Scottish Catholic Observer

The extraordinary synod of bishops on the family has set a path for pastoral care grounded in traditional Catholic teaching as Pope Francis warns against extremism in the defence of tradition or the pursuit of progress.

After two weeks of vigorous debate, the synod fathers set out a expansive and innovative document (relatio) that will serve as the basis of the agenda of next year’s world synod on the family. The assembly, however, failed to reach consensus on the controversial areas of Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried and the pastoral care of homosexual people.

The Pope’s address at the conclusion of the synod, delivered last Saturday, prompted a four-minute standing ovation by the bishops attending the Vatican meeting. The Pope noted the various temptations that can arise in a synod setting. He encouraged the bishops to live in the tension, saying that ‘personally I would be very worried and saddened if it were not for these temptations and these animated discussions; this movement of the spirits, if all were in a state of agreement, or silent in a false and quietist peace.’

“Instead, I have seen and I have heard—with joy and appreciation—speeches and interventions full of faith, of pastoral and doctrinal zeal, of wisdom, of frankness and of courage,” he said.

Looking forward to the 2015 synod, the Pope said: “Now we still have one year to mature, with true spiritual discernment, the proposed ideas and to find concrete solutions to so many difficulties and innumerable challenges that families must confront; to give answers to the many discouragements that surround and suffocate families.”

The 2014 synod’s final message focused on the challenges and virtues of traditional families.

“We recognise the great challenge to remain faithful in conjugal love,” the bishops said, citing obstacles including ‘enfeebled faith,’ ‘individualism,’ ‘stress that excludes reflection’ and a lack of ‘courage’ to have patience and reflect, to make sacrifices and to forgive one another.’”

The message praised parents caring for disabled children, families suffering economic hardship and the trials of migration, and women victims of human trafficking. The document also noted the reality of spouses in failed marriages who enter into second unions ‘where the Christian choice is not obvious.’

The synod fathers voted on each of the final document’s 62 paragraphs. All received a simple majority, but three failed to gain the two-thirds supermajority ordinarily required for approval of synodal documents.

Two of the rejected paragraphs dealt with a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper regarding divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. The document’s section on homosexuality also fell short of supermajority approval. Fr Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said this indicated a lack of consensus and a need for more discussion, but stressed that none of the document carried doctrinal weight. The synod’s final report sets the agenda for the October 2015 world synod on the family, which will make recommendations to the Pope.

— New marriage preparation initiative in St Andrews and Edinburgh on page 5 of this week’s SCO

—Pope’s final address in full here; Bishops’ closing message, full text here.

— [email protected]

—Read the full version of this story in October 24 edition of the SCO in parishes from Friday.