Signs – They will convince My followers to adapt the Laws of My Church by holding a referendum (survey)

They will convince My followers to adapt the Laws of My Church by holding a referendum

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013 @ 18:56

My dearly beloved daughter, always remember how the devil works. He is very careful not to reveal himself. He, therefore, mixes truths and lies together, in order to confuse. This is his favourite way to deceive souls. He would never tell the truth, by allowing others to see how he really is, but because he is proud, his arrogance and his hatred for Me will always seep out. Those whose eyes are open will immediately recognize the insults, which are thrown in My Face and before My altars.

Satan, remember, is proud, arrogant, boastful and very, very cunning. When he is present in souls, he has a confidence, which is borne out of pride and arrogance and a belief that he is above God. He will always give signs, which insult God, but only those who know what to look for will see them. Those who honour Satan, and who spend much of their time in groups which organize rituals to pay homage to him, will be delighted to see these signs. All who have sold their souls to Satan will communicate, through such signs, as an arrogant and defiant gesture against Me, Jesus Christ.

Those who deceive you, in My Name, will convince My followers to adapt the Laws of My Church, by holding a referendum. [Notice how the survey on families was the setup for the October 2014 Synod] All will be asked to condone new practices, which amount to two things. The first is to wipe out My Presence in the Holy Eucharist. [the Abomination of Desolation] The second is to condone sin, by encouraging people to show sympathy for the human rights of those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

This referendum will be falsified and lies will be presented as the Truth. When the new one world religion is introduced, My Church on Earth – the True Church – will go into hiding, in order to pay homage to Me.

I Am the target of the beast. I Am Who he wants to hurt. He knows he cannot destroy Me, so he will instead try to destroy the human race, who he curses every second. His servants will not stop by just insulting My Presence in the Tabernacles of the world. They will not be happy to destroy only the Sacraments, so that they can blaspheme against Me. They will only be happy when they steal souls by creating the greatest blasphemy of all. This is when they will recreate My First Coming by giving the impression that John the Baptist has been sent. The man who will say he is the Lord’s prophet will lie and cause such wonder when he declares that the antichrist is Me, Jesus Christ.

The antichrist will, through the power of Satan, claim to be Me, Jesus Christ. Woe to those souls who welcome him into their arms, for they will be powerless against him. Allow these two to suck you into their vacuum of lies and you will be so far removed from Me that only by the Intervention of My Father can you be brought into My Great Mercy.

When anyone who comes in the future, and claims to be Me, Jesus Christ [Maitreya says this], know that he is a liar. I will not come in the flesh a second time. Satan cannot utter these words:

“Jesus Christ, Who came in the flesh.”

What he will say, through the mouth of the beast, the antichrist, will be the following:

“I am Jesus Christ, I have now come in the flesh, to bring you salvation.”

When this happens My Divine Intervention will be swift, but by then the false prophet and the antichrist will have stolen many souls.

Pray, pray, pray that all those who say they are Mine remain Mine.

Pray that you will all have the strength and courage to carry My Cross during the greatest persecution of My Body – My Mystical Body – My Church on Earth at this time.

Your Jesus

The Church in Japan – Apostasy like Every Other Secular Society

Excerpts taken from Chiesa (Sandro Magister)

[Note: this type of immorality as shown by these surveys on the family will be allowed at some point after the October 2014 Synod as part of the establishment of the One World pagan Religion]

Sandro Magister says:

From this point of view, even the idea dear to Jorge Mario Bergoglio of a Church that was too unbalanced, if not “obsessed,” during the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, on the questions of abortion, homosexual marriage, and contraception, appears to be contradicted by the facts. [Indeed]

Selections taken from:

RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE FAMILY

Conference of the Catholic bishops of Japan

It is not unusual for people to live together without marrying… Abortion and contraception are common, and many fetuses are buried before they are born… These phenomena and trends related to marriage apply to Catholics as well…

For the most part, people are unaware of teachings [of the Bible] and documents [of the Church on the family]. What they know is fragmentary at best, and comes from comments that they hear from priests who may not be well informed themselves…

Generally speaking, people are only aware of the bans on abortion, artificial birth control, divorce and remarriage. They are more influenced by societal mores than by those teachings, especially where birth control is concerned… Even among Catholics, many people are critical of the Church’s stance toward contraceptive methods such as condoms…

