VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 171
DATE 02-10-2015
Summary:
- Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri explains how the Synod on the Family will unfold -
Statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office
- Cardinals to take possession of their titular churches
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri explains how the Synod on the Family will unfold
Vatican City, 2 October 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, gave a
presentation of the phases and methods of the Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops on "The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and
the contemporary world", which will commence on Sunday 4 October.
"Tomorrow evening, in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of the Holy Father,
a
prayer vigil will be held in preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops, to be attended by the Synod Fathers, the participants in
the Synod and all the faithful of the world, on an initiative of the Italian
Episcopal Conference, which has invited families, movements and ecclesial
associations. At nightfall the beauty of the family will shine through lighted
torches. The trustful invocation of the Holy Spirit by the People of God is the
prelude to the work of the Synod; indeed, we recall the important tone given to
the last Extraordinary General Assembly by the Holy Father, with the powerful
homily he gave during the Vigil.
The Mass on Sunday morning, presided by the Holy Father, will signal the
opening of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod on 'The vocation and
mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world', allowing all
the faithful of the world to join the common path of the pastors cum Petro et
sub Petro.
This Assembly is the culmination of the synodal journey undertaken two years
ago, with the distribution of the first questionnaire to all the particular
Churches, enabling the profile of the family in the world, its riches and its
challenges, to be outlined. The Extraordinary General Assembly then prepared a
Final Report (Relatio Synodi) which raised further questions; the answers have
been incorporated in today's Instrumentum Laboris. With this text in hand,
composed of the Relatio Synodi and by the contributions of the particular
Churches, the Fathers are preparing to listen to the challenges faced by the
family, to discern its vocation, and to announce its mission.
Composition of the Ordinary General Assembly
In accordance with the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum (Art. 5 º 1), the Ordinary
General Assembly will be attended by the Heads of the sui iuris Oriental
Catholic Churches, the bishops elected by the Synod of Bishops and the Councils
of the Hierarchy of the Oriental Catholic Churches, the bishops elected by the
Episcopal Conferences, ten religious elected by the Union of Superiors General
and the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia. In addition, the Holy Father
also appoints some Members, in accordance with the same Synod regulations (Art.
5 º 4).
A total of 270 Synod Fathers will participate in this Assembly. They are
divided into the following three categories: 42 ex officio, 183 ex electione
and
45 ex nominatione pontificia. The Fathers originate from the five continents,
as
follows: 54 from Africa, 64 from America, 36 from Asia, 107 from Europe and 9
from Oceania.
The Members ex officio comprise the heads of the 15 Synods of Bishops of the
sui iuris Oriental Catholic Churches; 25 heads of dicasteries of the Roman
Curia; the general secretary and the under Secretary.
The 270 Synod Fathers include: 74 cardinals (including one cardinal Patriarch
and 2 major archbishops), six Patriarchs, one major archbishop, 72 archbishops
(including three titular), 102 bishops (including six auxiliaries, three
apostolic vicars and one emeritus), two parish priests and 13 religious. In
addition, other invitees from different cultures and nations will take part in
this Synod Assembly (cf. Art. 7 Ordo Synodi): 24 experts and collaborators of
the Special Secretary, 51 auditors and 14 fraternal delegates. Noteworthy is
the
fact that, since this is an Assembly dedicated to the family, particular
importance is given to spouses, parents and family heads, of whom a total of 18
are present (17 auditors and one among the experts). Finally, we are pleased to
welcome the fraternal delegates who, as representatives of other Churches and
ecclesial communities, certainly share with the Catholic Church a concern for
evangelisation and the pastoral care of families in today's world.
Synod methodology
Starting from the experience gained during the Third Extraordinary General
Assembly last October and taking into account various suggestions have come
from
many sides, especially by the Synod Fathers, the General Secretariat of the
Synod has developed a new methodology to apply the Ordinary General Assembly,
approved by the Holy Father at the meeting of the Ordinary Council of the
Secretariat on 25-26 May 2015.
Given the methodology of the previous synods, the majority of the Fathers
suggested that the General Assembly is made more dynamic and participatory
through the distribution of interventions among the individual members at
different times, enabling more attention to be devoted each contribution. In
addition, the Fathers requested the enhancement of the work in the Circuli
Minores, where there is more active participation in the discussion, more
direct
and immediate connection between the Fathers in their own language, and in
which
the auditors and fraternal delegates can intervene.
The result of the first Synod phase, devloped during the last Extraordinary
General Assembly, was the Relatio Synodi, which became, together with an
attached series of questions, the Lineamenta of the Ordinary General Assembly
presented to the particular Churches and to all other entitled persons. The
Instrumentum Laboris, resulting from the composition of the Relatio Synodi and
the answers related to it, it is the foundational document of this Synod
Assembly.
In the opening session, the President Delegate will greet the Holy Father, who
will open the meeting. This will be followed by reports from the General
Secretary and the General Rapporteur. The General Rapporteur will then present
the themes of the First Part ("Listening to the challenges to the family"; cf.
Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 6-36). After the testimony of a married couple
(auditors), the interventions of the Synod Fathers in the General
Congregations,
will begin. Their contribution constitutes a development of the basic text.
This will be followed by the sessions of the Circuli minori, in which the
Fathers reflect on the basic text supplemented by the contributions made in the
assembly hall, in order to develop the "ways" in which the text continues to
mature. At the end of the sessions, the rapporteur from each Circulo presents a
brief report of their work and indicates the supplements to be inserted in the
base text. The reports of the Working Groups will be made public.
The same process is repeated for the Second Part ("The discernment of the
vocation of the family"; cf. Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 37-68) and the Third
Party ("The mission of the family today"; cf. Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 69
-147), during the following two weeks.
The Commission for the Elaboration of the Final Report, appointed by the Holy
Father, in which all five continents are represented, consists of: Cardinal
Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary), Rapporteur General; the
General Secretary; Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto (Italy); Cardinal
Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay (India); Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop
of Washington (United States of America); Cardinal John Atcherley Dew,
archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand); Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez,
rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (Argentina); Bishop
Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Mouila (Gabon); Bishop Marcello Semeraro of
Albano
(Italy); Father Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, superior general of the Society of
Jesus,
representing the Union of Superiors General.
The Commission has the duty of following each stage of the project; therefore,
it meets at the end of the work on each part and in drafting the final
document.
At the end of the three stages of work, the Commission oversees preparation of
the draft of the Final Report, to be presented in plenary session. Bearing in
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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