greater than Solomon.
And the only sign we will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah -- so we're in the belly
of the whale. Not for three days, but for three weeks.

11. I was thinking, too, the other day of the upper room. It is an upper room, the Synod Hall.
And locked doors. And I thought to myself of Pentecost; why were they huddled behind
locked doors? Because they were afraid. In a process like this, fear is the enemy.
Perhaps the quality we need most of all is a kind of fearlessness, which is also -- the other
side of that same coin is trust.
Your small group had suggestedperhaps a "less negative" reading of reality.
The reading of history; that sort of 'it's all going to Hell in a hand-basket.'
We can't afford to be Pollyanna, but it's not all doom and gloom. That whole Catholic
reading of modernity, against which Vatican II stands as the enduring anti-note, I think just
has to be questioned.
Similarly, the reading of contemporary cultures: Of course there are destructive forces at
work in contemporary cultures. But there are other forces that are luminous and
exhilarating.
These crude and bleak readings on contemporary history and culture I think are not what
the doctor ordered. And also, a good deal of our language which flows from those views of
history and culture is negative.
It's always the language of crisis. And I understand what crisis is, but sometimes I think
that when we talk about that marriage and family are in crisis that in part what we mean is
that our understanding of marriage and the family are in crisis.
As the cleavage between our understanding and where society is going widens, that it just
might be that one of the things we have to do is to consider, or revisit, our own
understanding of marriage and the family -- broaden and deepen it. And find another
language to speak out of that broader and deeper understanding of marriage and the family.
You can't all the time be saying, 'It's out there; there's the problem.' The problem is often
within us and within the church. And we have to have the honesty and the clarity of vision
to say that.
[Editor's note: This is the second part of NCR's full interview with Archbishop
Mark Coleridge. Part one is available here.]
Los círculos hispanos del Sínodo piden "poner acento en la gradualidad y
procesualidad"
"No se puede desconocer que hay muchos valores positivos en otros tipos de familia"
''Se deberían tener en cuenta la fragilidad y los sufrimientos de la familia", subrayan los
sinodales
Redacción, 14 de octubre de 2015
(Vis).- Durante la Congregación General de esta mañana los diversos círculos menores
presentaron el resultado de sus reflexiones sobre la segunda parte del Instrumentum
Laboris a los Padres Sinodales. Casi todos los grupos coinciden en la necesidad de que
el documento final del Sínodo utilice el lenguaje de la teología bíblica y que, como
afirma el círculo francés B, sea claro y simple para evitar las ambiüedades y equívocos que
perjudiquen la comprensión de la vocación y la misión propia de la familia en la Iglesia y
en el mundo.
''Se deberían tener en cuenta la fragilidad y los sufrimientos de la familia, sin
sobrevalorar la situación actual, porque han existido siempre. La insistencia en esta

12. dimensión lleva a subrayar que la Iglesia acompaña a todos sus hijos y que debe proclamar
el evangelio y su llamada a la conversión.''.
Insistiendo en el argumento, el círculo inglés B señala que la reflexión final debe ilustrar
como la pedagogía divina para el matrimonio y la familia ha acompañado toda la historia
de la salvación y prosigue hasta nuestros días. ''Proponemos -dice el arzobispo irlandés
Diarmuid Martin- que se empiece con el Génesis, que ya da una definición de matrimonio
como única unión entre un hombre y una mujer tan total e íntima que hay que dejar el padre
y la madre para unirse entre sí. Este relato presenta tres aspectos básicos del matrimonio,
como era en el principio:monogamia, permanencia e igualdad de sexos... Pero la
Pedagogía divina alcanza su culmen cuando el hijo de Dios entra en la historia. El grupo
expone el relato evangélico del encuentro de Jesús con la adúltera y sus palabras: ''Vete y
no peques más'', sin unirse a los que piden su lapidación. ni condenarla. El grupo presenta
este texto reconociendo que ''solo a través de la pedagogía divina comprenderemos nuestro
ministerio como reflejo de la paciencia y la misericordia de Dios. El plan divino prosigue
en nuestros días. La pedagogía divina da el contenido y el tono a la enseñanza de la
Iglesia...En las situaciones difíciles de la tercera parte, tendríamos que recordar siempre
que Dios nunca renuncia a su misericordia. La misericordia revela el verdadero rostro de
Dios y su misericordia llega a todos, sobre todos a los que sufren, son débiles o caen".
Siempre de pedagogía divina habla el círculo francés cuyo relator es el obispo Laurent
Ulrich, que propone ''subrayar los numerosas encuentros de Jesús conlas familias'' a lo
largo de los Evangelios y reafirma que ''la pedagogía divina actua en toda la revelación
bíblica y debe seguir experimentándose por la Iglesia, siguendo a las familias en las
alegrías y tristezas''. Otra observación de este Círculo, que encuentra amplia resonancia es
el deseo de que la Relatio manifieste una unidad conceptual más grande y no se hable de la
indisolubilidad como si fuera la unica preocpación. ''Que se hable de la fidelidad e
indisolubilidad como don y llamamiento, más que en términos jurídicos de deber; que
no se perciban como superpuestas al compromiso, sino como profundamente integradas en
el lenguaje del amor y comprendidas en su dimensión teologal. Que se hable de matrimonio
como llamado al amor y a la comunión''.
''Hay que poner acento en la gradualidad y procesualidad para acoger el proceso como
Dios comunica la gracia de la Alianza, que educa teniendo en cuenta cada persona,
progresivamente, en comunidad, corrige, acompaña y perdona -se hace eco elCírculo de
habla hispana cuyo relator es el cardenal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan- Por ser la
pedagogía de Dios, la procesualidad se recoge tambien en la Tradición .Hay expresiones en
las que parece que se absolutiza el matrimonio y la familia, mientras que Jesús los relativiza
al Reino de Dios. Se habla de encuentros de Jesús con distintas personas en distintos
ámbitos, pero habría que insistir en los que se realizan en ámbitos familiares: Lázaro y
familia, Pedro y familia... Jesús siempre abre puertas. La fidelidad de Dios se derrama en
el sacramento del Matrimonio, pero al modo humano: -quidquid recipitur, ad modum
recipientis recipitur-. La fidelidad indisolubilidad es un misterio que incluye la
fragilidad. No tenemos una teología de la familia sino del matrimonio y más vinculada a lo
moral. El Magisterio debería presentar el Evangelio de la familia en forma orgánica e
integrada. Siguiendo la tesis de los semina Verbi, no se puede desconocer que hay
muchos valores positivos en otros tipos de familia''.
Mucha importancia atribuyen los diversos círculos a la preparación de los jóvenes para el
matrimonio y a la necesidad de acompañarlos en este camino. Si el círculo francés B,
recuerda la gran disminución de los matrimonios en las capitales europeas, el cardenal

