The Holy Spirit was at work in the extraordinary synod on the family

Friday, Oct. 24, 2014

Reaction to the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, which met in Rome Oct. 5-19, has ranged from shock to confusion to glee to outrage.

I’m not surprised by the varied responses, but I would like to clarify at the outset that – headlines to the contrary – the Church’s doctrine regarding marriage remains the same. As Pope Francis said at the synod’s conclusion, the fundamental truths of the Sacrament of Marriage are indissolubility, unity, faithfulness, fruitfulness, the openness to life. We Catholics believe that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman, and that has not changed.

What the synod did reveal, however, was just how important vigorous debate is as the Church strives to interpret the workings of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

The synod’s interim report, issued Oct. 13, used conciliatory language regarding divorced and remarried Catholics, cohabitating couples and those in same-sex unions, leading to a flood of speculation that the Church has changed its doctrine regarding these matters. This would be an inaccurate assessment of what occurred; rather, I think, the bishops were emphasizing God’s mercy. As Pope Francis pointed out in his speech at the end of the synod, “it is the Church that is not afraid to eat and drink with prostitutes and publicans. The Church that has the doors wide open to receive the needy, the penitent, and not only the just or those who believe they are perfect! The Church that is not ashamed of the fallen brother and pretends not to see him, but on the contrary feels involved and almost obliged to lift him up and to encourage him to take up the journey again and accompany him toward a definitive encounter with her Spouse, in the heavenly Jerusalem.”

It’s worthy of note that five days after the interim report, having had more time to reflect, the synod’s message emphasized “the great challenge to remain faithful in conjugal love,” pointing out that failed marriages “give rise to new relationships, new couples, new civil unions, and new marriages, creating family situations which are complex and problematic, where the Christian choice is not obvious.” 

 Marriages can be burdened by many difficulties, the synod noted, but added that in the light of the Sacrament of Marriage, conjugal love endures. “It is one of the most beautiful of all miracles and the most common. … Families who live this light-filled adventure become a sign for all, especially for young people.”

That the synod’s emphasis shifted during the course of the debate is hardly surprising, given the scope of their task, which was to discuss many pastoral challenges to the family while preparing for a general synod next October. I believe their discussion on contentious issues indicates a willingness to accept that these are problems that people in our congregations face, and as shepherds we must determine how to deal with these matters. This, I think, reflects Pope Francis’ desire for people to know that the Church is present for them as they are going through difficult relational problems. Since the beginning of his papal ministry, our Holy Father has shown time and again how important it is for the leadership of the Church to listen to the people and support them in their difficulties. 

In some respects, people need the Church more than ever as they face separation from their spouse, or contemplate an intimate relationship that cannot be blessed in the Church. The question that we as bishops must ask is how we can support our people who face these trials, while at the same time honor our belief in the sacredness of marriage. Christ is at the center of the family, and the family is a great gift to our Church, to our country, and indeed to our world. The family is where children learn about the ways of love, are nourished physically and emotionally and spiritually and, as Scripture would say, grow in age, wisdom and grace.

Church practice excludes many people who are in committed relationships that are outside the bounds of a marriage blessed by the Church, and as the synod addresses the question of how to minister to these people, many opinions have been expressed. As with any contentious issue, the conversation got “animated,” to use Pope Francis’ adjective, but it is precisely through this process that the Holy Spirit works.

It’s important to remember that the extraordinary synod, which ended Sunday, is one of the first steps in the Church’s discussion on family. Certainly it’s too early to jump to any conclusions about how this extraordinary synod will affect Church practice. The conversation will continue throughout the next year; the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia will be a part of this; then there will be the general synod in Rome next October. After that, it could be as much as another year more before Pope Francis’ final exhortation will come out. This entire process is meant to allow the Church to have a wholesome discussion about marriage and the family, and to open us to the Holy Spirit at work during these conversations.

Therefore, I ask that you please keep the bishops in your prayers as they contemplate the ordinary synod next year.

For a first-hand look at the synod’s inner workings, see Cardinal Wuerl’s post at http://www.catholicstandard.org/Content/News/Cardinal-Wuerl/Article/Cardinal-Wuerl-s-reflections-from-Synod-on-the-Family/2/410/6277.