Pope Francis will issue an
apostolic exhortation on the family based on the conclusions of
the synod of bishops, Cardinal Pietro Parolin told ANSA on
Wednesday.
The closely watched synod on the family ended at the
weekend with a slim majority approving communion for divorced
and remarried Catholics, with bishops empowered to rule on a
case-by-case basis.
However, the word 'communion' was missing from the final
statement.
Both conservative and liberal Catholics have sought to
portray the outcome of the synod as a victory for their
positions.
Francis is set to issue a statement on the bishops'
recommendations in the coming months.
"The iron will be struck while it's hot," the Vatican
secretary of state added as to the timing of the exhortation.
An apostolic exhortation is a type of communication from
the pope, and encourages a community of people to undertake a
particular activity but does not define Church doctrine.
It is considered lower in formal authority than a papal
encyclical, but higher than other ecclesiastical letters. Such
exhortations are commonly issued in response to a bishops'
synod, which is a council convened to decide an issue of
doctrine or administration. http://popefrancisnewsapp.com/
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
