VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 174   
   DATE 09-10-2014   
      
   Summary:   
   - Sixth General Congregation: the Church is the house of the Father, not a   
   customs office, and must not be indifferent to weakness   
   - Seventh General Congregation: The pastoral challenges concerning an openness   
   to life   
   - Cardinal Parolin to take possession of his title   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Sixth General Congregation: the Church is the house of the Father, not a   
   customs office, and must not be indifferent to weakness   
    Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - During the Sixth General Congregation,   
   which took place yesterday afternoon, the Synod Fathers continued their debate   
   on the theme set forth in the Instrumentum Laboris: "Difficult pastoral   
   situations (Part II, Chapter 3). Situations in Families / Concerning Unions of   
   Persons of the Same Sex".   
    Firstly, it was underlined that the Church is not a customs house, but rather   
   the house of the Father, and must therefore offer patient accompaniment to all   
   people, including those who find themselves in difficult pastoral situations.   
   The true Catholic Church encompasses healthy families and families in crisis,   
   and therefore in her daily effort of sanctification must not show indifference   
   in relation to weakness, as patience implies actively helping the weakest.   
    With regard to processes for the declaration of nullity of marriage, in   
   general the need to streamline the procedures was observed by many (along with   
   the need to integrate more competent laypersons in the ecclesiastical   
   Tribunals), but the Assembly also noted the danger of superficiality and the   
   need always to safeguard respect for the truth and the rights of the parties.   
   It was also remarked that the process is not contrary to pastoral charity, and   
   judicial pastoral must avoid attempts to apportion blame, instead encouraging   
   a calm discussion of cases. Again with regard to marriage nullity, the   
   hypothesis of recourse to administrative channels, not in lieu of the judicial   
   process but rather as a complement to it, was considered. It was suggested   
   that it would be the responsibility of the bishop to decide which requests for   
   nullity could be dealt with through administrative channels.   
    It was strongly emphasised that an attitude of respect must be adopted in   
   relation to divorced and remarried persons, as they often live in situations   
   of unease or social injustice, suffer in silence and in many cases seek a   
   gradual path to fuller participation in ecclesial life. Pastoral care must not   
   therefore be repressive, but full of mercy.   
    With regard to polygamy, on the one hand it was underlined that this is a   
   diminishing tendency as it is favoured mostly within rural contexts and   
   therefore undermined by advancing urbanisation; on the other, it was recalled   
   that there are polygamists who have converted to Catholicism and who wish to   
   receive the sacraments of Christian initiation, and it was asked if there are   
   specific pastoral measures to engage with these situations with the   
   appropriate discernment.   
    Attention returned to the need for greater preparation for marriage,   
   especially among the young, to whom the beauty of sacramental union must be   
   presented, along with an adequate emotional education that is not merely a   
   moralistic exhortation that risks generating a sort of religious and human   
   illiteracy. The path to marriage must involve a true growth of the person.   
    During the hour of free discussion - between 6 and 7 p.m. - the interventions   
   presented experiences and practical models for the pastoral care of divorced   
   and remarried persons, making extensive use of listening groups. It was   
   remarked that it is important to carefully avoid moral judgement or speaking   
   of a "permanent state of sin", seeking instead to enable understanding that   
   not being admitted to the sacrament of the Eucharist does not entirely   
   eliminate the possibility of grace in Christ and is due rather to the   
   objective situation of remaining bound by a previous and indissoluble   
   sacramental bond. In this respect, the importance of spiritual communion was   
   emphasised repeatedly. It was also commented that there are evident limits to   
   these proposals and that certainly there are no "easy" solutions to the   
   problem.   
    Also in relation to the pastoral care of homosexual persons, emphasis was   
   placed on the importance of listening and the use of listening groups.   
    Further interventions focused on the issue of Catholics who change Christian   
   confession, or vice versa, with the difficult consequences that may arise from   
   inter-confessional marriages and the validation of their validity in the light   
   of the possibilities of divorce in the Orthodox Churches.   
