VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 175   
   DATE 10-10-2014   
      
   Summary:   
   - Eighth General Congregation: Christian education in difficult family   
   situations   
   - Ninth General Congregation: listen to the laity   
   - Message for families affected by conflicts   
   - "Useless slaughter": believers and the Holy See during the First World War   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Eighth General Congregation: Christian education in difficult family   
   situations   
    Vatican City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) - During the eighth general Congregation,   
   held yesterday afternoon, the general debate continued to follow the agenda of   
   the Instrumentum Laboris, focusing on the theme "The Church and the Family in   
   the Challenge of Upbringing (Part III, Chapter 2). The Challenge of Upbringing   
   in General / Christian Education in Difficult Family Situations".   
    Firstly, the vocation of life as a basic element of the family was   
   emphasised; this led to an invitation to the faithful to deepen their   
   knowledge of Paul VI's Encyclical, Humanae Vitae, thus better understanding   
   the meaning of the use of natural methods of fertility control and the   
   non-acceptance of contraception. Union and procreation, it was said, are not   
   separate from the conjugal act. The condemnation of genetic manipulation and   
   cryopreservation of embryos was therefore reiterated forcefully.   
    From various quarters there emerged the tendency of several states and   
   organisations based in the Western world to present, especially in the context   
   of Africa, various concepts (including abortion and homosexual unions) as   
   "human rights", linked to economic aid and strong pressure campaigns for the   
   promotion of such concepts. In this respect, it was highlighted that the   
   expression "rights to sexual and reproductive health" does not have a precise   
   definition in international law and ends up encompassing mutually   
   contradictory principles such as the condemnation of forced abortion and the   
   promotion of safe abortion, or the protection of maternity and the promotion   
   of contraception. Also without any binding value, the promotion of such   
   "rights" represents a risk, as it may influence the interpretation of other   
   norms, especially in combating discrimination against women.   
    The Assembly reiterated the importance of adequate preparation for marriage,   
   as its celebration seems to be increasingly reduced to the social and legal   
   status, rather than a religious and spiritual bond. The preparatory course, it   
   was noted, is often perceived by couples as an imposition, a task to complete   
   without conviction, and as a result it is too brief. Since marriage is a   
   vocation for life, preparation for it should be long and detailed, as in the   
   case of preparation for religious life. It was also shown that, among couples,   
   there is a frequent lack of awareness of the sacramental value of the marriage   
   bond, so much so that the celebration of the marriage rite, it was said, is   
   not automatically the celebration of the marriage sacrament.   
    With regard to the streamlining of procedures for the process of verifying   
   matrimonial nullity, it was recalled that a special study Commission for the   
   reform of the canonical marriage nullification process was instituted by the   
   Holy Father Francis on 20 September 2014, and the hope was expressed that it   
   will enable a simpler procedure to be put into effect, which must however be   
   single and uniform for all the Church. Furthermore, with regard to the double   
   confirming sentences consequent to mandatory appeal, it was asked whether the   
   possibility had been raised of leaving the decision of recourse to appeal to   
   the discretion of the bishop. At the same time, the hope was expressed that   
   there would be a greater presence of suitably prepared lay judges, women in   
   particular.   
    The Assembly went on to insist on the importance of good preparation for   
   priests in relation to the pastoral care of marriage and the family, and   
   remarked that homilies can be used as a special and effective moment for   
   proclaiming the Gospel of the family to the faithful. It was commented that   
   there is a need for formation and information, as the spiritual holiness of   
   the priest, his creativity and his direct relationship with families are   
   particularly appreciated by the faithful.   
    There were further reflections on the relationship between migration and   
   family, in which it was reiterated that the family unit is a fundamental right   
   to be accorded to every migrant, and the importance of protection for the   
   right to family unity through international migratory policies was emphasised.   
   It was said that the family is an essential element for the integration of   
   migrants in host countries.   
    During the hour dedicated to free discussion - between 6 and 7 p.m. - three   
   themes emerged in particular: with regard to divorced and remarried persons,   
   the need for a penitential path was highlighted, to be accompanied by   
   reflection on the case of divorced persons who remain alone and suffer in   
   silence, at the margins of social life. Secondly, mention was made of the need   
   to protect the children of divorced couples from suffering the psychological   
   affects of their parents' divorce. In this respect, it was recalled that   
   adequate pastoral care of children often causes their parents to draw closer   
   to the Church.   
    Thirdly, the importance of the relationship between the family and the   
   education of children was affirmed, with particular reference to parents'   
   right to choose the most suitable educational plan for their children, so that   
   they may receive a quality education.   
    Finally, the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri,   
   announced that during the eight general Congregations, there had been a total   
   of 180 interventions from the Synod Fathers, with the addition of 80 more   
   during the hours of open debate.   
      
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    Ninth General Congregation: listen to the laity   
    Vatican City, 10 October 2014 (VIS) - During the ninth general Congregation,   
   which took place this morning, 15 interventions were heard (6 from couples and   
   9 from single Auditors), almost all laypersons engaged in the fields of family   
   pastoral care, bioethics and human ecology. From various countries throughout   
   the world and representing almost all the continents, the Auditors brought to   
   the Assembly their living testimony of family apostolate lived in everyday   
   life.   
    Firstly, mention was made of the difficulties experienced by families living   
   in the Middle East, especially in Iraq: these numerous conflicts have serious   
   repercussions on families, divided by the death of their members, forced to   
   migrate in search of a safe place to live, deprived of a future for the young   
   who are removed from schools or for the elderly who are abandoned to their own   
   devices. The unity of the Christian family in the Middle East is profoundly   
   disrupted, with consequences also for the social and national unity of the   
   countries in the region. Faced with such dramatic situations, the Church truly   
   represents a safe haven, a "family of families" that offers comfort and hope.   
   It is also necessary to prepare married couples to be "mediators" of peace and   
   reconciliation.   
    Another point highlighted by the Auditors was the need for the Church to   
   listen more to laypeople in the search for solutions to the problems of   
   families, especially in relation to the sphere of intimacy in the life of   
   couples. For this reason it is important for there to be synergy between the   
   academic world and the pastoral world, so as to form not "technicians" but   
   rather pastoral workers who know and understand how to promote the themes of   
   family and life through a solid Catholic overall anthropological vision.   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)