13. Lacunza, matiza que ''cuando se habla de los jóvenes y el matrimonio, se hace desde la
perspectiva del miedo, lo cual no es suficiente, es una cuestión antropológica: viven al día,
no encaja con su manera de pensar el ?para siempre?. Quizá podríamos hablar de
informalidad: un papel no hace el matrimonio y quizá lo hemos rodeado de tantas
formalidades que no caben en la mente de los jóvenes que, muchas veces, identifican
formalidad con hipocresía. Además, decir que tienen miedo o no se atreven contradice
la experiencia de tantos jóvenes que aceptan el riesgo del voluntariado o se arriesgan
por razones políticas u otras luchas''.
El círculo francés B ha informado también de que han votado por unanimidad la propuesta
de que ''el anuncio del Evangelio de la familia exige hoy una intervención magisterial que
haga más coherente y simplifique la actual doctrina teológico canónica sobre el matrimonio
y que se debe apoyar la definición de familia ??como sujeto de acción pastoral??.
Al respecto, el Círculo francés cuyo relator es el arzobispo Paul-André Durocher señala
que ''las experiencias pastorales compartidas nos llevan a ver que en la Iglesia hablar de
familia es hablar de una realidad humana que se inscribe en el tiempo y en el espacio....
Cada familia tiene sus genealogías que la entroncan en una historia y una cultura.... Esta
complejidad es el lugar y la ocasión de la manifestación del misterio de la misericordia de
Dios. Formulamos el deseo de que el Sínodo abra un periodo de paciente búsqueda
común de teólogos y pastores que intenten establecer las justas señales de una pastoral
familiar, que traduzca el horizonte de la familia en un horizonte de comunión.Necesitamos
menos adaptaciones de disciplina universal que una base sólida para la reflexión y el
compromiso pastoral''.
Recorre también el concepto de familia como misión. Por ejemplo, el círculo italiano C,
habla del ''valor evangelizador del matrimonio y la familia'' y pide un ''estilo nuevo de
cercanía de la Iglesia a las familias, una proximidad contagiosa, una ternura fuerte y
exigente''. Los miembros han insistido mucho en que ''la comunidad cristiana sea una
familia de familias, mida su acción pastoral con el estilo de la familia y transmita con ellas
una fuerza humanizadora a la vida del mundo, superando la deriva individualista''.
''Los Padres han encontrado muy util valerse de la catequesis del Papa Francisco sobre la
exigencia de armonizar la valorización de la sacramentalidad del matrimonio y la atención
a su dimensión criatural -escriben los miembros del Círculo italiano A- que piden también
completar el texto del Instrumentum Laboris sobre la presentación de la doctrina insertando
la dimensión espiritual y pneumatológica, acogiendo la sensibilidad de la tradición
oriental. Propuesta traducida en modo concreto que haga más explícito el primado de la
gracia, el reconocimiento del pecado y la necesidad de impulsar caminos de conversión. La
gracia no actúa solo en el momento de la celebración del sacramento sino a lo largo de la
vida porque es sacramento permanente en analogía con la Eucaristia''.
Por su parte el arzobispo Mark Coleridge, del Círculo inglés C, no olvida ''la necesidad
de explorar más a fondo la posibilidad de las parejas que estáncasadas civilmente o
cohabitan de empezar un camino hacia el matrimonio sacramental y de que sean alentadas
y acompañadas en este camino'' y en el Círculo inglés D, varios obispos subrayaron que el
documento debería hablar más del papel de la mujer y recordar que muchas sufren
abusos por parte de sus maridos. Necesitamos ser más realistas sobre los problemas del
matrimonio, en lugar de decir sencillamente a las personas que tienen que estar juntos.,
afirma el texto. En el mismo círculo, otro prelado señaló que a veces las familias
ejemplares son difíciles de proponer a las que atraviesan por situaciones difíciles ya que se

14. pueden sentir intimidadas por ellas. Algunos obispos sugirieron que el texto debería
presentar las razones canónicas para la separación de los esposos o la anulación.
Otro concepto común es el de vocación a la vida familiar y de espiritualidad familiar, para
la que el Círculo Inglés A, cuyo relator es el arzobispo Joseph E. Kurtz , sugiere una una
serie de buenas prácticas que ayudarían a vivir mejor una y otra: la recepción de la Palabra
de Dios en la familia, la catequesis familiar y el explícito impulso, que debería constar en el
documento final del Sínodo, de oraciones para-litúrgicas y rituales en el seno familiar.
También el Círculo del cardenal Coleridge apunta a que el documento final presente una
serie de iniciativas claras o de estrategias para ayudar a las familias y sostener a las que
están en dificultad. ''Sería algo concreto y estaría en sintonía con el carácter esencialmente
práctico de este segundo Sínodo''.
''En el pasado -recuerda el Círculo Inglés A- el Santo Padre a menudo utilizaba a menudo
los textos definitivos aprobados como base para una exhortación apostólica y hemos
hablado de que este enfoque era fructífero. Reconocemos, no obstante, las limitaciones de
un documento que será aprobado al final de este Sínodo. Si bien deben hacerse todo los
esfuerzos posibles para que el lenguaje sea ágil y atractivo, la principal preocupación es la
claridad de las explicaciones fundadas en la enseñanza de la Iglesia sobre el matrimonio y
la familia.
Apuntando siempre al documento final, el Círculo de habla hispana B, se interroga sobre
el sentido del trabajo sinodal. ''La doctrina es conocida -escriben sus miembros- pero las
exigencias de la realidad y los nuevos acentos de la reflexión teológica deben ser tomados
en cuenta para que haya realmente una aporte significativo. Se propone una referencia más
explícita a textos tanto del Antiguo como del Nuevo Testamento (el amor nupcial de Dios
con su pueblo) como del rico magisterio postconciliar sobre la familia.
Un documento magisterial, solicita en cambio el Círculo italiano B ''Ya que el Instituto del
Sínodo dificilmente podría responder a la exigencia de ordenar en un documento
exhaustivo la compleja y diversificada doctrina sobre el matrimonio y la familia -
afirman- emerge la necesidad, por una parte de solicitar un documento magisterial que
responda a esta exigencia, por otra el compromiso de verificar las consecuencias pastorales
relativas a esa temática. A este propósito los Padres expresan la necesidad de considerar la
misión propia de la mediación pastoral en la transmisión de la doctrina''.
UPDATED: The Vatican Publishes Second Batch of Reports on Synod’s Discussion
from 13 Language Groups
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Gerard O'Connell |America, Oct 14 2015 - 11:00am | 0 comments

