The extraordinary synod in Rome concerned with challenges facing family life in relation to evangelization has begun. Briefly, the bishops meet every three years to discuss some topic of importance for the life of the Church. The agenda is set by the pope and the curia. The bishops make recommendations to the Holy Father, who then deliberates over the suggestions and acts accordingly. These synods are usually followed within a year or so with an apostolic exhortation summarizing the synod's conclusions and laying out practical actions to be taken. Last year's Evangelii Gaudium was Pope Francis' exhortation in response to the 2012 synod on the New Evangelization. This year's, only the third extraordinary synod to be called since they were instituted in 1965, is meant to be a lead in to next years regularly scheduled gathering, also on the family.
These triennial meeting usually come and go without much attention being paid to them by the outside world. In truth, they really don't get much notice inside the Church either, at least not until the exhortation is written. But both the Catholic and secular press have been talking about it for almost a year. The reason for the unusual buzz is a very public dispute that has broken out among the cardinals over the issue of whether divorced Catholics who have remarried without an annulment, or are living with a partner out of wedlock should be admitted to the sacraments. The current discipline, based on Jesus' teaching from Matthew chapter 19, is no.
Some prelates, lead by Cardinal Walter Kasper, argue that mercy must be the guiding principle in how the Church relates to sinners, and so, under certain circumstances, the divorced and remarried should be permitted to receive Holy Communion. Penance would need to be done, and of course the new union wouldn't be considered a sacramental marriage, but to deny these people Communion is to go against the mercy and compassion of Christ.
The opposing view, taken up publicly by Cardinal Raymond Burke, is that since the words of Christ in Scripture are very clear, that those who divorce and remarry are in an adulterous relationship, the present discipline can't be changed without doing harm to the Church's understanding of the indissolubility of marriage. To allow divorced and remarried people to receive communion without first obtaining a declaration of nullity would put the Church's discipline in conflict with her doctrine.
I think in the midst of this controversy, which has been sadly played out in the press, what is lost is what I believe to be the real news about the synod; that while the Pope set the topic, he's leaving the agenda to the bishops. These synods are usually rubber stamp affairs, but we really don't know how this is going to end. A criticism throughout the St. John Paul II-Benedict XVI years was that the bishops themselves had very little input into the synods. Well, they can't make that complaint this time. It was even announced that there would be a document, to be approved by the bishops, ready for the end of this year's session. What this will look like only the Holy Spirit knows; a definite change of protocol from synods past.
I think what's also gotten lost is that the synod will be covering many topics concerning the Church's ability to evangelize the family today. The pastoral care of the divorced and remarried are one among many topics, such as how the gay rights movement has changed societal views on the family and marriage. How does the Church respond to the needs of single parents? What have been the effects on the family of the widespread availability of artificial birth control and abortion? What economic pressures face families? How has the increased secularization of the culture impacted the handing on of the faith from one generation to the next? Parents are up against a lot today, and they need to know that the shepherds of the Church are supporting them in their vocations as Christian mothers and fathers.
As for the main controversy, I don't anticipate huge changes, at least not as big as Cardinal Kasper would like. The Holy Father has already tipped his hand a bit by setting up a commission ahead of the synod to look into annulment reform. While I appreciate Cardinal Kasper's position, I can't get around Matthew 19. Cardinal Burke's been uncompromising in his position, to he point of even opposing a discussion of annulment reform, which does seem extreme. The Anchoress has a good take on the "fight" between the the churchmen. She's critical of both, but especially of the lopsided coverage in some sections of the Catholic press sympathetic to Cardinal Kasper.
I do agree with Cardinal Burke that there's been so much anticipation built up about the Church's discipline changing that a possible negative backlash could occur if it doesn't come to pass. Many thought Pope Paul VI was going to change the Church's teaching on artificial contraception. When Humanae Vitae reaffirmed the traditional prohibition you could argue that his papacy was paralyzed after 1968 because the negative response, especially from the clergy, was so great.
Let us pray for the synod fathers as they meet. They will be joined by an unprecedented number of lay observers, including married couples from around the world, to discern God's will. I'll have more to write over the next two weeks, I'm sure.
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