CCI Editor’s Note: Because of the length of the report, I have included the Introduction and Chapter 1 of the report, followed by the table of contents and the abbreviations. Anyone wishing to read the full report may go to the link at the end of this post.
XIV ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THE VOCATION AND MISSION OF THE FAMILY
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
THE FINAL REPORT OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
TO THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS
Vatican City, 24 October 2015
Introduction
- We, the synod fathers, gathered in synod around Pope Francis, wish to thank him for calling us to reflect with him, under his guidance, on the vocation and mission of the family today. In humility, we offer him the fruit of our work, aware of its limitations. Nonetheless, we are able to say that we have constantly taken into consideration the families of the world, their joys and hopes, their sorrows and anxieties. As Christ’s disciples, we know that “nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community composed of human persons. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for everyone. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with humankind and its history by the deepest of bonds”(GS, 1). We thank the Lord for the great number of Christian families who generously and faithfully respond to their vocation and mission, despite the many obstacles, misunderstandings and trials. These families need the encouragement of the entire Church, who, together with her Lord and supported by the action of the Spirit, knows that she has a word of truth and hope to address to all humankind. Pope Francis recalled this in opening the final phase of this synodal journey dedicated to the family: “God did not create us to live in sorrow or to be alone. He made men and women for happiness, to share their journey with someone who complements them,[…]. It is the same plan which Jesus presents […] summarized with these words: ‘From the beginning of creation [God] made them male and female; for this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh’ (Mk 10:6-8; cf. Gen1:27; 2:24).” God “joins the hearts of two people who love one another, he who joins them in unity and indissolubility. This shows us that the goal of conjugal life is not simply to live together for life, but to love one another for life! In this way Jesus re-establishes the order which was present from the beginning. […] only in the light of the folly of the gratuitousness of Jesus’ paschal love will the folly of the gratuitousness of an exclusive and life-long conjugal love make sense” (Homily at the Opening Mass of the Synod, 4 October 2015).
- Even amidst joys and trials, the family is the primary and fundamental “school of humanity” (cf. GS 52). Despite signs of a crisis, in various contexts, in the institution of the family, the desire to form a family remains vibrant among the younger generations. The Church, expert in humanity and true to her mission, announces with deep conviction the “Gospel of the Family,” which she received as revealed by Jesus Christ and constantly taught by the Fathers, the masters in spirituality and the Church’s Magisterium. In the course of the Church’s life, the family has assumed special significance: “So great was his love that he [God] began to walk with mankind, he began to walk alongside his people, until the right time came and then he gave the greatest demonstration of love: his Son. And where did he send his Son? To a palace, to a city, to an office building? He sent him to a family. God came into the world in a family. And he could do this because that family was a family with a heart open to love, a family whose doors were open.” (Francis, Address at the Feast of Families, Philadelphia, 27 September 2015). In these times, families are sent as “missionary disciples” (cf. EG, 120). With this in mind, the family ought to rediscover that it is an essential agent in evangelization.
- The Holy Father called the Synod of Bishops to reflect on the reality of the family. “The convenire in unum around the Bishop of Rome is indeed an event of grace, in which episcopal collegiality is made manifest in a path of spiritual and pastoral discernment.” (Francis, Address at the Prayer Vigil in preparation for the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, 3 October 2014). In the span of two years, the Extraordinary General Assembly (2014) and the Ordinary General Assembly (2015) have undertaken the task of reading the signs of God and human history, in faithfulness to the Gospel. The first synod, to which the People of God made an important contribution, resulted in the Relatio Synodi. A tri-fold approach characterized our dialogue and reflections, namely, assessing the complex reality of the family today from the vantage point of faith, indicating both its lights and shadows; looking to Christ so as to contemplate once more, with renewed freshness and enthusiasm, what Christ has revealed and is handed down in the faith of the Church; and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit so as to discern ways in which the Church and society can renew their commitment to the family, founded on marriage between a man and a woman. The Christian proclamation on the family is good news indeed. The family, beyond being called upon to respond to today’s challenges, is primarily called by God to a greater awareness of its missionary character. The synodal assembly was enriched by the presence of couples and families in a discussion which directly concerned them. Preserving the invaluable work of the preceding assembly, dedicated to the challenges of the family, we now turn our attention to its vocation and mission in the Church and the contemporary world.
PART I
The Church Listening to the Family
- The mystery of life’s creation on earth fills us with wonder and delight. The family, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, is splendid to behold and irreplaceable in an interpersonal loving relationship which transmits life. Love cannot be reduced to the illusion of a passing moment; love is not an end in itself; love seeks the trustworthiness of a “thou” in another person. In promising mutual love, in both good times and bad, love wants itself to continue until death. At the Synod, the fundamental desire of forming loving relationships, which are sound and inter-generational in the family, was significantly discussed, even beyond cultural and religious lines and the changes in society. In the free act of a man and a woman saying “yes” to each other for their entire life, God’s love is made present and is experienced. In the Catholic faith, marriage is a sacred sign in which God’s love becomes effective in his Church. The Christian family is, therefore, a part of the life of the Church: a “domestic church.”