15. Pope Francis leads the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 6 (CNS
photo/Ettore Ferrari, EPA).
The second batch of reports that summarize the results of the discussion from the 13 language
groups of the Synod on the Family were published today, Oct. 14. The reports from the four
English language groups are given below. You can also read highlights from theItalian
language groups, the Spanish language groups and the French language groups.
Over the past few days, the 270 synod fathers and other participants have discussed part 2 of
the working document (“Instrumentum Laboris”), which deals with “The Discernment of the
Family Vocation.” That section is divided into three chapters that focus on: the family and
divine pedagogy, the family and church life, the family and the path leading to its fullness.
Today’s reports reveal that several groups had problems with this whole section of the
working document, Cardinal Vincent Nichols told a press briefing in the Vatican. They had
problems because this basic text “has complicated the process” by trying to combine two
sources—the final report of the 2014 synod and the input that came in the period between
October 2014 and June 2015—into one text. The groups were in general agreement that this
whole section “needs restructuring with a better theological framework” and several came up
with “creative” proposals for this. Cardinal Nichols emphasized that a good theological
framework is necessary so as to be able to deal properly with the pastoral questions that are
coming up in part 3 of the working document. “Part 2 is the theological foundation for part
3,” he said.
The English cardinal said he believed the German language report today is “very important”
because the first topic it focused on was “the relation between mercy, truth and justice.” He
drew attention to the fact that this group unanimously agreed on all its proposals.
Asked whether the synod will conclude with the publication of its final document on Oct. 24,
Cardinal Nichols said he hopes that “the pope will reflect” on the results of this synod and
“and issue an apostolic exhortation or other magisterial text.” He added: “We need to bring
this synod to a conclusion and only the Holy Father can do that.” He said he detected “a
growing feeling” among the synod fathers that this should happen.
Nichols participated in the press briefing together with Cardinals Philippe Ouderaogo
(Burkina Faso) and Ruben Salazar Gomez (the President of CELAM), both of whom
highlighted the cultural diversity at the synod.
Cardinal Ouderaogo noted that some issues that are a priority for churches in the West, such
as the question regarding access to communion for the divorced and remarried, are not a
priority in his country of 7 million people or indeed in many other countries of the continent
where polygamy is a big concern, as is polyandry and how the church approaches all this.
“We have not come to marry ourselves to cultural values from one or other side but rather to

16. reason together on the challenges the world is making to the family, from a faith perspective,”
he stated.
Cardinal Salazar emphasized that this synod is working “in continuation” with the 2014
synod, with a view to the future. There’s a need “to listen to the voices of families, especially
those are going through difficult situations” and to have “a brotherly, free discussion on this,”
he said. He acknowledged that “there are different positions and different sensibilities, but
there is a desire to show to the world the beauty of the Catholic doctrine.”
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The synod has now begun to discuss part 3, the crucial pastoral part of the working document
that explores “The Mission of the Family Today.” Articulated in four chapters, it deals with
the family and evangelization, the family and formation, the family and accompaniment by
the church, and the family, procreation and upbringing.
The synod agenda envisaged that after a presentation by the rapporteur general, the synod
fathers can make individual three-minute interventions, and I am told there is a long list of
speakers waiting to express their views on one or other aspect, and especially on such
controversial questions as cohabitation, the possibility of communion for the divorced and
remarried and the church’s approach to homosexuality and homosexuals. These interventions
in the plenary assembly have already begun and will end on Oct. 15.
While the discussion in the 13 language groups was scheduled to begin on Saturday
afternoon, Oct. 17, and end just after noon on Tuesday, Oct. 20, it has in fact already started
in some groups.
The results of this discussion will come in the third batch of reports that will be presented to
the assembly on the afternoon of Oct. 20.
Those results, like the previous two batches, will be transmitted to the special commission
appointed by the pope to draft the synod’s final document, the text that everyone is waiting
to see.
English language group “A”
Moderator: Cardinal George Pell; Rapporteur Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz
In Jesus, the fulfilment of God’s revelation, the family uncovers its calling within the
universal call to holiness. For the disciple of Jesus, every vocation calls the person and the
community in two distinct and complementary dimensions. We are called to communion and
we are called for mission. We see this in the call of the 12 Apostles. They are called to be
friends of Jesus and sent out to preach. The same is true of those disciples who are called to
family life. Our group reflected on this gift and vocation, and on prayer and discernment as
means to foster it.
While the sense of the word “vocation” is clear when applied to the priesthood, more clarity
is needed when we talk about the phrase “vocation to the married life.” We must recognize
that the family itself also has a vocation.
Seen through the lens of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the text would benefit from a more
abundant use of Sacred Scripture, notably Luke Chapters 1 and 2, as well as examples from
the Old Testament. Somany Old Testament couples, such as those from the Book of Tobit,
responded beautifully to the vocation to marriage and family life.
The Church’s vision of the vocation of the family captures the beauty of God’s self-giving
love. Considerable attention was given to locating a firm theological base for the Divine
Pedagogy, flowing from the outpouring of love from the Trinity. At the core of the family is
the original act of creation, the redemption by Jesus Christ and the orientation to eternal life.

17. The priority of listening to the Word of God and following Jesus opens up the good news for
the family, which leads to a life of joy as well as an ever-deepening conversion from
selfishness and sin.
The baptismal identity of every Christian matures in the seedbed of the family, which is often
the first and primary evangelizer in which one discerns a vocation to a particular state in life.
In this Year of Consecrated Life, we give special thanks for the gift of men and women in
religious life and their families.
The final document would benefit from a consideration of “best practices,” which would
show families how to more fully and faithfully live out their vocation. At the heart of such
“best practices” is the receiving of the Word of God in the family. We make special mention
of the great strides within the Church over the past 50 years in which study and reflection on
Sacred Scripture has been integrated into the lives of families. While much remains to be
done, such progress needs to be acknowledged.These “best practices” should also address
proper catechesis and prayer and worship, including prayer within each family. Such a call
would wisely andexplicitly encourage the use of para-liturgical prayers and rituals within the
setting of the family.
We also addressed questions related to methodology. In the past, the Holy Father often used
the final approved texts as a basis for an Apostolic Exhortation and we spoke of the
fruitfulness of this approach. However, we recognize the limitations of a document that will
be approved at the conclusion of this Synod. Though every effort should be made to provide
for streamlined, attractive language, a primary concern was the clarity of well-grounded
explanations of Church teaching on marriage and the family.
With our eyes fixed on Jesus, we give thanks for the vocation of the family – a call to
communion with Him and with each other and a call for mission in the world.
English language group “B”
Moderator: Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols; Rapporteur: S.E. Mons. Diarmuid Martin
The group took an innovative approach in its examination of Part II. We recognize the
centrality of this part to the entire reflection of the Synod. In addition to examining
the Instrumentum Laboris paragraph by paragraph, the group sought first to identify a number
of the basic themes of the Church’s wisdom on marriage and the family which we feel ought
to be given prominence in the final document. A renewed and deeper reflection on the
theology of marriage should be one of the fruits of the Synod.
These themes included: The Divine Pedagogy, the Word of God in the Family, Indissolubility
and Faithfulness, The Family and the Church, Mercy and Brokenness. The group proposed
individual modi to some paragraphs, but above all it sought to reorder the succession of
paragraphs in order to restore the natural flow of the paragraphs of the Relatio Synodi.
The group strongly recommends that the entire Part II should be introduced by a much more
detailed reflection on the Family and Divine Pedagogy. This reflection would constitute a
new paragraph 37.
The reflection should illustrate how the Divine Pedagogy for marriage and the family has
accompanied the entire history of salvation and continues right until our day. We propose
that the paragraph begin with Genesis, which already provide a definition of marriage as a
unique union between a man and a woman, so total and intimate that because of it a man
must leave his father and mother in order to be united with his wife. This account of the
creation of marriage presents also the three basic characteristics of marriage, as it was in the
beginning – monogamy, permanence, and equality of the sexes.

