「学び合いの会－海外ニュース」 306号

†　主の平和

バチカンは、10月に開催される第14回通常シノドス（世界代表司教会議）

を前に、昨年末、全世界の司教に向けて、シノドスで話し合う内容を説明

する「提題解説」（Lineamenta：リネアメンタ）」を送っています。

このリネアメンタには、46項目にわたる質問書が添えられており、各司教

区ごと（或いは国ごと）に信者の意見をまとめて、4月15日までにシノドス

事務局に回答することになっています。

学び合いの会の同伴者ホアン・マシア神父と仲間たちが質問書を抄訳

して下さいましたので添付します。

昨年秋の臨時シノドスと、この秋の通常シノドスの双方に共通するテーマ

は「家庭（家族）」です。昨年の臨時シノドスの前に送られた質問書に対し

ては学び合いの会有志が独自の回答書をまとめてバチカンに送りました。

今回バチカンから送られた質問書は、昨年秋の臨時シノドスの最終文書を

受けた内容になっており、そこからはカトリック教会が2年の期間を費やして

今日の家族の問題に真剣に向き合おうとしている姿勢が見えてきます。

また、教皇フランシスコは、昨年末の一般謁見でシノドスの意義を説明し、

全カトリック信者に向けて、会議の歩みを祈りで支えてほしいと訴えました。

その記事も添付します。

添付記事

1.　2015シノドスに先立ちカトリック教会が考慮すべき家庭に関する質問

　（Lineamenta：リネアメンタ質問書）

2015年シノドスに先立ち、カトリック教会として考慮すべき家庭に関する質問

以下はリネアメンタ質問書の前文、および46項目の質問の抄訳です。

質問項目には1～46の通し番号が付いています。

これらは、シノドスが司教に対して、信徒に示すよう求めている質問項目です。

2014年10月に行われた臨時シノドスの最終報告書（relatio synodi）と呼ばれる

文書の主な内容は、この質問事項の中に包含されています。

教皇フランシスコの希望により、質問の大項目の末尾には最終報告書の項目番号

(タリー)を付けてあります。

前　文（抄訳）

2014年10月、福音宣教の文脈の中で家庭についての司牧上の諸課題を扱った第3回臨時世界代表司教会議（シノドス）の結びに当たって、教皇フランシスコは、このシノドスの業務をまとめたその最終報告書Relatio Synodiを発行する決定をした。

同時に教皇は、この文書が2015年10月4日から25日にカトリック教会と現代社会における家庭の召命と使命（vocation and mission）を議題とする第14回通常総会の提題解説（リネアメンタ）となるよう示唆した。

リネアメンタとして送られたRelatio Synodiは、次のことばで結んでいる：

「大いなる自由と相互の意見聴取の精神を以って行われたシノドスの実りであるこれらの提案された諸考察は、質問を提起すること、および地方諸教会における考察を通して、第14回シノドス通常総会に至る1年間にこの後に展開、明確化されるであろう諸見解を示すことが意図されている。」(Relatio Synodi, n. 62)

訳注：なお、シノドス事務局はこのリネアメンタ（提題解説）に対する回答を2015年4月15日

までに事務局に送付するよう求めている。

質　問（抄訳）

臨時シノドスの最終報告を受け入れ、それを深めるために

質問事項の前書き：最終報告書の諸部分にまたがる一般的な質問

Q. 臨時シノドスの最終文書で描かれている家族の有り様は現代の教会と社会の現実を表しているでしょうか。何か足りないところ、欠けているところがありますか。お気づきのところを指摘してください。

訳注：「臨時シノドスの最終文書」はまだ和訳されていない。ただ、前文冒頭の囲み内に記されているように、質問事項全体を読めば、最終文書が描く家族の有りようを覗い知ることが出来るだろう。

