G
gilliam
Guest
In a significant intervention at the plenary assembly of the synod on the family on the morning of its second working day, Pope Francis sought to put the record right on a number of issues, and clarified what is the status and subject matter of this synod.
He began with a most important one: reassuring the 270 fathers that the Catholic doctrine on marriage had not been put into question at the Extraordinary Synod in 2014 and so retains its full validity. In other words, it is not up for debate.
His statement was read as a clear answer to the those bishops in the synod—a minority of the fathers, and other prelates who are not attending this three-week gathering—who have cast doubts on this matter, and would appear in this way to be seeking to challenge the progress made at that important assembly last year, a progress that is evident in the working document (“instrumentum laboris”).
A number of bishops, clergy and lay people have given voice to their doubts over the past twelve months through various petitions, publications and declarations to the media, implying that the church doctrine on marriage is at risk in the synod, but the pope’s statement today effectively dismissed these challenges as groundless, and without foundation.
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Pope Francis also commented on the attention that is being given—particularly in the media—to the issue of whether divorced and civilly remarried Catholics may be allowed to receive the Eucharist under certain conditions. He insisted that the synod cannot be reduced to this single issue; it is only one among a great many important topics being discussed, by the 318 participants at the synod (270 of whom are synod fathers with a right to vote in the final deliberations). He had made a similar comment also on the flight back from Philadelphia to Rome.
americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-synod-family-must-be-seen-continuation-2014-synod
He began with a most important one: reassuring the 270 fathers that the Catholic doctrine on marriage had not been put into question at the Extraordinary Synod in 2014 and so retains its full validity. In other words, it is not up for debate.
His statement was read as a clear answer to the those bishops in the synod—a minority of the fathers, and other prelates who are not attending this three-week gathering—who have cast doubts on this matter, and would appear in this way to be seeking to challenge the progress made at that important assembly last year, a progress that is evident in the working document (“instrumentum laboris”).
A number of bishops, clergy and lay people have given voice to their doubts over the past twelve months through various petitions, publications and declarations to the media, implying that the church doctrine on marriage is at risk in the synod, but the pope’s statement today effectively dismissed these challenges as groundless, and without foundation.
…
Pope Francis also commented on the attention that is being given—particularly in the media—to the issue of whether divorced and civilly remarried Catholics may be allowed to receive the Eucharist under certain conditions. He insisted that the synod cannot be reduced to this single issue; it is only one among a great many important topics being discussed, by the 318 participants at the synod (270 of whom are synod fathers with a right to vote in the final deliberations). He had made a similar comment also on the flight back from Philadelphia to Rome.
americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-synod-family-must-be-seen-continuation-2014-synod