18. However, as sin entered the history of humanity it brought with it the reversal of these basic
characteristics. Polygamy, divorce, and submission of the wife to her husband became not
just common place, but were even institutionalized in sectors of Jewish society. Through the
prophets God constantly called for a change from this situation of sin and for the re-
establishment of the original dignity of marriage, which was to come with Jesus Christ. The
prophet Hosea found union and love between husband and wife as an appropriate paradigm
to illustrate God’s love for his people. The Song of Songs gave a unique reflection on human
love as a dialogue between two lovers praising each other, yearning for each other, and
rejoicing in sexual intimacy.
But the Divine pedagogy of salvation history concerning marriage and the family reached its
climax with the Son of God’s entry in human history, as Jesus Christ was born into a human
family. It was considered inappropriate for a Rabbi to speak with a woman yet Jesus dared
to speak to a woman, who was a Samaritan – an “excommunicated” and a renowned sinner
– something even more scandalous. To a woman who was brought before him prior to her
being stoned for the fact that she had committed adultery, he said: “I do not condemn you.
Go and sin no more.” He dirtied his hands through work, but not with stones to throw at
others.
The group presents this elaborated text recognizing that it is lengthy and new, and may not
seem in line with the Synod methodology. Why do we do this? It is only through reflection
on the Divine Pedagogy that we will understand our ministry as mirroring God’s patience
and mercy. The Divine Plan continues even in our time. It is the Divine Pedagogy which
provides content and tone for the teaching of the Church. It is the Divine Pedagogy which
today continues the constant call of conversion, healing, and mercy to families as they
struggle to realize their God-given vocation.
The group set out, then, to apply such a pedagogy into our search for a language accessible
to the men and women of our times. We propose alongside the term “indissolubility” to use
a language which is less legal, and which shows better the mystery of God’s love speaking
of marriage as a grace, a blessing, and a lifelong covenant of love.
We recalled the testimony of couples who live a fully Christian marriage as a lifelong
covenant of love, its permanence unto death being a sign of God’s faithfulness to his people.
Indeed we can say that God recognizes the image of Himself in the faithfulness of his spouses
and confirms with his blessing this fruit of his grace.
The deepest meaning of the indissolubility of marriage, is then, the affirmation and protection
of these beautiful and positive qualities that sustain marriage and family life, most especially
in times of turbulence and conflict. The Church, therefore, looks to married couples as the
heart of the entire family, which, in turn, looks to Jesus especially to his faithful love in the
darkness of the cross.
A stress on the divine pedagogy would also focus on the centrality of the Word of God in the
theology of marriage, in the pastoral care of the family, and in family piety. The Christian
community welcomes the Word of God especially when proclaimed at the Sunday Liturgy.
Thus a goal for every couple and family would be to worship together faithfully at Mass
every Sunday.
Married couples and families also encounter the Word of God in the array of devotions and
celebrations that are part of our Catholic heritage. Such piety includes approaching together
the sacrament of reconciliation, common prayer and reading of the Scriptures, and other
encounters with God’s word in catechesis and prayer. It was stressed that Catholic schools
are an extension of parish and family catechesis. The Synod should encourage parents to seek

19. out these schools as a uniquely compelling way to enhance and deepen the religious
education which begins in the family.
All of us need God’s mercy. In many societies today there is a sense of self-sufficiency,
whereby people feel that they have no need of mercy and no awareness of their own
sinfulness. At times this is due to an inadequate catechesis on sin, not recognizing sin as a
wounding of our relationship with God and with each other, a wound which can be healed
only through the saving power of God’s mercy.
On the other hand there can be a tendency for us to put human limits on God’s mercy.
The group felt a strong need for a deeper reflection on the relationship between mercy and
justice, particularly as it is presented in Misericordiae Vultus.
As we move on towards our reflection on the difficult situations to be examined in Part III,
we should always remember that God never gives up on his mercy. It is mercy which reveals
God’s true face. God’s mercy reaches out to all of us, especially to those who suffer, those
who are weak, and those who fail. “How can I give you up, O Ephraim! How can I hand you
over, O Israel… My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender.” (Hs
11:8-9) As Pope Francis stresses in Misericordiae Vultus, God’s anger lasts for a moment,
but his mercy lasts forever.
English language group “C”
Moderator: Archbishop Eamon Martin; Rapporteur: Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge
After the travails of the first week, we decided to adopt a different approach to Part II of
the Instrumentum Laboris and moved through it more briskly than we did through Part I. As
our sense of the task has clarified, our modus procedendi has matured, and this is encouraging
as we begin work on the long and complex Part III.
I now present the issues from Part II which were central to the group's discussion:
1) The need to speak a heartfelt word of appreciation and encouragement to couples who, by
God’s grace, are living their Christian marriage as a genuine vocation, since this is a unique
service to the Church and the world.
2) The need to develop for couples and families catechetical programmes that are attuned to
different cultures, to revise them periodically and to adapt National Catechetical Directories
in the light of these where applicable.
3) The need to develop resources in the vital area of family prayer, understood in both formal
and less formal ways, both liturgically and devotionally. These resources would again have
to be culturally sensitive.
4) The need to explore further the possibility of couples who are civilly married or cohabiting
beginning a journey towards sacramental marriage and being encouraged and accompanied
on that journey.
5) The need to present the indissolubility of marriage as a gift from God rather than a burden
and to find a more positive way of speaking about it, so that people can fully appreciate the
gift. This relates to the larger question of language, as the Synod looks to shape a language
which, in the words of the Instrumentum Laboris, is "symbolic", "experiential",
"meaningful", "clear", "inviting", "open", "joyful", "optimistic" and "hopeful".
6) There is a need to draw more deeply and richly from the Scripture, not just in citing biblical
texts but in presenting the Bible as a matrix for Christian married and family life. As at
Vatican II, the Bible would be a prime resource for the shaping of a new language to speak
of marriage and the family; and the Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini could serve as a
resource for practical suggestions.