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質問項目目次

第1部　

家族の生活や経験、現代社会の中で、家族が置かれており、家族が直面する問題（具体的な課題，挑戦など）に目を向け、耳を傾けましょう。

社会状況、現代社会の文脈、文化の背景

人の成長・成熟過程における生活の感情的側面での教育の重要性　

家族に対する司牧上の世話における課題

第2部　キリストのまなざしでみた家族に関する福音の教え

歴史の歩みの中で人々を救い出す（救済史における段階を辿って人を導き出す）神のなさり方（導き、神様ならではの教育）とイエスのまなざし。

神の救いの計画における家族　　　　　

教会の公文書における家族

夫婦が共に生きる喜びと結婚の絆による結びつきの不解消性(indisolubility)。

家族生活の真の姿とその美しさ。

家族生活の脆くて壊れやすい面と傷ついている家族に対する慈しみ。

第3部　家族に対する司牧上の世話において教会が直面する諸問題

現代社会の中での異なった諸状況において家族についての福音の教えを述べ伝えるにはどうすればよいのか。

結婚準備中の婚約者たちをどのように導いたらよいのか。

結婚直後の夫婦にどのように同伴すればよいのか

教会で結婚の秘跡を受けずに、民法上のみの婚姻している人や（事実上の）同棲生活している信徒のカップルに対してどのように同伴し、司牧上のケアーをすればよいのか。

傷ついている家族について（別居夫婦、再婚していない離婚者、再婚した離婚者、　　　　

母子家庭など）ケアすること。

同性愛の人々を受け止めること　（同性愛の方向付けのある方々のをめぐって司牧上の問題の扱い方について）。

いのちの伝達と、出生率低下の問題

社会の福音化のための家族の役割および家族における子供の教育の課題。

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第1部に関する質問事項

現代社会状況について(ns. 5 – 8)

１．現代社会と文化の矛盾に直面する家族の問題にどう対応すればよいでしょうか。たとえば、人間関係の教育、家族を助けるための政治経済政策、子供や老人や病人の世話の問題など。特に、あなたの地域教会が置かれている状況において何が最も緊急な対応の仕方を必要としているでしょうか。

２．人類学者が指摘している文化と社会の激しい変革の中にみられる光と影の点を上げてください。　家族の有り方や家族観における文化上の多様性の中で人類共通な要素を見出すことができるでしょうか。

３．極限状況に置かれている家族に対して教会はどのような役割を果たせばよいでしょうか。福音の教えを伝える、問題を告発する、といった役割のほかに教会がするべきことがあるでしょうか。家族を傷つけることを予防するためにはどのような教育対策があるのでしょうか。夫婦の絆を忠実に守りたい信徒を支え、強めるためにはどうすればよいのでしょうか。

４．世俗化された社会の中で広がっている相対主義の考え方に対してどうすればよいのでしょうか。夫婦の絆に結ばれ、子供を産むことに開かれているという家族観を拒否する人が多い社会の中で教会はどうすればよいでしょうか。

成長・成熟過程における感情面の育ち方の重要さについて。(ns. 9 – 10)

５．人の成長過程における感情的な面での成熟は重要であるが、その教育のためにキリスト者の家族は貢献できるでしょうか。このような問題を念頭において神学生の養成をどのように刷新すればよいのでしょうか。現代においてもっとも必要とされている司牧者の姿はなんでしょうか。

司牧上の課題についてns. 11)

６．家族に対する司牧上のケアは教会から離れている人まで届くでしょうか。

第2部（キリストのまなざしでみた家族に関する福音の教え）に関する質問事項

救いの歴史から見たキリストのまなざしと家族に関する福音の教えについて、(ns. 12 – 14)

７．家族を造ることへの望みは、神が人の心の中に蒔いた種のひとつです。多くの青年にはその望みがあるはずですが、キリスト教の家族観に合わない家族環境にいる人に、そういった望みを引き起こさせることはどのようにできるでしょうか。聖書を使ってキリストの眼差しで家族に関する福音の教えをどのように伝えることができるでしょうか。

８．夫婦も子供も自分が属している家族においてどのような価値観を学びますか。罪とも言えることとして何を避けるべきでしょうか。

９．結婚に向かっている婚約者たちが自分たちの繋がりの中で成熟するにはどのような人間教育（神のなさり方に合う人間教育）必要でしょうか。

１０．夫婦の絆の不解消性は賜物であり、その美しさを示し、その実現を望ませ、それに生きる望みを引き起こすには、どうすればよいのでしょうか。

１１．どのように神との関係によって夫婦関係の傷を癒すことが出来るでしょうか。

神の救いの計画と家族について(ns. 15 – 16)

