Pope Francis said Monday
that the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family must not seek
to find a compromise between the different positions within the
Catholic Church.
"The synod is not a parliament where, to reach consensus,
you make a common agreement, a negotiation, bargaining and
compromises," the pope said as he opened work at the synod on
the family, an institution that may be creaking worldwide but
while creaking provides support and meaning for a broad swathe
of humanity.
"The only method is to open oneself to the Holy
Spirit with apostolical courage and evangelical humility".
Francis issued a strong call for the bishops to show
frankness and courage.
"The synod is walking together with a spirit of
collegiality, courageously adopting parrhesia (evangelical
plain-speaking), pastoral and doctrinal zeal, wisdom and
frankness and always putting the good of the Church and families
and the health of souls before our eyes...
"We (synod) fathers should practise apostolical courage,
evangelical humility and faithful oration".
In a passage that appeared to be directed at
traditionalists, the pope said bishops should beware the
"hardening of some hearts, which despite good intentions, keep
people away from God".
But he also made a nod to conservatives, calling for
courage that "does not let itself be intimidated by the
seductions of the world" and passing fads.
Since his election in 2013 as leader of the world's 1.2
billion Catholics, Francis has sparked hope among progressives
who want him to forge ahead with his vision of a more inclusive
Church that provides mercy rather than acting as the strict
arbiter of rules they see as out of date.
Faith was "not a museum to look at and save" but should be
a source of inspiration, Francis said, calling on the synod to
have "courage to bring life and not make our Christian life a
museum of memories".
The gathering brings together some 300 bishops, delegates,
observers and 18 married couples - as well as the youngest
participant, Davide, a four-month-old baby being carried on his
mother's hip.
The participants will discuss ways to defend the
traditional family and make life-long marriage more appealing to
the young while also providing some long-hoped-for outreach to
disaffected Catholics such as homosexuals, co-habiting couples
and the divorced.
In a lengthy introductory presentation, Hungarian Cardinal
Peter Erdo touched on - in his words - the "pastoral care of
people with homosexual tendencies", but he also outlined so many
other issues, from violence, migration and unemployment to
cohabitation, divorce or declining birth rates, often stemming
from the individualism or fear of commitment often experienced
by young people today.
Synod secretary general Cardinal Baldisseri outlined the
previous steps on this journey, from the much talked-about
consistory of cardinals back in 2014, right up to the World
Meeting of Families that concluded in Philadelphia last weekend.
In between there has been a year of reflections on family
life from the pope at his weekly general audiences and a new
document making it simpler and cheaper to obtain annulments for
those whose marriages can be declared invalid - both important
parts of the puzzle for those trying to predict how this highly
charged meeting will pan out.
Special Secretary Msgr Bruno Forte warned against making
the same mistaken "bipolar" reading of this year's synod as last
year's, widely portrayed as split between traditionalists and
progressives, while the synod's president delegate, French
Cardinal Andre' Vingt-Trois, stressed "you should not expect any
changes in doctrine".
The run-up to the synod was hit by a senior Vatican priest
coming out as gay at the weekend - an affair cardinal
Vingt-Trois accused the media of paying too much attention to,
thereby detracting from the serious business at the synod.
Polish priest and theologian Krzysztof Charamsa announced
that he was in a relationship with a man and said he had come
out to challenge the Church's "backwards" attitude to
homosexuality.
The Vatican swiftly stripped the 43-year-old, who was
assistant secretary of the International Theological Commission
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, of doctrinal
responsibilities.
The affair nonetheless continued to stir controversy and
criticism on Monday.
"The choice to make such a sensational announcement on the
eve of the opening of the synod appears very serious and
irresponsible, because it aims to put the synod assembly under
undue media pressure," said Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico
Lombardi.
Yoyo Grassi, an openly gay former classmate of Pope
Francis's with whom the pope visited on his recent trip to the
United States, also believed the announcement was strategically
timed to attract media attention.
"The timing was wrong and the way he chose to do it was
wrong," Grassi said in an interview with Italian daily La
Repubblica.
"I don't think he did any favors for the cause of
homosexuals or for Pope Francis," said Grassi.
Roberto Formigoni, a Senator with the New Centre Right
(NCD) party who openly practices abstinence as a member of the
Catholic Memores Domini Lay Association, called Charamsa's
announcement "an act of pride".
"Living in chastity and being celibate isn't an extra step
for heaven. And Charamsa can even say that he can't resist. It's
human. But he can't make it a moral lecture for us," Formigoni
said in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa.
Formigoni said he felt "pain" when he read Charamsa's
announcement.
"But I'm not surprised. These types of positions are
widespread, unfortunately," Formigoni said.
"I'm talking about the fact that the Church's teachings
could be so blatantly rejected by a believer, by a priest no
less, for years, as a matter of fact a manager in the office for
the defence of the Catholic faith," he said.
Charamsa said Monday "all is in the hands of God".
"One is always sorry to leave Italy," the prelate said at
Fiumicino airport on his way to Barcelona after losing his jobs
as an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, adjunct secretary to the Vatican's International
Theological Commission, and professor at two Vatican
universities.
"I will continue to face up to my vocation - my being a man
and a priest - and in the same way one must wish every person,
every Christian, (the ability to) be oneself on the path of
faith, within the truth of one's own nature," he added.
"That is, with the courage to face who we are...otherwise
we live a lie, which is no good to anyone".
In an interview with Corriere della Sera paper at the
weekend, Charamsa said "I want the Church and my community to
know who I am: a homosexual priest who is happy and proud of his
identity".
"I am ready to pay the consequences, but the time has come
for the Church to open its eyes to gay believers and for it to
understand that the solution it offers them - that of total
abstinence from a love life - is inhumane," Charamsa told
Corriere.
Cardinal Vingt-Trois may have been rather severe about the
media coverage of the affair, but the pope himself appeared more
benevolent towards the media.
At the end of his opening address Monday, in fact, Francis
voiced his gratitude towards the media for its attention to the
synod.
"I want to address a special thanks to the journalists
present at this time and to those who follow us from afar. Thank
you for your enthusiastic participation and for your admirable
attention," he said.
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