20. 7) In speaking of the joy of marriage and family life, there is a need to speak also of the life
of sacrifice and even the suffering which this involves and so to set joy within its proper
context of the Paschal Mystery.
8) The need to see more clearly how the Church through the ages has come to a deeper
understanding and surer presentation of the teaching on marriage and the family which has
its roots in Christ himself. The teaching has been constant, but the articulation of it and the
practice based upon that articulation have not been.
9) The need for a more nuanced understanding of why young people these days decide not
to marry or to delay marriage, often for a long time. The Instrumentum Laboris presents fear
as the dominant motive. But it is also true that young people at times do not see the point of
marriage or regard it as a purely personal or private matter which makes a public ceremony
irrelevant to them. They are also affected in many ways by a culture of options which baulks
at closing doors, and they prefer to test a relationship before making any final commitment.
Powerful economic factors can also have their effect. We need to beware of a too simplistic
reading of a complex phenomenon.
10) One thing which the Synod might consider producing is a list of practical initiatives or
strategies to support families and to help those that are in trouble. This would be something
concrete and would be in keeping with the essentially practical character of this second Synod
on marriage and the family.
On many of these points there was consensus, on others there was wide if not universal
agreement, and on a few there was significant disagreement.
A great richness and challenge of our discussions continues to be the different modulations
of marriage and the family in the various cultures represented in the group. There are certainly
points of convergence, arising from our shared sense of God’s plan which is inscribed in
creation and which comes to its fullness in Christ crucified and risen, as proclaimed by the
Church. But the different ways in which that mystery takes flesh in different parts of the
world make it challenging to balance the local and the universal. That remains an overarching
task of this Synod.
English language group “D”
Moderator: Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins; Rapporteur: Archbishop Charles Joseph
Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Members of English circle D reviewed Section II far more quickly than Section I. The
material was simpler. So was working together and offering commentary and modi.
On the family and divine pedagogy, members thought the text’s reflections on the reading of
Scripture should be strengthened. They stressed that as we listen to God’s word, we need to
encounter it in the context of the Church, sacred tradition and the teaching authority of
bishops. Many customs of reading Scripture already exist in the various cultures of our
English-speaking group. Some should be incorporated into the text. Several group members
promoted Lectio Divina, even when read within an inter-faith context. Others thought
the Lectio Divina process too complex for people of today. Some bishops felt that we need
to better understand the relationship between the newness of the Christian sacrament of
matrimony and the natural structure of marriage built into God’s plan from the start. The
natural marriage of our original parents had its own order of grace.
The Instrumentum Laboris nowhere defines marriage. This is a serious defect. It causes
ambiguity throughout the text. Most bishops agreed that the document should add the
definition of marriage from Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 48, as a correction.(The intimate
partnership of married life and love has been established by the Creator and qualified by His

21. laws, and is rooted in the conjugal covenant of irrevocable personal consent. Hence by that
human act whereby spouses mutually bestow and accept each other a relationship arises
which by divine will and in the eyes of society too is a lasting one. For the good of the spouses
and their off-springs as well as of society, the existence of the sacred bond no longer depends
on human decisions alone. For, God Himself is the author of matrimony, endowed as it is
with various benefits and purposes. All of these have a very decisive bearing on the
continuation of the human race, on the personal development and eternal destiny of the
individual members of a family, and on the dignity, stability, peace and prosperity of the
family itself and of human society as a whole. By their very nature, the institution of
matrimony itself and conjugal love are ordained for the procreation and education of children,
and find in them their ultimate crown. Thus a man and a woman, who by their compact of
conjugal love "are no longer two, but one flesh" (Matt. 19:ff), render mutual help and service
to each other through an intimate union of their persons and of their actions. Through this
union they experience the meaning of their oneness and attain to it with growing perfection
day by day. As a mutual gift of two persons, this intimate union and the good of the children
impose total fidelity on the spouses and argue for an unbreakable oneness between them.[GS
48])
Taken as a whole, the text has many good insights on marriage. But the Catholic doctrine on
marriage stretches over too many paragraphs. It needs to be brought together in a more
concise, compelling way. One person felt the text’s grasp of Scripture could be improved by
embracing newer scholarship. The person worried that many of us were reading Scripture in
too fundamentalist a manner, and other ways of interpreting Scripture might be more fruitful.
Others disagreed and thought that the understanding of Scripture in the text was adequate.
Some said the text needs to frame the notion of “indissolubility” more positively, rather than
treating it as a burden. Others saw a danger in referring to Catholic teaching as simply an
“ideal” to be pursued and honored but not practical for the living of daily life. They described
this as an approach that implies that only the “pure” can live the Gospel, but not ordinary
people. Some stressed that we should always speak of virtues, not just values. They are not
the same thing.
In the material on family and God’s salvific plan, the text lacks grounding in the Book of
Tobit and the Song of Songs, which is vital to the Scriptural presentation of marriage. Bishops
voiced concern that the document seems to present Mosaic divorce as one of the stages of
God’s plan, yet we know that divorce is never part of God’s will for humanity, but was a
consequence of original sin.
In several of the document’s confusing passages, a better translation of the Italian text led to
clarity. Several bishops focused on the notion of “seeds of the Word” or “seeds of the Logos”
in the world around us. In the tradition of the Church, this reflection – which dates back to
Justin Martyr -- has always focused on cultural issues rather than on people’s personal lives.
The text tends to treat irregular relationships as somehow also containing “seeds of the
Word.” Some bishops felt this was inappropriate and misleading.
Some discussion ensued about the meaning of arranged marriages, where this practice still
commonly occurs. Such marriages are sometimes seen as lacking the agreement of the
persons being married. But what the practice more typically means is that whole families get
involved in the entire process of marriage and family life. Various cultures believe that
“families marry one another,” not just the individuals making marital promises. Some bishops
saw this as a rich concept. It should be better appreciated.

22. Various bishops questioned the use of the expression “The Gospel of Family.” What does it
actually mean? The text offers no answers. The expression comes from St. Pope John
Paul’s Letter to Families 1994, number 23.
Regarding No. 48 of the text, much discussion took place on the various forms of witness
that families might give in living out their communion as a domestic church. Along with the
ones listed in the document, the following were suggested:
The witness of holiness in prayer.
The witness of not being self-referential.
The witness of being sensitive to environmental issues.
The witness of simply living together in charity, in shared, everyday life.
Bishops felt that these actions should be seen as the fruit of baptism and confirmation.
Some in our group spoke about the need for the text to list devotions that both enhance and
express family life and spirituality. The rosary was central to the discussion; so was the
importance of parents reading Scripture to children, and siblings reading Scripture together.
Bishops stressed the value of families attending Sunday Eucharist and other liturgical
celebrations together, and were surprised the text didn’t focus on this in greater detail. Some
suggested that various practices of popular piety be listed as concrete expressions of family
devotions.
Various bishops noted the importance of women in the life of the Church and the need to
focus more attention on giving them appropriate leadership roles. Some felt the document
should be more sensitive to women abused by their husbands or within their families, and
who therefore carry extra burdens. One person felt that exemplary families are sometimes
difficult for people in painful circumstances to see as positive. Exemplary families may
intimidate them rather than helping them to see the possibility of living that way themselves.
Bishops said the text should present the canonical reasons for separation of spouses and
reasons for seeking an annulment. We need to be realistic about marital problems rather than
simply encouraging people to stay together. Again, violence against women was a key part
of the discussion.
One of the bishops emphasized that priests are not trained to be marriage counselors. If they
present themselves as such, they risk legal problems for their local Churches. Priests should
move away from marriage counseling and do clearly defined spiritual guidance instead.
On the question of why young people fear to marry, many bishops observed that young
people are afraid to fail in any area of life. Youth ministry in parishes and dioceses should
help young couples understand the value of marriage. We need to focus on Pope John Paul’s
exhortation not to be afraid and also to be aware that in the Gospel, Jesus took care of a young
married couple whose marriage celebration was about to run out of wine. The Lord will
always take care of young couples who trust in him in the way.
Circle D accepted this report unanimously. Our group is marked by great diversity and many
different perspectives – 29 persons, 21 of them bishops, coming from 20 countries. Bishops
made many suggestions for changes in the text. They will bring these forward in the
various modi.
Some of the highpoints from the three Italian language groups at the Synod on the
Family:
Italian A
Moderator: Cardinal Francesco Montenegro; Rapporteur: Fr. Manuel Jesus Arroba Conde,
C.M.F.