In terms of faith education, on the national, diocesan and parish levels we must admit that there are no pastoral programs [for the family]. There are, of course, dedicated activities by dioceses, parishes, priests and parishioners, but they rely too much on individual efforts…

Even many Catholics do not differ from the common opinion in matters of divorce and remarriage as allowed in civil law, prenatal diagnosis, abortion etc. and they criticize the Church for its teaching on pregnancy and childbirth… Many people feel that teachings on divorce and separation violate conventional wisdom…

Marriage with unbaptized people and nonbelievers using the Church’s rites has been a normal part of the Church’s activity in Japan for many years, with the approval of the Holy See. The usual practice is to require at least some premarital instruction that focuses on the Church’s vision of marriage. In addition, there must be no canonical impediments to marriage (such as divorce), though individual pastors generally tend to leniency…

Marriage preparation is generally haphazard, with regular programs in some places, but in most situations it relies upon the interest and ability of the pastor. Marriage encounter and engaged encounter were introduced in Japan, and were popular for a while, but seem to have been something of a fad that has faded…

One respondent said: “Nearly all the couples I have married in the last few years had begun living together several months before the wedding. None among them recognized that it goes against the teachings of the Church…”

In developing a pastoral orientation, it is perhaps important to recall that the only time in the Gospels that Jesus clearly encounters someone in a situation of cohabitation outside of marriage (the Samaritan woman at the well), he does not focus on it. Instead, he respectfully deals with the woman and turns her into a missionary…

Most divorced and remarried people are apparently indifferent… They have made the decision to either receive the sacraments or not and follow through on their decision… There are people who do not know that they cannot receive the Eucharist if they have remarried after divorce. Even among those who know, there are people who receive the Eucharist, and there are priests who do not say anything even if they know that fact…

There is no special ministry [for the divorced and remarried]. Pastors respond as pastorally as possible, but the People of God seem to have moved beyond the need of such ministry. They make decisions and live according to those decisions…

In Japan there is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships… The State does not promote such marriages and the Church has not developed a particular attitude toward the possibility of eventual change…

Contemporary Catholics are either indifferent to or unaware of the teaching of the Church [on birth control]. Most Catholics in Japan have not heard of Humanae Vitae… While there may be some mention of the Church’s teaching on artificial birth control in premarital instructions, most priests do not emphasize it… The moral teaching of Humanae Vitae is generally unknown and untaught, and where known it is not followed…

The Church in Japan is not obsessed with sexual matters… Apart from abortion, there seems to not be much of a sense of guilt regarding contraception…

While it is important to continue to stress the importance of the family and life, the Church must also present a healing, supporting and encouraging face to those who cannot fulfill the ideal rather than being judgmental and critical…

Various UK Bishops’ responses to questions regarding the Synod on the Family

Read various UK Bishops’ responses to the Tablet’s questions regarding the Vatican Survey in preparation for the Synod on the Family.

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/texts-speeches-homilies/4/324/bishops-on-francis-first-year-how-much-will-his-family-synod-address-their-hopes-for-the-church-

A Typical Example of Apostasy

Excerpts from http://thatthebonesyouhavecrushedmaythrill.blogspot.com/2014/03/according-to-protect-pope-tina-beattie.html

In response to the Vatican Survey in 2013, there is a comment by Tina Beattie as follows:

Like most other Catholics I know, I respect the Church’s teaching on marriage and parenthood. I also know from experience that marriage and family life can induce agonies of guilt over our inevitable failures and shortcomings. However, I do not experience guilt over deciding in good conscience to use contraception to limit the number of children we had. I do not feel ashamed of my adult children for cohabiting with partners who have enriched our lives by their friendship. I do not feel compelled to pass negative judgement on the loving relationships of my gay friends. I am glad that some of my divorced Catholic friends have found joy in second marriages, and I want to share the sacraments with them. In other words, I’m like the vast majority of Catholics whose answers to the questionnaire have been made public.

I seek from the Church the formation I know I need most – formation that has to do with love and generosity of spirit, with faithfulness and integrity, with wisdom and discretion, with prayer and discernment. The list is long, but it does not include learning to regard contraception, premarital sex and homosexuality as intrinsically evil, nor does it include regarding divorced and remarried Catholics as people uniquely barred from the forgiveness offered by Christ in the sacraments.’

