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Questions related to the Final ‘Relatio’ of the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family in preparation for the work of the 2015 Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family
A Reflection prepared by
Emeritus Professor Joseph A. Selling, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Contact: Joseph.Selling@THEO.KULEUVEN.BE
Shortly after the close of the 2014
Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, it was decided that the report
for that meeting would be used as the preparatory document for the Ordinary
Synod that would take place in October 2015. To that document were added 46
questions which were aimed at bringing to light important aspects of all the
topics that had been discussed in the first meeting. It is specifically stated
in the preface that these questions are “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 further written in the introduction to the
questions themselves that they are “intended to assist the bishops’ conferences
in their reflection, and to avoid … a formulation of pastoral care based simply
on an application of doctrine”.
It has frequently been said by a number of
bishops that while they can discuss the pastoral care of the faithful, this
does not imply that any change in doctrine is taking place. In light of this,
the last sentence above is of particular interest. For instance, while the
preparatory documents for the 2014 Synod placed a relatively heavy emphasis
upon the ‘natural law’, this document does not even mention the concept of
natural law. In that sense, the document resembles more closely the “Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” (Gaudium et spes, 1965), one of the final documents of the Second
Vatican Council that treats ‘marriage and the family’ without any mention of
natural law, than it does Humanae Vitae
(1968, on the regulation of fertility, by Paul VI) or Familiaris Consortio (1980, on the family, by John Paul II), both
of which strongly rely upon the concept of natural law to substantiate their
ethical conclusions.
The final sentence of the preface for this
document states that, “the episcopal conferences are asked to choose a suitable
manner of involving all components of the particular churches and academic
institutions, organizations, lay movements and other ecclesial associations”.
We can take this as a genuine warrant for the involvement of each and every
member of the faithful in these discussions and therefore encourage as many
people as possible to respond to the questions posed in this preparatory document.
We see the present endeavor as one of service to the bishops and to the church
as a whole. For, neither do the bishops have the resources for reaching every
member of the faithful through official channels, nor do they have readily available
to them the rich diversity of experience that is shared by the members of the
faithful who have not embraced a life of celibacy.
We strongly encourage you to respond to as
many of the questions aimed at guiding the work of the 2015 Synod as you see
fit. You are not expected to respond to each and every question, but should
limit yourself to those areas in which you have clear ideas about the subject
matter. It is not necessary to respond to all the questions, and you may even
choose to concentrate on only one area of this inquiry that you believe is of
particular importance.
The document itself is divided into three
parts, each of which have subdivisions. Part One has three sections, Part Two
has five sections, and Part Three, on particular pastoral situations, has eight
sections. The questions are also grouped according to each section. Thus, the
first section of Part One is comprised of 4 numbered paragraphs (nr. 5-8) that give
rise to four questions (nr. 1-4), the second section involves two paragraphs (nr.
9-10) that rive rise to a single question (nr. 5), and the third section
involves a single paragraph (nr. 11) that gives rise to one question (nr. 6).
We will deal with the questions according to their grouping with each section.
We will group the questions within the
parameters of the sixteen sections. Each of these groupings will present the
questions as stated in the document, followed by an explanation of the issues
being discussed and, where necessary, a clarification of the terminology used.
We will then attempt to render the meaning of the questions with a language
that is more accessible for the average reader. Where appropriate, additional
information will be provided to give background information or to help the
reader comprehend what is being asked.
If you choose to respond to some or all of
these questions, please do so in a brief, concise manner that will allow those
who read your responses to know exactly what you wish to express. You can
separate your responses to different questions by prefacing your remarks with
the number(s) of the questions you are addressing, or you can cut and paste the
questions themselves into your own document. When you have composed your
responses, send it as an attachment to an e-mail to cathnetwork@gmail.com. At the top
of your responses, please provide your name, e-mail address, and your location
– either geographically or according to the (specific) name of the diocese to
which you belong.
Besides sending your responses to us, we
also encourage you to communicate with your local church (and diocese) by
sending them a copy of what you have written. We further encourage you to tell
other persons about this initiative and to speak with them about the issues
being discussed. You may wish to compose responses as a group, in which case we
would ask you to identify the number of persons in the group and how these
persons are affiliated.
Please REMEMBER that this is an important
opportunity for you to provide input to the leadership of the church before
they enter into discussions together. If your own diocese does not solicit
responses to these questions from individual persons, be assured that we will
coordinate the responses that are sent to us, compile the responses given and
report the results to officials for the Bishops’ synod. Let us pray that the
Holy Spirit will guide both the faithful and its leadership in gaining an
insight to these important issues facing the church.
- It would be helpful if you would supply us with a little information about yourself: your name and email address; your parish, diocese or other church-related affiliation; your personal status (married, single, divorced, cohabiting, clergy, religious orders, etc.), your age. All submissions will be published anonymously, and if you would prefer not to share any personal information, then all we ask for is your name and email address.
- Do not feel you have to answer every question. We are happy to receive submissions which respond to only one or a selection of questions.
Please click on the links below to access the whole questionnaire or to access particular sections, each with a guide for reflection and consideration about how to approach the questions:
Synod Questionnaire
Questions 1 - 4
Question 5
Question 6
Questions 7 - 11
Questions 12 - 14
Questions 15 - 16
Questions 17 - 19
Questions 20 - 22
Questions 23 - 27
Questions 28 - 29
Questions 30 - 31
Questions 32 - 34
Questions 35 - 39
Question 40
Questions 41 - 44
Questions 45 - 46