１２．神が望んだ結婚の在り方は人間に制限を付けるのではなく、人間に充実感をもたらすことをどのように理解させることができるでしょうか。

１３．家族が教会の最も小さい単位であり、（神の国のための）社会福音化の主体でも対象でもあることをどのように捉えればよいのでしょうか。

１４．家族を社会の福音化に向かわせるにはどうすればよいでしょうか。

教会の公文書における家族について(ns. 17 – 20)

１５．家族の霊性はどのように発展させればよいのでしょうか。命と愛の共同体としての家族、キリストとつながった新しい命の場としての家族へ。

１６．信徒は、家族についての教会の教えをどのように学べばよいでしょうか。学んでいる教えと実際に送っている生活の間の距離を乗り越えるにはどうすればよいでしょうか。

夫婦の共に生きる喜びと結婚の絆における不解消性について(ns. 21 – 22)

１７．結婚の不解消性と、命へと開かれていることは、夫婦の自己実現の道です。その価値を理解してもらうには、どうすればよいでしょうか。

１８．家族は人にとってユニークな喜びの場であることをどのように示せばよいか。

１９．キリスト教以外の文化と宗教にみる結婚の在り方の伝統には、どのような自然の知恵を見出すことができるでしょうか。

傷ついている家族に対するいつくしみと家族の真の姿と美しさについて(ns. 23 – 28)

２０．傷ついた家族の傷を神の慈しみでどのように癒せるでしょうか。

２１．キリストの愛をまだ理解してない人に対して、福音宣言をためらうことなく、また、親しい友として、同伴することができるのでしょうか。

２２．人間的価値を見いだしうるさまざまな「一致の仕方」（たとえば、「人と人との繋がり方」「正式な結婚でない結ばれ方」）において男女が互いの尊敬・信頼・善への成長を養い、そのうちにキリスト教の結婚の完成に至るにはどうすればよいか。

第３部（家族に対する司牧上の世話において教会が直面する諸問題）に関する質問事項

現代の異なった諸状況において家族に関する福音の教えを述べ伝えることについて(ns. 29 – 38)

２３．神学生やその他の司牧者の養成に家族が関わることができるでしょうか。

２４．司牧上の「ことば・コミュニケーション」をどう大切にすればよいでしょうか。

２５．家族に関する福音の教えを述べ伝えるにはどのように司牧のあり方を刷新すべきか。

２６．家族を助ける社会・市民組織との協力の重要性を意識しているか？その具体的方法は？そのために家族の連帯が果たす役割は？組織との協力によって、家族の生活を脅かす文化・政治・経済制度を告発する勇気を持つためには？

２７．家族の善のため、家族と社会の協力、国や国際組織との協力をどのように進めるか？

結婚準備の過程において婚約者を導き、同伴することについて(ns. 39 – 40)

２８．結婚準備において、信仰の立場からの家族の使命をどのように教えるか？

２９．家庭の召命をどのように教えるか？（洗礼・聖体と結婚の関係など）共同体の役割は？

結婚直後の夫婦を同伴する。(n. 40)

３０．結婚直後の夫婦との同伴をどのようにしたらいいか？その成功例は？

３１．結婚直後の家族生活作りの同伴について。

民法上の結婚だけをしている信徒や事実上の同棲生活の人について(ns. 41 – 43)

３２．教会の教えに基づきながら、Case by caseに結婚問題をとりあつかうことについて。

教会の教えの三点（夫婦の一致、不解消性、命への開かれていること）について

３３．教会共同体全体で司牧上の結婚問題をとりあつかうことについて。

中でも、民法上だけの結婚、事実上の同棲など）

３４．特殊問題：家族同士の結婚契約のむすびかた、段階的に行われる結婚への過程など。

傷ついている家族について（別居、離婚、離婚後再婚、片親）ns. 44 – 54)

３５．傷ついた家族、その社会経済的な原因について

３６．各地域教会が置かれている具体的な状況の問題

３７．結婚無効宣言の教会法的な手続きの有り方の見直しについて

３８．離婚してから再婚した人の問題と東方教会のやりかた

３９．宗派や宗教がちがう人同士の結婚について

同性愛の傾向のある人について(ns. 55 – 56)

４０．同性愛の傾向のある人の司牧を福音に照らして行うにはどうすればいいか？

命を生むこと、および出生率低下について(ns. 57 – 59)

