VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 171   
   DATE 02-10-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri explains how the Synod on the Family will unfold   
   - Statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office   
   - Cardinals to take possession of their titular churches   
   - Audiences   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri explains how the Synod on the Family will unfold   
    Vatican City, 2 October 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office   
   Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, gave a   
   presentation of the phases and methods of the Ordinary General Assembly of the   
   Synod of Bishops on "The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and   
   the contemporary world", which will commence on Sunday 4 October.   
    "Tomorrow evening, in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of the Holy Father,   
   a   
   prayer vigil will be held in preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly of   
   the Synod of Bishops, to be attended by the Synod Fathers, the participants in   
   the Synod and all the faithful of the world, on an initiative of the Italian   
   Episcopal Conference, which has invited families, movements and ecclesial   
   associations. At nightfall the beauty of the family will shine through lighted   
   torches. The trustful invocation of the Holy Spirit by the People of God is the   
   prelude to the work of the Synod; indeed, we recall the important tone given to   
   the last Extraordinary General Assembly by the Holy Father, with the powerful   
   homily he gave during the Vigil.   
    The Mass on Sunday morning, presided by the Holy Father, will signal the   
   opening of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod on 'The vocation and   
   mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world', allowing all   
   the faithful of the world to join the common path of the pastors cum Petro et   
   sub Petro.   
    This Assembly is the culmination of the synodal journey undertaken two years   
   ago, with the distribution of the first questionnaire to all the particular   
   Churches, enabling the profile of the family in the world, its riches and its   
   challenges, to be outlined. The Extraordinary General Assembly then prepared a   
   Final Report (Relatio Synodi) which raised further questions; the answers have   
   been incorporated in today's Instrumentum Laboris. With this text in hand,   
   composed of the Relatio Synodi and by the contributions of the particular   
   Churches, the Fathers are preparing to listen to the challenges faced by the   
   family, to discern its vocation, and to announce its mission.   
    Composition of the Ordinary General Assembly   
    In accordance with the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum (Art. 5 § 1), the Ordinary   
   General Assembly will be attended by the Heads of the sui iuris Oriental   
   Catholic Churches, the bishops elected by the Synod of Bishops and the Councils   
   of the Hierarchy of the Oriental Catholic Churches, the bishops elected by the   
   Episcopal Conferences, ten religious elected by the Union of Superiors General   
   and the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia. In addition, the Holy Father   
   also appoints some Members, in accordance with the same Synod regulations (Art.   
   5 § 4).   
    A total of 270 Synod Fathers will participate in this Assembly. They are   
   divided into the following three categories: 42 ex officio, 183 ex electione   
   and   
   45 ex nominatione pontificia. The Fathers originate from the five continents,   
   as   
   follows: 54 from Africa, 64 from America, 36 from Asia, 107 from Europe and 9   
   from Oceania.   
    The Members ex officio comprise the heads of the 15 Synods of Bishops of the   
   sui iuris Oriental Catholic Churches; 25 heads of dicasteries of the Roman   
   Curia; the general secretary and the under Secretary.   
    The 270 Synod Fathers include: 74 cardinals (including one cardinal Patriarch   
   and 2 major archbishops), six Patriarchs, one major archbishop, 72 archbishops   
   (including three titular), 102 bishops (including six auxiliaries, three   
   apostolic vicars and one emeritus), two parish priests and 13 religious. In   
   addition, other invitees from different cultures and nations will take part in   
   this Synod Assembly (cf. Art. 7 Ordo Synodi): 24 experts and collaborators of   
   the Special Secretary, 51 auditors and 14 fraternal delegates. Noteworthy is   
   the   
   fact that, since this is an Assembly dedicated to the family, particular   
   importance is given to spouses, parents and family heads, of whom a total of 18   
   are present (17 auditors and one among the experts). Finally, we are pleased to   
   welcome the fraternal delegates who, as representatives of other Churches and   
   ecclesial communities, certainly share with the Catholic Church a concern for   
   evangelisation and the pastoral care of families in today's world.   
    Synod methodology   
    Starting from the experience gained during the Third Extraordinary General   
   Assembly last October and taking into account various suggestions have come   
   from   
   many sides, especially by the Synod Fathers, the General Secretariat of the   
   Synod has developed a new methodology to apply the Ordinary General Assembly,   
   approved by the Holy Father at the meeting of the Ordinary Council of the   
   Secretariat on 25-26 May 2015.   
    Given the methodology of the previous synods, the majority of the Fathers   
   suggested that the General Assembly is made more dynamic and participatory   
   through the distribution of interventions among the individual members at   
   different times, enabling more attention to be devoted each contribution. In   
   addition, the Fathers requested the enhancement of the work in the Circuli   
   Minores, where there is more active participation in the discussion, more   
   direct   
   and immediate connection between the Fathers in their own language, and in   
   which   
   the auditors and fraternal delegates can intervene.   
    The result of the first Synod phase, devloped during the last Extraordinary   
   General Assembly, was the Relatio Synodi, which became, together with an   
   attached series of questions, the Lineamenta of the Ordinary General Assembly   
   presented to the particular Churches and to all other entitled persons. The   
   Instrumentum Laboris, resulting from the composition of the Relatio Synodi and   
   the answers related to it, it is the foundational document of this Synod   
   Assembly.   
    In the opening session, the President Delegate will greet the Holy Father, who   
   will open the meeting. This will be followed by reports from the General   
   Secretary and the General Rapporteur. The General Rapporteur will then present   
   the themes of the First Part ("Listening to the challenges to the family"; cf.   
   Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 6-36). After the testimony of a married couple   
   (auditors), the interventions of the Synod Fathers in the General   
   Congregations,   
   will begin. Their contribution constitutes a development of the basic text.   
    This will be followed by the sessions of the Circuli minori, in which the   
   Fathers reflect on the basic text supplemented by the contributions made in the   
   assembly hall, in order to develop the "ways" in which the text continues to   
   mature. At the end of the sessions, the rapporteur from each Circulo presents a   
   brief report of their work and indicates the supplements to be inserted in the   
   base text. The reports of the Working Groups will be made public.   
    The same process is repeated for the Second Part ("The discernment of the   
   vocation of the family"; cf. Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 37-68) and the Third   
   Party ("The mission of the family today"; cf. Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 69   
   -147), during the following two weeks.   
    The Commission for the Elaboration of the Final Report, appointed by the Holy   
   Father, in which all five continents are represented, consists of: Cardinal   
   Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary), Rapporteur General; the   
   General Secretary; Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto (Italy); Cardinal   
   Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay (India); Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop   
   of Washington (United States of America); Cardinal John Atcherley Dew,   
   archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand); Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez,   
   rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (Argentina); Bishop   
   Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Mouila (Gabon); Bishop Marcello Semeraro of   
   Albano   
   (Italy); Father Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, superior general of the Society of   
   Jesus,   
   representing the Union of Superiors General.   
    The Commission has the duty of following each stage of the project; therefore,   
   it meets at the end of the work on each part and in drafting the final   
   document.   
   At the end of the three stages of work, the Commission oversees preparation of   
   the draft of the Final Report, to be presented in plenary session. Bearing in   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)