The couple and conjugal life are not abstract realities; they remain imperfect and vulnerable. Consequently, an act of will is always necessary in changing oneself, forgiving and starting over. In our responsibility as pastors, we are concerned about the lives of families. We want to heed their real-life situations and challenges, and accompany and illuminate them with the love of the Gospel. We want to give them strength and help them grasp their mission today. We wish to accompany them lovingly, even in their concerns, giving them courage and hope which come from the mercy of God.
Chapter I
The Family and the Anthropological-cultural context
The Socio-Cultural Context
- Docile to what the Holy Spirit asks us, we draw near to today’s families in their diversity, knowing that “Christ, the new Adam […] fully reveals a person to him/herself” (GS, 22) We turn our attention to the contemporary challenges which affect the multiple aspects of life. We are aware of the principal tendencies in anthropological-cultural changes in which individuals, in their emotional life and life as a family, receive increasingly less support from social structures than in the past. On the other hand, we must also take into consideration the development of an exaggerated individualism which distorts family ties, giving precedence to the idea that one can make onself according to one’s own wishes, and thus weakens every family tie. We are thinking of mothers and fathers, grandparents, brothers and sisters, immediate and distant relatives and the bonding of two families at every wedding. We must not forget the lived reality: everywhere, strong family ties continue to give life to the world. People are strongly dedicated in caring for the dignity of every person — man, woman and child — and for ethnic groups and minorities, as well as in defence of the rights of every human being to grow up in a family. Their faithfulness would not be honoured, if we did not make a clear reaffirmation of the value of family life, especially in relying on the light of the Gospel, even in different cultures. We are aware of the major anthropological cultural changes today which have an impact on all aspects of life. We remain firmly convinced that the family is a gift of God, the place where he reveals the power of his saving grace. Even in our day, the Lord calls a man and a woman to marry, abides with them in their life as a family and offers himself to them as an ineffable gift. The Church is called to scrutinize the signs of the times, interpreting “them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which people ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other. We must therefore recognize and understand the world in which we live, its explanations, its longings, and its often dramatic characteristics” (GS, 4).
The Religious Context
- The Christian faith is strong and alive. Some regions of the world are witnessing a significant drop in religion in society, which, consequently, has its effect on family life. This approach tends to make religion a private matter and to relegate it to family life only, thus running the risk of reducing the witness and mission of the Christian family in the modern world. In places of advanced social well-being, people are likely to set all their hope in a frantic quest for social success and economic prosperity. In other regions of the world, the adverse effects of an unjust world economic order leads to forms of religion exposed to sectarian and radical extremism. We should also mention movements based on political and religious fanaticism, often openly hostile to Christianity. In creating instability and spreading chaos and violence, they are the cause of much misery and suffering in family life. The Church is called to provide guidance to families in their practice of religion so as to give it a Gospel orientation.
Anthropological Change
- In various cultures, relationships and a sense of belonging are important values which shape an individual’s identity. The family provides the opportunity for personal fulfilment and contributes to the growth of other persons in society-at-large. The Christian and ecclesial identity received at Baptism comes to fruition in the beauty of family life. In today’s society, we observe a multiplicity of challenges which manifest themselves to a greater or lesser degree in various parts of the world. In different cultures, many young people demonstrate a resistance in making definitive commitments in relationships, and often choose to live together or simply to engage in casual relationships. The declining birth rate is a result of various factors, including industrialization, the sexual revolution, the fear of overpopulation, economic problems, the growth of a contraceptive mentality and abortion. Consumerism may also deter people from having children, simply so they can maintain a certain freedom and life-style. Some Catholics have difficulty in leading a life in keeping with the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and the family, and in seeing, in such teaching, the goodness of God’s creative design for them. The number of marriages taking place in some parts of the world is declining, while separations and divorces are not uncommon.
Cultural Contradictions
- In great areas across the planet, cultural situations affecting the family display a conflicting character, even under the extensive influence of mass media. On the one hand, marriage and the family are held in high esteem and the idea still prevails that the family represents a safe haven for the most profound and gratifying sentiments. On the other hand, the concept of the family is marred by excessive expectations and, consequently, exaggerated claims on each other. The tensions caused by an overly individualistic culture, which concentrates on possessing and gratification, leads to intolerance and aggression in families. Mention can also be made of a certain feminism which looks on motherhood as exploiting women and as an obstacle to her full realization. Furthermore, we are witnessing an ever-increasing tendency among people of conceiving a child simply as a means of self-affirmation and, at times, by any means possible.
Today, a very important cultural challenge is posed by “gender” ideology which denies the difference and reciprocity in nature of a man and a woman and envisages a society without gender differences, thereby removing the anthropological foundation of the family. This ideology leads to educational programmes and legislative guidelines which promote a personal identity and emotional intimacy radically separated from the biological difference between male and female. Consequently, human identity becomes the choice of the individual, which can also change over time. According to our faith, the difference between the sexes bears in itself the image and likeness of God (Gen1:26-27). “This tells us that it is not man alone who is the image of God or woman alone who is the image of God, but man and woman as a couple who are the image of God. […] We can say that without the mutual enrichment of this relationship — in thought and in action, in affection and in work, as well as in faith — the two cannot even understand the depth of what it means to be man and woman. Modern contemporary culture has opened new spaces, new forms of freedom and new depths in order to enrich the understanding of this difference. But it has also introduced many doubts and much skepticism. […] The removal of the difference […] is the problem, not the solution” (Francis, General Audience, 15 April 2015).