４１．命を生むことへ開かれているにはどうすればよいのか。子供を産むに当たっていわゆる「人間的なエコロジー」すなわちもっとも自然に合うようなあり方を促進するには教会がどのような科学技術と医療技術との対話をすべきでしょうか。

４２．出生率の低下を避けるためには共同体の中の連帯性及び政治経済社会の協力が必要であることについて。

養子縁組について

４３．子供を産むことは使命であることについて。夫婦の意識の育て方、夫婦にとっての人口問題に関する問題提起について

４４．人工妊娠中絶の拡大をさけるには教会が何をすればよいか。命の文化の促進について。

社会の福音化に対する家族の役割および教育の課題(ns. 60 – 61)

４５．子供の教育において両親は共同体から助けを得ることについて

４６．家族の中で信仰を育てることについて

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Questions on the family for the Church to ponder in advance of 2015 synod

Posted on December 10, 2014 by catholicvoicesmedia

http://cvcomment.org/2014/12/10/questions-on-the-family-for-the-church-to-ponder-in-advance-of-2015-synod/

The Vatican today released the English translation of the preparatory document for the October 2015 synod, which it wants the 114 bishops’ conferences of the world to disseminate. The document, known as the ‘Outline’ or Lineamenta, contains the final report of October’s extraordinary synod followed by 46 questions. The synod’s general secretariat says it wants these questions to be put to “diverse components of particular churches, as well as academic institutions, organizations, lay groups and other ecclesial bodies”. The statement adds that bishops should avoid “starting over from zero”, but take account of what already happened in the first synod.

The results of this consultation must be returned to the Synod Secretariat by April 15th 2015 so that the working document for that synod can be published before next summer. The Instrumentum Laboris will be, in effect, the agenda for next October’s ordinary synod, in which delegates of bishops’ conferences will vote on specific proposals.

The Lineamenta for 2015 instructs bishops’ conferences to “avoid, in their responses, a formulation of pastoral care based simply on an application of doctrine,” in favour of what it describes as Pope Francis’ call to “pastoral activity that is characterized by a ‘culture of encounter’ and capable of recognizing the Lord’s gratuitous work, even outside customary models.”

The 2015 synod is to be held 4-25 October, 2015, on the theme: “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World.” It follows on from the extraordinary synod held 5-19 October 2014 on the theme: “Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.”

The Lineamenta are summarized and analyzed by Vatican Radio, Catholic News Service, Crux, National Catholic Reporter, National Catholic Register, and Religion News Service.

What follows is the preface to the lineamenta, and the questions which the synod wants bishops to put to the faithful. The relatio synodi, or final report of last October’s synod, which they refer to, can be read here, together with the voting tallies on each paragraph which Pope Francis wanted published.

Preface

At the conclusion of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, celebrated in 2014 to treat the topic, The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, Pope Francis decided to make public the Relatio Synodi, the document which concluded the synod’s work. At the same time, the Holy Father indicated that this document would be the Lineamenta for the XIV Ordinary General Assembly to take place from 4 to 25 October 2015 to treat the topic, The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World.

The Relatio Synodi, which is sent as the Lineamenta, concludes in the following words: “These proposed reflections, the fruit of the synodal work that took place in great freedom and with a spirit of reciprocal listening, are intended to raise questions and indicate points of view that will later be developed and clarified through reflection in the local Churches in the intervening year leading to the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops” (Relatio Synodi, n. 62)

The Lineamenta has a series of questions aimed at knowing how the document is received and to generate an in-depth examination of the work initiated during the Extraordinary Assembly. It is a matter of re-thinking “with renewed freshness and enthusiasm, what revelation, transmitted in the Church’s faith, tells us about the beauty, the role and the dignity of the family” (Relatio Synodi, n. 4). From this vantage point, we 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” (Pope Francis, Concluding Discourse, 18 October 2014). The results of this consultation, together with the Relatio Synodi, will serve as the basis for the Instrumentum laboris of the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of 2015.

Questions Aimed at a Response to and an In-Depth Examination of the Relatio Synodi

Preliminary Question Applicable to All Sections of the Relatio Synodi

Does the description of the various familial situations in the Relatio Synodi correspond to what exists in the Church and society today? What missing aspects should be included?