Tina Beattie represents well the coming doctrine of the One World Religion – do what you feel is good and there is no sin in that.

Cardinal Kasper’s Vision – a Church of Mob Rule (a.k.a. democratic)

Excerpts from The Eye Witness

The notorious worldwide survey is complete and is now in Rome, and a Synod is going to take it, among other things, under discussion.

Cardinals like Kasper and Schonborn are thrilled with the survey; many laymen are stunned in disbelief and shock.  Kasper and Schonborn see the survey as a Manifesto.  To them, the people have spoken and the Church, in their eyes, must become a Democracy and no longer be the Monarchy it always was.  The survey shows that a clear majority of Catholics no longer believe in the tenets of their Divine Faith, and in the matter of morals can be said to have lost their marbles.  But Kasper and Schonborn and others who think as they do want to see this as the Document which will propel the Church into the new territories of their desire.

In short they want the Catholic mob to rule on Church teaching, the same mob they have created by their tragic failure to teach the truths of the Faith.

Read it all there.

 

German Bishop’s “Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation”

Follow this link for a PDF in English.

This was part of the survey process. In Germany, it had the intended effect. Expect the same in all of decadent Western culture. In order to be “pastoral” the One World Church will eliminate sin and accept these people’s opinions.

Some examples include:

Most of the baptised have an image of the Church on the one hand that it is family friendly in its attitude, whilst at the same time considering her sexual morality to be unrealistic.

The Church’s sexual morality is regarded outside the Church as being a “morality of prohibition” pure and simple, and is judged as being incomprehensible and unrealistic in its argumentative style and language. The Church’s refusal to recognise homosexual unions in societal and legal terms is furthermore understood as constituting discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation.

The responses from the dioceses are unanimous that Catholics do not regard the use of “artificial” birth control methods as sinful, and consequently also not as something to be confessed. [Note: sin is defined using relativism – whatever the person opines.]

The Church’s prohibition of “artificial” birth control methods, in particular of the use of condoms, is also regarded not only as unrealistic, but as blatantly immoral. [Church teachings are ‘unrealistic’, ‘immoral’. Just like satan wants – the “faithful” have it backwards, calling evil good and good evil.]

Summary: reject Church teaching and approve of sin.

Francis’ Revolutionary Survey on the Family

From Tradition in Action

Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D.

My friend Jan wanted to discuss the survey Francis is sending out to ask Catholics about homosexual sex, abortion, contraception and giving Communion to the divorced and re-married.

She was speaking about the 39 questions sent to parishes around the world in preparation of next year’s Synod of Bishops, a “grassroots effort” that the press is heralding as unprecedented for two reasons. First, it seeks input from rank-and-file Catholics in order to know how to address moral issues. Second, it polls on issues that would have been considered off-limits in the past.

The “invitation” is posted online

Jan asked: “Isn’t this a step to implant democracy in the Church, asking for input on questions that really shouldn’t be sent at all for the faithful to decide?” She spoke with a tone of triumph, pleased to have seen through the latest Vatican ruse to destroy both the hierarchical structure and the moral doctrine of the Church.

I believe my friend Jan was right on mark, and I have only a few comments to add to her analysis.

What is most revolutionary and significant about this survey, in my opinion, is the framing of the questions. They are posed in a way that seems to legitimize activities that were always held to be unquestionably wrong. Regardless of the results of this survey, topics like homosexual marriage and cohabitation before marriage are now open to discussion.

The framing of the questions

The nine sections of this survey are filled with loaded questions, that is, questions designed to change minds by coercive stealth. That is to say, it is much more than a questionnaire. It is a psychological progressivist assault that introduces into every Catholic parish tolerance toward “irregular” living situations and a “modern” concept of family.

Instead of affirming Church teaching on marriage according to the Natural Law, Section 2 challenges it by “suggesting” other ways of forming a family can be discussed.

One such question asks: “How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?”

Left, a divorced man ‘re-married’; center, a normal family; right, a homosexual couple

Now, everybody knows that, in today’s society, natural law has been broken by the practice of contraception and abortion and that many States approve these practices. The implication, therefore, is that the Church should be seeking new interpretations of natural law that coincide with civil legislation.