23.  reorganize the structure of this section of the working document for better
understanding
 present teaching of the church on marriage and the family in more legible and
organized way
 use Pope Francis’s catechesis on marriage in revision of text
 use language capable of moving men and women of our day
 use more biblical and patristic texts
 make explicit the link between the concept of mercy and the Jubilee Year of Mercy
 include the spirituality and pneumatology of the Oriental churches
 highlight the primacy of grace, the acknowledgment of sin, and the need to follow a
path of conversion
 emphasize that the sacrament of matrimony continues through life.
Italian B
Moderator: Cardinal Edoardo Menichelli; Rapporteur: Cardinal Mauro Piacenza
 restructure this section of working document, work for more cohesive and incisive
text
 use positive terminology
 lack of biblical references, lack of references to church tradition in this text
 marriage and young people: present a more attractive, positive idea of marriage
 when speaking about the family the Oriental tradition points to marriage and celibacy
as two possible vocations; present renewed links between different forms of family vocations
 we live in a time when it’s necessary to be close, to accompany, to welcome, to pardon
 look for ways of developing bonds between consecrated life and the family, and new
forms of communion and sharing
 the words “nature” and “natural” are used a lot in the text, but it’s difficult to use this
terminology in our day. It’s not easy to use this terminology at a pastoral level
 there’s a need for a magisterial document that orders the complex and different
doctrine on marriage and the family
 there’s a need for the pastoral mediation and transmission of doctrine using language
that is appropriate and comprehensible
 help families to enter the mystery of the family of Nazareth.
Italian C
Moderator: Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco; Rapporteur: Bishop Franco Giulio Brambilla
 this second part of the working document is the heart of the vocation and mission of
the family
 the group summarized its rich discussion around three concentric circles, and in this
way proposed a restructuring of this whole part of the working document. The first circle lets
us hear the word that is Jesus and his teaching on marriage and the family. This is the mystery
of Christmas and the secret of Nazareth which has so fascinated Francis (of Assisi), Theresa
of the Child Jesus and Charles de Foucauld. The second circle lets us hear the teaching of
Jesus in the echo of the word of the Church, of the Apostles and of the present Magisterium,
and to listen to the voice of church from the Second Vatican Council to Pope Francis, and in
this light look at the marriage alliance regarding holiness, unity, fidelity, fecundity of the life
of the family, its growing up through education, in society and in the world. The third circle
lets us hear and listen again to the Gospel of Jesus in the different stages of the life of the
family. Ways in which the church can accompany family life are highlighted here, beginning
with the initiation of young people to marriage and the family, starting with education of the

24. sentiments from an early age and through adolescence, and then accompanying the family
through the other stages of life. All the above develop around the Gospel of Jesus.
Some highlights from the two Spanish language groups at the Synod on the Family:
Spanish A
Moderator: Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B.; Rapporteur: Cardinal
José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R.
 There’s a need for definition of family, like in Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes or other
documents such as Familiaris Consortio.
 The mercy of God cannot be conditioned. Mercy must be understood in its relation to love,
already in its manifestation. The church prolongs the merciful dynamism of the Incarnation.
 We have a theology of marriage, and that is more linked to morality. We need a theology of
the family. Use Scripture texts to speak about the family. Emphasize gradualness and process
in the way of receiving the grace of God
 Some passages of working document seem to absolutize marriage and the family whereas
Jesus relativizes them in the Kingdom of God. The fidelity of God is spread in the sacrament
of marriage, but in a human way. Indissoluble fidelity is a mystery that includes fragility.
 There are many positive values in other types of family
Spanish B
Moderator: Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega; Rapporteur: Archbishop Enrique Porras
Cardozo Baltazar
 While the doctrine on marriage and the family is known, the demands of reality need to be
taken into account if the church wishes to have a significant impact.
 There’s a lack of reference in the document on the need to show mercy to children who suffer
the consequences of violence within the family, or the divorce of their parents.
 There’s a need for more explicit reference to the Old and New Testament and the rich post-
conciliar teaching on the family.
 There’s a lack of reference in this part of the document to chastity, virginity, holiness and the
spirituality of the family.
Some highlights from the three French language groups at the Synod on the Family:
French A
Moderator: Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LaCroix; Rapporteur: Archbishop Laurent Ulrich
 The synod doesn’t need to reiterate all the theology on marriage and the family, but it should
highlight the more salient and urgent aspects of the Good News which we can offer as a
source of hope to all people.
 The synod must express the unity of our teaching on the family as a living adherence to the
teachings of the Lord and Savior of all, but this needs to be based essentially on Scripture.
 The synod should present “the Divine Pedagogy” as shown through Scripture and especially
through the life and works of Jesus, and not just by selecting some of his words or sentences.
 The final text should encourage the development of greater contact with the Word of God in
the family.
 The document should speak of fidelity and indissolubility in marriage in terms of gift and
call, rather than in juridical terms of duty
French B
Moderator: Cardinal Robert Sarah Robert; Rapporteur: Fr. Francois-Xavier Dumortier,
S.J.
The group:

25.  advocates the use of biblical language in the final synod document, and this should be written
in clear, simple language that avoids equivocations so as to express clearly the vocation and
mission of the family in the church and the world
 underlines the need to take into account the fragilities, difficulties and weakness of families,
and the need for the Church to accompany them and to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel
and call to conversion to them with love
 emphasizes the importance of prayer and the development and deepening of the interior life
in the family
 calls for a magisterial document on the family that is more coherent and which can simplify
the current theological-canonical church doctrine on marriage
 highlights the need to promote the family as a subject of pastoral action.
French C
Moderator: Bishop Maurice Piat, C.S.Sp.; Rapporteur: Paul-André Durocher:
Thr group says:
 The bible and the living tradition of the church should permeate this key second part of the
document that should root our discernment in a global vision of Revelation.
 The final text should not be locked in false oppositions and concessions which only create
confusion
 The group wrote a prologue for this whole part of the document based on the Word of God
in history which culminates in Jesus.
 To speak of the family in the church is to speak of a human reality rooted in a history and a
culture. But human history, today as in biblical times, is made up of joys and suffering, hopes
and disappointments, fidelities and abandonments, but it is the place and the occasion for the
manifestation of the mystery of the mercy of God.
 Our hope is that the present synod opens a period of common patient research between
theologians and pastors that seek together the right goals of a pastoral approach to the family,
which is able to translate the Gospel of the family in a horizon of communion. We need less
management by a universal discipline and need more a solid base for pastoral reflection and
engagement.
Synode: le rapport audacieux du groupe germanophone
I.MEDIA
Rome, 15.10.2015 (cath.ch-apic) Parmi les rapports des différents Circuli minores
(groupes linguistiques) du synode sur la famille, rendus publics le 14 octobre 2015, l’un
d’entre eux se démarque: celui du groupe germanophone. Allant bien au-delà d’un simple
commentaire de l’Instrumentum Laboris, ce rapport plaide notamment pour un
accompagnement “par étapes“ des couples en cohabitation ou mariés civilement vers “le
mariage sacramentel“.
Le texte, qui propose aussi une “pastorale personnalisée“, a été voté à ; la fois par les
cardinaux Gerhard Müller, Christoph Schönborn, ou encore Reinhard Marx, aux opinions
parfois divergentes.
Ce rapport, qui apporte une réflexion théologique tout en faisant des propositions concrètes,
exclut une herméneutique qui soumettrait toutes les situations concrètes à un seul “principe
général“. S’appuyant sur saint Thomas d’Aquin, les pères synodaux germanophones

26. expliquent qu’il ne s’agirait pas de faire “des exceptions“, mais plutôt d’une “application
juste et équitable de la Parole de Jésus“, avec “prudence et sagesse“. Concernant plus
particulièrement les couples non mariés vivant ensemble ou mariés seulement civilement,
les prélats invitent à un accompagnement pastoral par étape, vers un mariage valide et
sacramentel à l’église, qui soit fait “avec miséricorde et attention“, mais aussi “avec joie“.
Le mariage: une évolution doctrinale historique?
Le groupe regrette que les discussions et perceptions du synode soient “trop statiques“ et
“trop peu biographiques et historiques“. “L’enseignement de l’Eglise sur le mariage a
historiquement été développé et approfondi“, expliquent les pères synodaux
germanophones. Au départ, il y a eu “l’humanisation du mariage“, rappellent-ils, qui
seulement ensuite a été “condensée dans la conviction de la monogamie“. Dans une étape
ultérieure, peut-on lire dans le rapport, “la nature ecclésiale du mariage a été approfondie“
pour être comprise comme une “Eglise domestique“, et seulement ensuite pour arriver à la
sacramentalité du mariage.
Ce cheminement peut se retrouver dans la biographie de beaucoup de gens, est-il expliqué:
“Ils sont initialement affectés par la dimension humaine du mariage“, avant de se laisser
“convaincre par la vision chrétienne du mariage au sein de l’Eglise“, pour enfin “trouver le
moyen de célébrer le mariage sacramentel“. “Tout comme le développement historique de
l’enseignement de l’Eglise a demandé du temps“, écrivent encore les prélats, les gens
d’aujourd’hui doivent avoir le temps de “mûrir leur chemin“ vers le mariage sacramentel.
Comme d’autres Circuli minores, le groupe germanophone demande alors de ne pas agir
selon le principe du “tout ou rien“.
Une pastorale “personnalisée“
Autre proposition audacieuse: la mise en place d’une “pastorale personnalisée“, faisant
davantage appel aux “consciences des personnes“. Il faudrait enfin “éviter de donner
l’impression que l’Ecriture sainte est utilisée uniquement comme source de citations“ pour
justifier des convictions dogmatiques, juridiques ou éthiques, recommandent les pères
synodaux, pour qui “les écrits doivent être intégrés dans la Parole vivante qui habite dans le
cœurs des gens, dans l’Esprit-Saint“.
Le groupe explique enfin être mal à l’aise vis-à-vis du terme “mariage naturel“. Pour ces
prélats, au cours de “l’histoire de l’humanité, le mariage naturel a toujours été conditionné
culturellement“. Le rapport propose alors l’expression “mariage fondé dans la création“ au
lieu de “mariage naturel“.
Le document des prélats germanophones souligne également que l’Eglise se trouve
inévitablement dans un état de tension entre une “nécessaire clarté de l’enseignement sur le
mariage et la famille” et le “travail pastoral concret”, rapporte l’agence de presse
autrichienne Kathpress. Pour les évêques, il s’agit de pouvoir accompagner et convaincre
des personnes qui, dans leur façon de vivre, ne sont que partiellement en accord avec les
principes de base de l’Eglise.
Le groupe linguistique germanophone compte 14 cardinaux et évêques de neuf nations. Les
cardinaux allemands Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Walter Kasper et Reinhard Marx, le cardinal
autrichien Christoph Schönborn et l’évêque Benno Elbs, ainsi que le cardinal suisse Kurt
Koch y participent notamment. Le cardinal lituanien Audrys Backis et le patriarche melkite
Grégoire III Laham en sont également membres, ainsi que des évêques de Serbie, de
Finlande, de Croatie, de Hongrie et de Slovaquie.
Une soixantaine d’amendements à l’Instrumentum Laboris ont en outre été votés, tous à
l’unanimité, selon le rapporteur. (apic/imedia/bl/kathp/rz)

27. German group at synod united: Church doctrine has developed over time
Joshua J. McElwee | NCR Oct. 15, 2015
Family Synod 2015
VATICAN CITY
The group of German speaking prelates attending the worldwide meeting of Catholic
bishops on family -- which includes a rather diverse range of what might be called
progressive and conservative voices -- has called on the gathering to recognize that church
doctrine has developed over time.
The group has also said the church’s understanding of Jesus’ mission on Earth means that
there cannot always be one universal principle that applies to all concrete situations.
Writing in their report on the discussions taking place in their small group for the ongoing
Oct. 4-25 Synod of Bishops, the German bishops say: “It … became clear to us that we are
too static and not biographical-historical in many debates and observations.”
“The Church’s doctrine of marriage was developed and deepened in history,” they write.
The group explains how the church’s understanding of marriage has developed over time --
first emphasizing monogamy of marriage, then “the personal dignity of the spouses” before
coming to understand the family as the “house church.”
“This historical path of deeper understanding is today also visible in the biography of
many people,” the group writes. “They are first touched by the human dimension of
marriage, in the environment of the Church they become convinced of the Christian view
on marriage and from there they find their way to the celebration of sacramental marriage.”
“As the historical development of the Church’s teaching has taken time, so her pastoral care
must also accord the people on their path to sacramental marriage a time of maturing and
not act according to the principle of ‘all or nothing,’” states the group.
The German speaking prelates write in one of 13 reports from the different small discussion
groups meeting during the Synod, separated by language preference. All 13 of the reports --
the second of three expected to come from the Synod -- were released Wednesday.
There is only one German speaking group at the Synod, which includes an incredible range
of intellectual backgrounds.
Among those in the group are: German Cardinals Walter Kasper, who has proposed a
“penitential path” for divorced and remarried persons to receive Communion; and Gerhard
Muller, the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and known to
oppose that path.
Co-leading the group are: Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn and German Archbishop
Heiner Koch.
The report is written in German and is available in full at the Vatican website. Dutch
blogger Mark de Vries has posted an English language translation.
Continuing in their reflection on the development of church teaching, the German group
states: “The Church inevitably stands in the conflict between a necessary clarity in teaching
about marriage and family on the one hand, and the specific pastoral task to accompany and
convince those people whose lives only conform in part with the principles of the Church
on the other.”