Part I

Listening: The Context and Challenges of the Family

As indicated in the Introduction (ns. 1 – 4), the Extraordinary Synod was intended to address all the families of the world in a desire to share their joys, struggles and hopes. At the same time, considering the many Christian families who faithfully live their vocation, the Synod expressed to them a sense of gratitude and encouraged them to become involved more decisively, as the Church strives to “go out of herself”, and to rediscover the family’s vital character in the work of evangelization, primarily in nourishing for themselves and for families in difficulty the “desire to form a family”, which endures and underlies the conviction that an effective proclamation of the core message of the Gospel must necessarily “begin with the family”.

The path of renewal delineated by the Extraordinary Synod is set within the wider ecclesial context indicated by Pope Francis in his Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, namely, starting from “life’s periphery” and engaging in pastoral activity that is characterized by a “culture of encounter” and capable of recognizing the Lord’s gratuitous work, even outside customary models, and of confidently adopting the idea of a “field hospital”, which is very beneficial in proclaiming God’s mercy. The numbers in the first part of the Relatio Synodi are a response to these challenges and provide a framework for reflecting on the real situation of families.

The proposed questions which follow and the reference numbers to the paragraphs in the Relatio Synodi are intended to assist the bishops’ conferences in their reflection and to avoid, in their responses, a formulation of pastoral care based simply on an application of doctrine, which would not respect the conclusions of the Extraordinary Synodal Assembly and would lead their reflection far from the path already indicated.

The Socio-Cultural Context (ns. 5 – 8)

1. What initiatives are taking place and what are those planned in relation to the challenges these cultural changes pose to the family (cf. ns. 6 – 7): which initiatives are geared to reawaken an awareness of God’s presence in family life; to teaching and establishing sound interpersonal relationships; to fostering social and economic policies useful to the family; to alleviating difficulties associated with attention given to children, the elderly and family members who are ill; and to addressing more specific cultural factors present in the local Church?

2. What analytical tools are currently being used in these times of anthropological and cultural changes; what are the more significant positive or negative results? (cf. n. 5)

3. Beyond proclaiming God’s Word and pointing out extreme situations, how does the Church choose to be present “as Church” and to draw near families in extreme situations? (cf. n. 8). How does the Church seek to prevent these situations? What can be done to support and strengthen families of believers and those faithful to the bonds of marriage?

4. How does the Church respond, in her pastoral activity, to the diffusion of cultural relativism in secularized society and to the consequent rejection, on the part of many, of the model of family formed by a man and woman united in the marriage and open to life?

The Importance of Affectivity in Life (ns. 9 – 10)

5. How do Christian families bear witness, for succeeding generations, to the development and growth of a life of sentiment? (cf. ns. 9 – 10). In this regard, how might the formation of ordained ministers be improved? What qualified persons are urgently needed in this pastoral activity?

Pastoral Challenges (n. 11)

6. To what extent and by what means is the ordinary pastoral care of families addressed to those on the periphery? (cf. n. 11). What are the operational guidelines available to foster and appreciate the “desire to form a family” planted by the Creator in the heart of every person, especially among young people, including those in family situations which do not correspond to the Christian vision? How do they respond to the Church’s efforts in her mission to them? How prevalent is natural marriage among the non-baptized, also in relation to the desire to form a family among the young?

Part II

Looking at Christ: The Gospel of the Family

The Gospel of the Family, faithfully preserved by the Church from the time of Christ’s Revelation, both written and transmitted through the ages, needs to be proclaimed in today’s world with renewed joy and hope, continuing all-the-while to look at Jesus Christ. The vocation and mission of the family is fully configured to the order of creation which develops into that of redemption, as summarized by the desire of the Council, “let the spouses themselves, made to the image of the living God and enjoying the authentic dignity of persons, be joined to one another in equal affection, harmony of mind and the work of mutual sanctification. Thus, following Christ who is the principle of life, by the sacrifices and joys of their vocation and through their faithful love, married people can become witnesses of the mystery of love which the Lord revealed to the world by his dying and his rising to life again” (Gaudium et Spes, 52; cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1533-1535). From this vantage point, the questions arising from the Relatio Synodi are devised to prompt a faithful and bold response from the Pastors and the People of God in a renewed proclamation of the Gospel of the Family.