The pressure for adaptations becomes stronger in the sections on pastoral care in difficult marital situations and same sex unions (sections 4 and 5). Catholics are asked whether extra-marital cohabitation, divorce and remarriage and same-sex marriages are “pastoral realities” in their churches. Then it asks, “Do ministries exist to attend to these cases?” The obvious response is that such ministries should, nay, must exist to respond to these “needs” of the times.

Another question: “How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey of faith?” Do persons in such situations “feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the Sacraments?”

The obvious implication is that no one should feel left out or feel any negative vibes. This question also infers that to enforce true Catholic Morals is not practicable. Instead of looking for answers that would try to stem the tide of extra-marital cohabitation, divorces, and homosexuality among Catholics, the survey makes it clear that the “correct” response is to try to accommodate persons who “choose” sinful lifestyles.

I invite my readers to peruse the questions in the nine sections below. In my opinion they clearly induce Catholics to tolerate homosexuals, cohabitating couples, divorced and remarried Catholics. The message is not that the faithful must apply Catholic Morals, but that concessions must be made to civil laws in order for the Church to remain relevant.

The damage is done

The media is calling the survey unusual because of the “non-judgmental nature of the questions,” signaling a greater openness to all and the possibility of coming changes in Church teaching on all the addressed issues.

A priest marches with the “Changing Attitudes” group in a LGBT parade

In the Vatican some voices have stepped in “to guarantee” that Francis is not planning any big changes and that the Church “remains loyal to the vision of the family where a man and a woman join together and procreate children.” (“Pope Francis’ Latest Surprise,” BBC News online)

But, in my opinion, this survey has started the official change of Catholic Morals. By its method – never before the Vatican needed the opinions of the faithful to know what is morally condemnable – it has officially started to change the Morals. It is the Church tweaking her teachings to be accepted by the modern revolutionary times.

This attitude tells the pastoral centers at all the churches around the world to welcome homosexuals and lesbians.

It suggests, priests should not be denying sacraments to Catholics who have divorced and remarried.

It implies that cohabitating unmarried or homosexual unions should be accepted by Catholics since there are so many of them. All of these things used to be considered closed issues. Now they officially became open, thanks to the Vatican survey.

Vatican questionnaire for the synod on the family
Q1. The Diffusion of the Teachings on the Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium

1. Question 1a: Describe how the Catholic Church’s teachings on the value of the family contained in the Bible, Gaudium et Spes, Familiaris Consortio and other documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium is understood by people today? What formation is given to our people on the Church’s teaching on family life?

2. Question 1b: In those cases where the Church’s teaching is known, is it accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice? If so, what are they?

3. Question 1c: How widespread is the Church’s teaching in pastoral programmes at the national, diocesan and parish levels? What catechesis is done on the family?

4. Question 1d: To what extent — and what aspects in particular — is this teaching actually known, accepted, rejected and/or criticized in areas outside the Church? What are the cultural factors which hinder the full reception of the Church’s teaching on the family?

Q2. Marriage according to the Natural Law

1. Question 2a: What place does the idea of the natural law have in the cultural areas of society: in institutions, education, academic circles and among the people at large? What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis of the family?

2. Question 2b: Is the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general?

3. Question 2c: How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?

4. Question 2d: In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt with?

Q3. The Pastoral Care of the Family in Evangelization

1. Question 3a: What experiences have emerged in recent decades regarding marriage preparation? What efforts are there to stimulate the task of evangelization of the couple and of the family? How can an awareness of the family as the “domestic Church” be promoted?

2. Question 3b: How successful have you been in proposing a manner of praying within the family which can withstand life’s complexities and today’s culture?

3. Question 3c: In the current generational crisis, how have Christian families been able to fulfill their vocation of transmitting the faith?

4. Question 3d: In what way have the local Churches and movements on family spirituality been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?

5. Question 3e: What specific contribution can couples and families make to spread a credible and holistic idea of the couple and the Christian family today?

6. Question 3f: What pastoral care has the Church provided in supporting couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?

Q4. Pastoral Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations

1. Question 4a: Is cohabitation ad experimentum a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage?

2. Question 4b: Do unions which are not recognized either religiously or civilly exist? Are reliable statistics available?

3. Question 4c: Are separated couples and those divorced and remarried a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage? How do you deal with this situation in appropriate pastoral programmes?

4. Question 4d: In all the above cases, how do the baptized live in this irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?