Conflicts and Social Tensions
- The affective and spiritual quality of family life is seriously threatened by the proliferation of conflicts, impoverishment and the migration process. Violent religious persecution, particularly the persecution of Christian families, is ravaging entire areas of our planet, creating an exodus of persons and masses of refugees which exert great pressure on the capabilities of the host-country. Families enduring these trials are very often forcibly uprooted and, in practice, completely shattered. The loyality of Christians to their faith, their patience and their attachment to their countries of origin are admirable in every respect. The efforts of all political and religious leaders to spread and protect the culture of human rights remains inadequate. While respecting freedom of conscience, living in harmony with each other must be fostered among everyone, based on citizenship, equality and justice. The burden of economic policies and social inequity, even in affluent areas, has a severe impact in providing for children and caring for the sick and the elderly. Dependence on alcohol, drugs or gambling sometimes results from these social contradictions and from the disadvantages caused by these contradictions in family life. The accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few and the misuse of resources allocated for family programmes increase the impoverishment of families in many regions of the world.
Fragility and Strength of the Family
- In today’s socio-cultural crisis, the family, the basic human community, is painfully being weakened and is exhibiting signs of its fragile nature. Nonetheless, the family is also demonstrating its ability to find in itself the courage to confront the inadequacy and failure of institutions in the formation of the person, the quality of social ties and the care of the most vulnerable. Therefore, a proper appreciation of the resilience of the family is particularly necessary in order to be able to strengthen its fragile character. Such strength lies in the family’s capacity to love and to teach how to love. As wounded as the family may be, it can always grow beginning with love.
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART I
The Church Listening to the Family
Chapter I
The Family and the Anthropological-cultural context
The Socio-Cultural Context
The Religious Context
Anthropological Change
Cultural Contradictions
Conflicts and Social Tensions
Fragility and Strength of the Family
Chapter II
The Family in the Socio-Economic context
The Family as the Irreplaceable Resource of Society
Policies Favouring the Family
Loneliness and Insecurity
The Economy and Growth
Poverty and Exclusion
Ecology and the Family
Chapter III
Family, Inclusion and Society
The Elderly
Widowhood
The Last Stages of Life and Loss in the Family
Persons with Special Needs
Persons Who Are Unmarried
Migrants, Refugees and Those Suffering Persecution
Some Unique Challenges
Children
Women
Men
Young People
Chapter IV
Family, Affectivity and Life
The Importance of an Affective Life
Formation in Self-Giving
Weakness and Immaturity
Technologies in Human Procreation
A Pastoral Challenge
PART II
The Family in God’s Plan
Chapter I
The Family in Salvation History
The Divine Pedagogy
The Icon of the Trinity in the Family
The Family in Sacred Scripture
Jesus and the Family
Chapter II
The Family in the Magisterium of the Church
The Teaching of the Second Vatican Council
Blessed Pope Paul VI
Pope Saint John Paul II
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Francis
Chapter III
The Christian Teaching on the Family
Marriage in the Order of Creation and the Fullness of the Sacrament
The Indissolubility and Fruitfulness of the Conjugal Union
The Goods of the Family
The Truth and Beauty of the Family
Chapter IV
Towards the Ecclesial Fullness of the Family
The Intimate Bond Between the Church and the Family
The Grace of Conversion and Fulfilment
Mercy: The Core of Revelation
Part III
The Mission of the Family
Chapter I
The Formation of the Family
Marriage Preparation
The Celebration of Marriage
The Initial Years of Family Life
The Formation of Priests and Other Pastoral Workers
Chapter II
Family, Generativity, Upbringing
The Transmission of Life
Generative Responsibility
The Value of Life in All Its Stages
Adoption and Foster Parenting
The Upbringing of Children
Chapter III
The Family and Pastoral Accompaniment
Complex Situations
Accompaniment in Different Situations
Discernment and Integration
Chapter IV
The Family and Evangelization
A Family Spirituality
The Family: Object of Pastoral Care
The Relationship with Cultures and Institutions
Openness to Mission
Conclusion
Prayer to the Holy Family
Abbreviations
AA Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree Apostolicam Actuositatem (18 November 1965)
AG Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree Ad Gentes (7 December 1965)
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church, (15 August 1997)
CV Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009)
DCE Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005)
GS Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (7 December 1965)
EG Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013)
EN Blessed Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975)
FC Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (22 November 1981)
IL III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, Instrumentum Laboris, (24 June 2014)
LF Francis, Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei (29 June 2013)
LG Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (21 November 1964)
MI Francis, Letter motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (15 August 2015)
MV Francis, Bull Misericordiae Vultus (11 April 2015)
NA Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree Nostra Aetate (28 October 1965)
RM Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990)