Looking at Jesus and the Divine Pedagogy in the History of Salvation (ns. 12 – 14)

Accepting the invitation of Pope Francis, the Church looks to Christ in his enduring truth and inexhaustible newness, which also sheds light on the family. “Christ is the ‘eternal Gospel’ (Rev 14:6); he ‘is the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Heb 13:8), yet his riches and beauty are inexhaustible. He is for ever young and a constant source of newness” (Gaudium Evangelii, 11).

7. A fixed gaze on Christ opens up new possibilities. “Indeed, every time we return to the source of the Christian experience, new paths and undreamed of possibilities open up” (n. 12). How is the teaching from Sacred Scripture utilized in pastoral activity on behalf of families. To what extent does “fixing our gaze on Christ” nourish a pastoral care of the family which is courageous and faithful?

8. What marriage and family values can be seen to be realized in the life of young people and married couples? What form do they take? Are there values which can be highlighted? (cf. n. 13) What sinful aspects are to be avoided and overcome?

9. What human pedagogy needs to be taken into account — in keeping with divine pedagogy — so as better to understand what is required in the Church’s pastoral activity in light of the maturation of a couple’s life together which would lead to marriage in the future? (cf. n. 13)

10. What is being done to demonstrate the greatness and beauty of the gift of indissolubility so as to prompt a desire to live it and strengthen it more and more? (cf. n. 14)

11. How can people be helped to understand that a relationship with God can assist couples in overcoming the inherent weaknesses in marital relations? (cf. n. 14) How do people bear witness to the fact that divine blessings accompany every true marriage? How do people manifest that the grace of the Sacrament sustains married couples throughout their life together?

The Family in God’s Savific Plan (ns. 15 – 16)

In creation, the vocation of the love between a man and woman draws its full realization from the Paschal Mystery of Christ the Lord, who, in his total gift of self, makes the Church his Mystical Body. Christian marriage, in drawing on the grace of Christ, thus becomes, for those who are called, the path leading to the perfection of love, which is holiness.

12. How can people be made to understand that Christian marriage corresponds to the original plan of God and, thus, one of fulfillment and not confinement? (cf. n. 13)

13. How can the Church be conceived as a “domestic Church” (Lumen Gentium, 11), agent and object of the work of evangelization in service to the Kingdom of God?

14. How can an awareness of this missionary task of the family be fostered?

The Family in the Church’s Documents (ns. 17 – 20)

The Church’s Magisterium in all its richness needs to be better known by the People of God. Marital spirituality is nourished by the constant teaching of the Pastors, who care for the flock, and grow through their continual attentiveness to the Word of God and to the sacraments of faith and charity.

15. The Lord looks with love at the Christian family and through him the family grows as a true community of life and love. How can a familial spirituality be developed and how can families become places of new life in Christ? (cf. n. 21)

16. What initiatives in catechesis can be developed and fostered to make known and offer assistance to persons in living the Church’s teaching on the family, above all in surmounting any possible discrepancy between what is lived and what is professed and in leading to a process of conversion?

The Indissolubility of Marriage and the Joy of Sharing Life Together (ns. 21 – 22)

“Authentic married love is caught up into divine love and is governed and enriched by Christ’s redeeming power and the saving activity of the Church, so that this love may effectively lead the spouses to God and may aid and strengthen them in the sublime mission of being father and mother. For this reason, Christian spouses have a special sacrament by which they are fortified and receive a kind of consecration in the duties and dignity of their state. By virtue of this sacrament, as spouses fulfil their conjugal and family obligation, they are penetrated with the spirit of Christ, which suffuses their whole lives with faith, hope and charity. Thus they increasingly advance the perfection of their own personalities, as well as their mutual sanctification, and hence contribute jointly to the glory of God” (Gaudium et Spes, 48).