5. Question 4e: What questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation? Among those persons who find themselves in these situations, how many ask for these sacraments?

6. Question 4f: Could a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the persons involved? If yes, what form would it take?

7. Question 4g: Does a ministry exist to attend to these cases? Describe this pastoral ministry? Do such programmes exist on the national and diocesan levels? How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey of faith?

Q5. On Unions of Persons of the Same Sex

1. Question 5a: Is there a law in your country recognizing civil unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?

2. Question 5b: What is the attitude of the local and particular Churches towards both the State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and the people involved in this type of union?

3. Question 5c: What pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in these types of union?

4. Question 5d: In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children, what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?

Q6. The Education of Children in Irregular Marriages

1. Question 6a: What is the estimated proportion of children and adolescents in these cases, as regards children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?

2. Question 6b: How do parents in these situations approach the Church? What do they ask? Do they request the sacraments only or do they also want catechesis and the general teaching of religion?

3. Question 6c: How do the particular Churches attempt to meet the needs of the parents of these children to provide them with a Christian education?

4. Question 6d: What is the sacramental practice in these cases: preparation, administration of the sacrament and the accompaniment?

Q7. The Openness of the Married Couple to Life

1. Question 7a: What knowledge do Christians have today of the teachings of Humanae vitae on responsible parenthood? Are they aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family planning? Could any insights be suggested in this regard pastorally?

2. Question 7b: Is this moral teaching accepted? What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couple’s accepting this teaching?

3. Question 7c: What natural methods are promoted by the particular Churches to help spouses put into practice the teachings of Humanae vitae?

4. Question 7d: What is your experience on this subject in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the Eucharist?

5. Question 7e: What differences are seen in this regard between the Church’s teaching and civic education?

6. Question 7f: How can a more open attitude towards having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be promoted?

Q8. The Relationship between the Family and the Person

1. Question 8a: Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person. How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?

2. Question 8b: What critical situations in the family today can obstruct a person’s encounter with Christ?

3. Question 8c: To what extent do the many crises of faith which people can experience affect family life?

Q9. Other Challenges and Proposals

1. Question 9: What other challenges or proposals related to the topics in the above questions do you consider urgent and useful to treat?

A copy of the questionnaire here. An introduction letter to the US Bishops Conference is here.

NC Reporter regarding Questionnaire: “deliver something tangible”

Excerpts From National Catholic (heretical) Reporter

Editorial: Synod questionnaire an opportunity to hear from the people

Nov. 19, 2013

The documents we reprinted as a pullout in the center of the Nov. 22-Dec. 5 issue of the newspaper were sent to NCR by someone who feared the questionnaire from the Vatican about next year’s Synod of Bishops on the family wouldn’t get as wide a distribution as intended, at least here in the United States. [see questionnaire here]

…We knew that this synod was going to be different from past synods from its inception. Pope Francis has said before that he wants the synod process to be more consultative. He signaled his special interest in this synod on the family by taking the unusual step of leaving the Vatican, traveling down the Via della Conciliazione to the synod’s offices, and joining a working meeting of the secretariat. The words describing this synod from its first announcement have been frank: Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, special secretary for the synod, said it will discuss “wounded families, the divorced and remarried, [and] de facto couples.” The frankness of language has carried over into the questions, which holds out the promise that the synod discussions will be based on true pastoral realities.

Since the synod documents became public, NCR has had conversations with a number of people with extensive contacts in the Vatican and who have observed quite a few synods over the years. The consensus among this group is that the process is different this time. While all synods and other Vatican-sponsored consultations use surveys and questionnaires and ask local bishops for input, this time the questions really seem to matter, they say. The questions matter because Francis wants to hear the answers, they say.

Two obstacles stand in the way of those who hope the synod on the family will be a realistic assessment of family life today and propose concrete pastoral approaches to meeting these challenges. First, the people with whom NCR spoke warned that Francis may not understand or fully appreciate the strength of the current he swims against in the Vatican bureaucracy and vested interests. Second, expectations may be dangerously high. The English bishop responsible for putting the questionnaire online has warned about this. An organizer of a U.S. response to the questionnaire told NCR that “an opportunity to talk about pastoral needs of people in real situations is very exciting for Catholics.”