    Recalling the Ordinary Synod held in 1980 on the theme of "The Christian   
   family", it was observed that great evolution has occurred since then in   
   international legal culture and it is therefore necessary for the Church to be   
   aware of this, and for cultural institutions such as the Catholic Universities   
   to face this situation in order to retain a role in ongoing debate.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Seventh General Congregation: The pastoral challenges concerning an openness   
   to life   
    Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - The seventh general Congregation, which   
   took place this morning was divided into two phases: the first consisting of   
   further general debate on the theme of the previous afternoon, "Difficult   
   Pastoral Situations" (Part II, Chapter 3. Situations in Families / Concerning   
   Unions of Persons of the Same Sex", and the second regarding the subsequent   
   issue, "The Pastoral Challenges concerning an Openness to Life".   
    In the first part, therefore, the Assembly continued its reflection on the   
   matter of access to the sacrament of the Eucharist for divorced and remarried   
   persons. Firstly, it re-emphasised the indissoluble nature of marriage,   
   without compromise, based on the fact that the sacramental bond is an   
   objective reality, the work of Christ in the Church. Such a value must be   
   defended and cared for through adequate pre-matrimonial catechesis, so that   
   engaged couples are fully aware of the sacramental character of the bond and   
   its vocational nature. Pastoral accompaniment for couples following marriage   
   would also be useful.   
    At the same time, it was said that it is necessary to look at individual   
   cases and real-life situations, even those involving great suffering,   
   distinguishing for example between those who abandon their spouse and those   
   who are abandoned. The problem exists - this was repeated several times in the   
   Assembly - and the Church does not neglect it. Pastoral care must not be   
   exclusive, of an "all or nothing" type but must instead be merciful, as the   
   mystery of the Church is a mystery of consolation.   
    It was in any case recalled that for divorced and remarried persons, the fact   
   of not having access to the Eucharist does not mean that they are not members   
   of the ecclesial community; on the contrary, it is to be taken into   
   consideration that there exist various responsibilities that may be exercised.   
   Furthermore, the need to simplify and speed up the procedures for the   
   declaration of marriage nullity was underlined.   
    With regard to cohabitation in certain regions, it was shown that this is   
   often due to economic and social factors and not a form of refusal of the   
   teachings of the Church. Often, moreover, these and other types of de facto   
   unions are lived while conserving the wish for a Christian life, and therefore   
   require suitable pastoral care. Similarly, while emphasising the impossibility   
   of recognising same sex marriage, the need for a respectful and    
   on-discriminatory approach with regard to homosexuals was in any case   
   underlined.   
    Further attention was paid to the matter of mixed marriages, demonstrating   
   that in spite of the difficulties that may be encountered, it is useful to   
   look also at the possibilities they offer as witness to harmony and   
   interreligious dialogue. The Assembly then returned to theme of language, so   
   that the Church may involve believers, non-believers and all persons of good   
   will to identify models of family life that promote the full development of   
   the human person and societal wellbeing. It was suggested that the family   
   should be spoken of using a "grammar of simplicity" that reaches the heart of   
   the faithful.   
    In the second part of the Congregation, the theme of responsible parenthood   
   was considered, emphasising that the gift of life (and the virtue of chastity)   
   are basic values in Christian marriage, and underlining the seriousness of the   
   crime of abortion. At the same time, mention was made of the numerous crises   
   experienced by many families, for instance in certain Asian contexts, such as   
   infanticide, violence towards women and human trafficking. The need to   
   highlight the concept of justice among the fundamental virtues of the family   
   was underlined.   
    The debate turned to the issue of the responsibility of parents in educating   
   their children in faith and in the teachings it offers: such responsibility is   
   primordial, it was said, and it is important to pay it suitable attention. It   
   was also noted that the pastoral care of children can create a point of   
   contact with families who find themselves in difficult situations.   
    With regard to children, the negative impact of contraception on society and   
   resulting decline in the birth rate was underlined. It was remarked that   
   Catholics should not remain silent in relation to this issue, but should   
   instead bring a message of hope: children are important, they bring life and   
   joy to their parents, and they reinforce faith and religious practices.   
    Finally, attention turned to the essential role of the laity in the   
   apostolate of the family and in its evangelisation, as well as lay movements   
   able to accompany families in difficulty.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Cardinal Parolin to take possession of his title   
    Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of   
   the Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Saturday, 11 October, at 6.30   
   p.m., Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will take possession of the   
   title of Sts. Simon and Jude Thaddeus at Torre Angela (Via di Torrenova, 162).   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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