17. What initiatives can lead people to understand the value of an indissoluble and fruitful marriage as the path to complete personal fulfilment? (cf. n. 21)

18. What can be done to show that the family has many unique aspects for experiencing the joys of human existence?

19. The Second Vatican Council, returning to an ancient ecclesial tradition, expressed an appreciation for natural marriage. To what extent does diocesan pastoral activity acknowledge the value of this popular wisdom as fundamental in culture and society? (cf. n. 22)

The Truth and Beauty of the Family and Mercy Towards Wounded and Fragile Families

(ns. 23 – 28)

After having considered the beauty of successful marriages and strong families and shown appreciation for the generous witness of those who remain faithful to the bonds of marriage, even when abandoned by their spouses, the Pastors at the Synod asked themselves — in an open and courageous manner but not without concern and caution — how the Church is to regard Catholics who are united in a civil bond, those who simply live together and those who, after a valid marriage, are divorced and remarried civilly.

Aware of the obvious limitations and imperfections present in many different situations, the synod fathers assumed the positive outlook indicated by Pope Francis, according to which “without detracting from the evangelical ideal, they need to accompany with mercy and patience the eventual stages of personal growth as these progressively occur.”(Evangelii Gaudium, 44).

20. How can people be helped to understand that no one is beyond the mercy of God? How can this truth be expressed in the Church’s pastoral activity towards families, especially those which are wounded and fragile? (cf. n. 28)

21. In the case of those who have not yet arrived at a full understanding of the gift of Christ’s love, how can the faithful express a friendly attitude and offer trustworthy guidance without failing to proclaim the demands of the Gospel? (cf. n. 24)

22. What can be done so that persons in the various forms of union between a man and a woman — in which human values can be present — might experience a sense of respect, trust and encouragement to grow in the Church’s good will and be helped to arrive at the fulness of Christian marriage? (cf. n. 25)

Part III

Confronting the Situation: Pastoral Perspectives

In examining Part III of the Relatio Synodi, it is important to be guided by the pastoral approach initiated at the Extraordinary Synod which is grounded in Vatican II and the Magisterium of Pope Francis. The episcopal conferences have the responsibility to continue to examine this part thoroughly and seek the involvement, in the most opportune manner possible, all levels of the local Church, thus providing concrete instances from their specific situations. Every effort should be made not to begin anew, but to continue on the path undertaken in the Extraordinary Synod as a point of departure.

Proclaiming the Gospel of the Family Today in Various Contexts (ns. 29 – 38)

Because of the needs of the family and, at the same time, the many complex challenges that are present in the world today, the Synod emphasized making a renewed commitment to proclaiming the Gospel of the Family in a bold and more insistent manner.

23. How is the family emphasized in the formation of priests and other pastoral workers? How are families themselves involved?

24. Are people aware that the rapid evolution in society requires a constant attention to language in pastoral communication. How can an effective testimony be given to the priority of grace in a way that family life is conceived and lived as welcoming the Holy Spirit?

25. In proclaiming the Gospel of the Family, how can the conditions be created so that each family might actually be as God wills and that society might acknowledge the family’s dignity and mission? What “pastoral conversion” and what further steps towards an in-depth examination are being done to achieve this?

26. Are people aware of the importance of the collaboration of social and civil institutions on behalf of the family? How is this actually done? What criteria are used to inspire it? In this regard, what role can be played by family associations? How can this collaboration be sustained even in a bold repudiation of the cultural, economic and political processes which threaten the family?

27. How can relations between family, society and civil life be fostered for the benefit of the family? How can the support of the State and the international community be fostered on behalf of the family?

Guiding Engaged Couples in Their Preparation for Marriage (ns. 39 – 40)

The Synod recognized the steps taken in recent years to facilitate an effective preparation of young people for marriage, stressing, however, a need for a greater commitment of the entire Christian community in not only the preparation but also the initial years of family life.

28. How is marriage preparation proposed in order to highlight the vocation and mission of the family according to faith in Jesus Christ? Is it proposed as an authentic ecclesial experience? How can it be renewed and improved?

29. How does the catechesis of Christian initiation present an openness to the vocation and mission of the family? What practices are seen as most urgent? How is the relation among Baptism, Eucharist and marriage proposed? What emphasis is given to the character of the catechumenate and mystagogy which is often a part of marriage preparation? How can the community be involved in this preparation?

Accompanying Married Couples in the Initial Years of Marriage (n. 40)

30. Does marriage preparation and accompanying couples in the initial years of married life adequately value the important contribution of the witness and sustenance which can be given by families, associations and family movements? What positive experiences can be reported in this regard?

31. The pastoral accompaniment of couples in the initial years of family life — as observed in synodal discussion — needs further development. What are the most significant initiatives already being undertaken? What elements need further development in parishes, dioceses or associations and movements?