Francis has one more time raised our expectations. In this process, as in all initiatives he has undertaken since his election, there are no indications that church doctrine will change. While expectations may be met without changing doctrine, some kind of change must come out of this synod. If he wants to sustain Catholics’ interest and excitement, the time is fast approaching when he must deliver something tangible. [Note: oh yes, this is part of the plan indeed to change Church doctrine, for the One World Church, by using a democratic process. Doctrine will be changed by popular vote, as do the Protestant sects.]

Francis’ Questionaire on the Family

From the Vatican

SYNOD OF BISHOPS
________________________________________________________

III EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

PASTORAL CHALLENGES TO THE FAMILY
IN THE CONTEXT OF EVANGELIZATION
Preparatory Document

Vatican City
2013

I. Synod: Family and Evangelization

The mission of preaching the Gospel to all creation, entrusted directly by the Lord to his disciples, has continued in the Church throughout history. The social and spiritual crisis, so evident in today’s world, is becoming a pastoral challenge in the Church’s evangelizing mission concerning the family, the vital building-block of society and the ecclesial community. Never before has proclaiming the Gospel on the Family in this context been more urgent and necessary. The importance of the subject is reflected in the fact that the Holy Father has decided to call for a Synod of Bishops, which is to have a two-staged itinerary: firstly, an Extraordinary General Assembly in 2014, intended to define the “status quaestionis” and to collect the bishops’ experiences and proposals in proclaiming and living the Gospel of the Family in a credible manner; and secondly, an Ordinary General Assembly in 2015 to seek working guidelines in the pastoral care of the person and the family.

Concerns which were unheard of until a few years ago have arisen today as a result of different situations, from the widespread practice of cohabitation, which does not lead to marriage, and sometimes even excludes the idea of it, to same-sex unions between persons, who are, not infrequently, permitted to adopt children. The many new situations requiring the Church’s attention and pastoral care include: mixed or inter-religious marriages; the single-parent family; polygamy; marriages with the consequent problem of a dowry, sometimes understood as the purchase price of the woman; the caste system; a culture of non-commitment and a presumption that the marriage bond can be temporary; forms of feminism hostile to the Church; migration and the reformulation of the very concept of the family; relativist pluralism in the conception of marriage; the influence of the media on popular culture in its understanding of marriage and family life; underlying trends of thought in legislative proposals which devalue the idea of permanence and faithfulness in the marriage covenant; an increase in the practice of surrogate motherhood (wombs for hire); and new interpretations of what is considered a human right. Within the Church, faith in the sacramentality of marriage and the healing power of the Sacrament of Penance show signs of weakness or total abandonment.

Consequently, we can well understand the urgency with which the worldwide episcopate is called upon to gather cum et sub Petro to address these challenges. For example, by simply calling to mind the fact that, as a result of the current situation, many children and young people will never see their parents receive the sacraments, then we understand just how urgent are the challenges to evangelization arising from the current situation, which can be seen in almost every part of the “global village”. Corresponding in a particular manner to this reality today is the wide acceptance of the teaching on divine mercy and concern towards people who suffer on the periphery of societies, globally and in existential situations. Consequently, vast expectations exist concerning the decisions which are to be made pastorally regarding the family. A reflection on these issues by the Synod of Bishops, in addition to it being much needed and urgent, is a dutiful expression of charity towards those entrusted to the Bishops’ care and the entire human family.

II. The Church and the Gospel on the Family

The good news of divine love is to be proclaimed to all those personally living this basic human experience of couples and of a communion open to the gift of children, which is the family community. The teachings of the faith on marriage is to be presented in an articulate and efficacious manner, so that it might reach hearts and transform them in accordance with God’s will, made manifest in Jesus Christ.

The citation of biblical sources on marriage and family in this document are essential references only. The same is true for documentation from the Magisterium which is limited to that of a universal character, including some texts from the Pontifical Council for the Family. It will be left to the bishop-participants at the synod to cite documents from their own episcopal assemblies.

In every age, and in the many different cultures, the teaching of the Pastors has been clear nor has there been lacking the concrete testimony of believers — men and women — in very diverse circumstances who have lived the Gospel of the family as an inestimable gift for their life and their children. The commitment for the next Extraordinary Synod is inspired and sustained by the desire to communicate this message with greater incisiveness, in the hope that “the treasure of revelation, entrusted to the Church, more and more fill the hearts of each person” (DV, 26).