28. “It is important to take steps with them on the road to the fullness of life in marriage and
family, as the Gospel of the family promises,” they write.
The group begins its report with an exploration of the relationship between mercy and truth,
grace and justice -- saying the concepts “are constantly treated as being in opposition to one
another.”
“In God they are certainly not in opposition: as God is love, justice and mercy come
together in Him,” they write. “The mercy of God is the fundamental truth of revelation,
which is not opposed to other truths of revelation.”
“It rather reveals to us the deepest reason, as it tells us why God empties Himself in His
Son and why Jesus Christ remains present in His Church through His word and His
sacraments,” they state. “The mercy of God reveals to us in this way the reason and the
entire purpose of the work of salvation. The justice of God is His mercy, with which He
justifies us.”
A consequence of this understanding of salvation, the German speakers write, is that there
cannot be one universal principle that accounts for all particular situations.
“It excludes a one-sided deductive hermeneutic which subsumes concrete situations under a
general principle,” they state.
Quoting both St. Thomas Aquinas and the 16th century Council of Trent, they say that for
both “the implementation of basic principles of prudence and wisdom to the particular and
often complicated situations is pending.”
“This is not about exceptions to which the word of God does not apply, but about the
question of a fair and reasonable application of the words of Jesus -- such as the words
about the indissolubility of marriage -- in prudence and wisdom,” they state.
Using Aquinas’ seminal work Summa Theologiae, they quote the saint: “To prudence
belongs not only the consideration of reason, but also the application to action, which is the
goal of practical reason.”
[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address
is jmcelwee@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]
Un couple d’auditeurs au synode appelle à "changer de regard sur les divorcés
remariés"
Propos recueillis à Rome par Anne Kurian, I.MEDIA
Rome, 15.10.2015 (cath.ch-apic) Le synode des évêques sur la famille, au Vatican, est entré
dans sa troisième phase et aborde nombre de questions concrètes parmi lesquelles
l’accueil des personnes divorcées remariées. Une question qui ne concerne pas seulement
les couples vivant cette situation mais tous les baptisés, appelés à une conversion du
regard. C’est en substance le plaidoyer de Christian et Nathalie Mignonat, auditeurs au
synode, que l’agence I.MEDIA a rencontré en marge des débats. Le couple lyonnais
sexagénaire, responsable national des ‘Equipes Reliance’ pour les personnes divorcées
remariées, se fait porteur de la parole de couples chrétiens engagés dans une nouvelle
union, devant les évêques du monde entier.
Quelles sont vos impressions depuis le début du synode? Comment voyez-vous votre
rôle?

29. C’est une opportunité extraordinaire de rencontrer des évêques et à travers eux tous les pays
qu’ils représentent avec leurs cultures différentes et leur façon différente d’exprimer leur
foi. C’est une certaine responsabilité d’avoir été appelés au sommet de la gouvernance de
l’Eglise, et d’être associés à ce processus. Dans les Circuli minores, nous n’avons pas le
droit de vote, mais nous pouvons demander comme les autres à prendre la parole. Nous
sommes “auditeurs“, ce qui signifie que nous sommes d’abord là pour écouter. Nous nous
situons plutôt dans une position de service: nous apportons aux pères synodaux notre
expérience de vie, dans certains créneaux particuliers. Nous pouvons également être une
sorte de “baromètre de la réception“, c’est-à-dire aider à ce que certains mots ou
formulations plus obscurs, puissent être mieux entendus, mieux compris.
Les ‘Equipes Reliance’ proposent de laisser plus de pouvoir pastoral au niveau des
Eglises particulières. Pourquoi?
C’est le sentiment d’un certain nombre de pères de nos Circuli minores qui, confrontés à
cette grande diversité des situations humaines, songent à faire remonter cette proposition de
façon relativement ferme. Il est clair qu’il faut qu’il y ait un “ensemble directeur“ qui
s’applique à tous parce que nous sommes Eglise universelle. Par contre, les modalités
pratiques pastorales peuvent peut-être trouver des solutions plus modulables selon les
régions à travers les conférences épiscopales ou autres organes. C’est une voie à explorer,
de façon à pouvoir s’ajuster au mieux à la problématique de telle ou telle Eglise
particulière.
Les ‘Equipes Reliance’ proposent aussi un “chemin de discernement“ pour l’accès aux
sacrements des personnes divorcées-remariées. En quoi cela consiste-t-il?
Nous avons fait travailler nos équipes sur ces sujets parce que nous pensons que c’est une
façon dynamique de voir la question. Cela montre que les chrétiens ne s’enferment pas dans
un refus mais qu’ils agissent aussi en termes de proposition. L’idée essentielle de ce
“Chemin d’Emmaüs“ est de rencontrer les personnes là où elles en sont et non pas d’en
rester à un simple concept ni de plaquer des règles générales sur des situations diverses. Les
personnes divorcées-remariées ne vivent pas leur situation de la même manière, suivant
qu’il s’agisse de personnes qui ont été abandonnées, de personnes épousant quelqu’un de
divorcé mais dont c’est pour elles-mêmes la première union, etc. Puisqu’il n’existe pas
d’uniformité des situations, il est sans doute préférable de pouvoir proposer non pas un seul
chemin mais “des“ chemins, c’est à dire d’accompagner les personnes à partir de leur
situation réelle, personnelle. Il est juste qu’un couple remarié depuis 25 ans, ayant déjà fait
une démarche de pardon, n’ait pas le même itinéraire à faire qu’un jeune couple éloigné de
la foi…
Au début des travaux, le pape François a rappelé que la question des divorcés-
remariés n’était pas la seule question du synode…
Un certain nombre de pères synodaux se sont plaints que cette question “pollue“ un peu le
débat. Le pape leur a dit de mettre en parenthèse cette question qui sera abordée au moment
prévu. Il est bon de ne pas se cristalliser là-dessus parce que c’est une question parmi
d’autres, et que certaines problématiques d’autres pays sont aussi urgentes et dramatiques.
Pour les personnes divorcées remariées, cet aspect de la pastorale est vraiment très
important.
Qu’attendez-vous de ce synode?
Nous allons donner la parole que nous portons et nous comptons sur le Saint Esprit pour
donner une juste réponse. Mais il faut souligner aussi qu’un des enjeux du synode est la
conversion de tout le Peuple de Dieu. Les chrétiens doivent se poser la question d’un