Pastoral Care of Couples Civilly Married or Living Together (ns. 41 – 43)

The Synod discussed diverse situations resulting from a multiplicity of cultural and economic factors, practices grounded in tradition, and the difficulty of young people to make lifetime commitments.

32. What criteria in a proper pastoral discernment of individual situations are being considered in light the Church’s teaching in which the primary elements of marriage are unity, indissolubility and openness to life?

33. Is the Christian community able to be pastorally involved in these situations? How can it assist in discerning the positive and negative elements in the life of persons united in a civil marriage so as to guide and sustain them on a path of growth and conversion towards the Sacrament of Matrimony? How can those living together be assisted to decide to marry?

34. In a particular way, what response is to be given to problems arising from the continuity of traditional forms of marriage in stages or those between families?

Caring for Wounded Families (Separated, Divorced and Not Remarried, Divorced and Remarried, Single-Parent Families) (ns. 44 – 54)

Synod discussion highlighted the need for a pastoral based on the art of accompaniment, “the pace of [which] must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life”(Evangelii Gaudium, 169).

35. Is the Christian community in a position to undertake the care of all wounded families so that they can experience the Father’s mercy? How does the Christian community engage in removing the social and economic factors which often determine this situation? What steps have been taken and what can be done to increase this activity and the sense of mission which sustains it?

36. How can the identification of shared pastoral guidelines be fostered at the level of the particular Church? In this regard, how can a dialogue be developed among the various particular Churches cum Petro and sub Petro?

37. How can the procedure to determine cases of nullity be made more accessible, streamlined and possibly without expense?

38. With regard to the divorced and remarried, pastoral practice concerning the sacraments needs to be further studied, including assessment of the Orthodox practice and taking into account “the distinction between an objective sinful situation and extenuating circumstances” (n. 52). What are the prospects in such a case? What is possible? What suggestions can be offered to resolve forms of undue or unnecessary impediments?

39. Does current legislation provide a valid response to the challenges resulting from mixed marriages or interreligious marriages? Should other elements be taken into account?

Pastoral Attention towards Persons with Homosexual Tendencies (ns. 55 – 56)

The pastoral care of persons with homosexual tendencies poses new challenges today, due to the manner in which their rights are proposed in society.

40. How can the Christian community give pastoral attention to families with persons with homosexual tendencies? What are the responses that, in light of cultural sensitivities, are considered to be most appropriate? While avoiding any unjust discrimination, how can such persons receive pastoral care in these situations in light of the Gospel? How can God’s will be proposed to them in their situation?

The Transmission of Life and the Challenge of a Declining Birthrate (ns. 57 – 59)

The transmission of life is a fundamental element in the vocation and mission of the family: “They should know they are thereby cooperators with the love of God the Creator, and are, so to speak, the interpreters of that love in the task of transmitting human life and to raising children; this has to be considered their proper mission” (Gaudium et Spes, 50).

41. What are the most significant steps that have been taken to announce and effectively promote the beauty and dignity of becoming a mother or father, in light, for example, of Humanae Vitae of Blessed Pope Paul VI? How can dialogue be promoted with the sciences and biomedical technologies in a way that respects the human ecology of reproduction?

42. A generous maternity / paternity needs structures and tools. Does the Christian community exercise an effective solidarity and support? How? Is it courageous in proposing valid solutions even at a socio-political level? How can adoption and foster-parenting be encouraged as a powerful sign of fruitful generosity? How can the care and respect of children be promoted?

43. The Christian lives maternity / paternity as a response to a vocation. Is this vocation sufficiently emphasized in catechesis? What formation is offered so that it might effectively guide the consciences of married couples? Are people aware of the grave consequences of demographic change?

44. How does the Church combat the scourge of abortion and foster an effective culture of life?

Upbringing and the Role of the Family in Evangelization (ns. 60 – 61)

45. Fulfilling their educational mission is not always easy for parents. Do they find solidarity and support from the Christian community? What suggestions might be offered in formation? What steps can be taken to acknowledge the role of parents in raising children, even at the socio-political level?

46. How can parents and the Christian family be made aware that the duty of transmitting the faith is an intrinsic aspect of being a Christian?