The Plan of God, Creator and Redeemer

The beauty of the biblical message on the family has its roots in the creation of man and woman, both made in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:24-31; 2:4-25). Bound together by an indissoluble sacramental bond, those who are married experience the beauty of love, fatherhood, motherhood, and the supreme dignity of participating in this way in the creative work of God.

In the gift of the fruit of their union, they assume the responsibility of raising and educating other persons for the future of humankind. Through procreation, man and woman fulfill in faith the vocation of being God’s collaborators in the protection of creation and the growth of the human family.

Blessed Pope John Paul II commented on this aspect in Familiaris consortio: “God created man in his own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26, 27): calling him to existence through love, he called him at the same time for love. God is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8) and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his own image and continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion (Gaudium et spes, 12). Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being” (FC, 11).

The plan of God the creator, which was disrupted by original sin (cf. Gen 3:1-24), has revealed itself throughout history in the events of the chosen people up to the fullness of time, when, with the incarnation of the Son of God, not only was the divine will for salvation confirmed, but also the redemption offering the grace to follow this same will.

The Son of God, the Word made flesh (cf. Jn 1:14) in the womb of the Virgin Mother, lived and grew up in the family of Nazareth and participated at the wedding at Cana, where he added importance to the festivities with the first of his “signs” (cf. Jn 2:1-11). In joy, he welcomed his reception in the families of his disciples (cf. Mk 1:29-31; 2:13-17) and consoled the bereaved family of his friends in Bethany (cf. Lk 10:38- 42; Jn 11:1-44 ).

Jesus Christ restored the beauty of matrimony, proposing once again the one plan of God which was abandoned because of the hardness of the human heart, even within the tradition of the people of Israel (cf. Mt 5:31-32; 19:3-12; Mk 10:1-12; Lk 16:18). Returning to the beginning, Jesus taught the unity and faithfulness of the husband and wife, refuting the practice of repudiation and adultery.

Precisely through the extraordinary beauty of human love — already celebrated in a heightened manner inspired by the Song of Songs, and the bond of marriage called for and defended by the prophets like Hosea (cf. Hosea 1:2, 3.3) and Malachi (cf. Mal 2:13-16) — , Jesus affirmed the original dignity of the married love of man and woman.

The Church’s Teaching on the Family

Even in the early Christian community the family appeared as the “domestic church” (cf. CCC, 1655): In the so-called “family canons” of the Apostolic letters of the New Testament, the great family of the ancient world is identified as the place of a profound solidarity between husbands and wives, between parents and children, and between the wealthy and the poor (cf. Eph 5:21-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; Titus 2:1-10; 1 Pt 2:13-3:7; cf. also the Letter to Philemon). In particular, the Letter to the Ephesians recognized the nuptial love between man and woman as “the great mystery”, making present in the world the love of Christ and the Church (cf. Eph 5:31-32 ).

Over the centuries, especially in modern times to the present, the Church has not failed to continually teach and develop her doctrine on the family and marriage which founded her. One of its highest expressions has been proposed by the Second Vatican Council in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, which, in treating certain pressing problems, dedicated an entire chapter to the promotion of the dignity of marriage and the family, as seen in the description of their value for the constitution of society: “the family, in which the various generations come together and help one another grow wiser and harmonize personal rights with the other requirements of social life, is the very foundation of society” (GS, 52). Particularly striking is its appeal for a Christ-centered spirituality in the spouses’ life of faith: “Let the spouses themselves, made to the image of the living God and enjoying the authentic dignity of persons, be joined to one another in equal affection, harmony of mind and the work of mutual sanctification. Thus, following Christ who is the principle of life, by the sacrifices and joys of their vocation and through their faithful love, married people can become witnesses of the mystery of love which the Lord revealed to the world by his dying and his rising up to life again”(GS, 52 ).

After the Second Vatican Council, the successors of St. Peter enriched this teaching on marriage and the family, especially Pope Paul VI with the Enyclical Humanae vitae, which offers specific principles and guidelines. Subsequently, in his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio, Pope John Paul II insisted on proposing the divine plan in the basic truths of married love and the family: “The only ‘place’ in which this self-giving in its whole truth is made possible is marriage, the covenant of conjugal love freely and consciously chosen, whereby man and woman accept the intimate community of life and love willed by God himself (cf. Gaudium et spes, 48) which only in this light manifests its true meaning. The institution of marriage is not an undue interference by society or authority, nor the extrinsic imposition of a form. Rather it is an interior requirement of the covenant of conjugal love which is publicly affirmed as unique and exclusive, in order to live in complete fidelity to the plan of God, the Creator. A person’s freedom, far from being restricted by this fidelity, is secured against every form of subjectivism or relativism and is made a sharer in creative Wisdom” (FC, 11).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gathers together the fundamental aspects of this teaching: “The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament [cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Gaudium et spes, 48; Code of Canon Law, 1055, 1]”(CCC 1660).

The doctrine presented in the Catechism touches on both theological principles and moral behaviours, developed under two separate headings: The Sacrament of Matrimony (nos. 1601-1658) and The Sixth Commandment (nos. 2331-2391). An attentive reading of these sections of the Catechism provides an updated understanding of the doctrine of faith, which supports the Church’s work in the face of modern-day challenges. The Church’s pastoral ministry finds inspiration in the truth of marriage viewed as part of the plan of God, who created man and woman and, in the fullness of time, revealed in Jesus the completeness of spousal love elevated to the level of sacrament. Christian marriage founded on consensus is also endowed with its own effects such as the goods and duties of the spouses. At the same time, marriage is not immune from the effects of sin (cf. Gen 3:1-24), which can cause deep wounds and even abuses to the dignity of the sacrament.

The recent encyclical of Pope Francis, Lumen fidei, speaks of the family in the context of a reflection on how faith reveals “just how firm the bonds between people can be when God is present in their midst” (LF, 50). “The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family. I think first and foremost of the stable union of man and woman in marriage. This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and loving plan. Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith. Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love” (LF, 52). “Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives. It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God’s faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness” ( LF, 53).

III. Questions

The following series of questions allows the particular Churches to participate actively in the preparation of the Extraordinary Synod, whose purpose is to proclaim the Gospel in the context of the pastoral challenges facing the family today.

1. The Diffusion of the Teachings on the Family in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium

a) Describe how the Catholic Church’s teachings on the value of the family contained in the Bible, Gaudium et spes, Familiaris consortio and other documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium is understood by people today? What formation is given to our people on the Church’s teaching on family life?

b) In those cases where the Church’s teaching is known, is it accepted fully or are there difficulties in putting it into practice? If so, what are they?

c) How widespread is the Church’s teaching in pastoral programmes at the national, diocesan and parish levels? What catechesis is done on the family?

d ) To what extent — and what aspects in particular — is this teaching actually known, accepted, rejected and/or criticized in areas outside the Church? What are the cultural factors which hinder the full reception of the Church’s teaching on the family?

2. Marriage according to the Natural Law

a) What place does the idea of the natural law have in the cultural areas of society: in institutions, education, academic circles and among the people at large? What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis of the family?

b) Is the idea of the natural law in the union between a man and a woman commonly accepted as such by the baptized in general?

c) How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?

d) In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt with?

3. The Pastoral Care of the Family in Evangelization

a) What experiences have emerged in recent decades regarding marriage preparation? What efforts are there to stimulate the task of evangelization of the couple and of the family? How can an awareness of the family as the “domestic Church” be promoted?

b) How successful have you been in proposing a manner of praying within the family which can withstand life’s complexities and today’s culture?

c) In the current generational crisis, how have Christian families been able to fulfill their vocation of transmitting the faith?

d) In what way have the local Churches and movements on family spirituality been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?

e) What specific contribution can couples and families make to spreading a credible and holistic idea of the couple and the Christian family today?

f) What pastoral care has the Church provided in supporting couples in formation and couples in crisis situations?

4. Pastoral Care in Certain Difficult Marital Situations

a) Is cohabitation ad experimentum a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage?

b) Do unions which are not recognized either religiously or civilly exist? Are reliable statistics available?

c) Are separated couples and those divorced and remarried a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage? How do you deal with this situation in appropriate pastoral programmes?

d) In all the above cases, how do the baptized live in this irregular situation? Are they aware of it? Are they simply indifferent? Do they feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?

e) What questions do divorced and remarried people pose to the Church concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation? Among those persons who find themselves in these situations, how many ask for these sacraments?

f ) Could a simplification of canonical practice in recognizing a declaration of nullity of the marriage bond provide a positive contribution to solving the problems of the persons involved? If yes, what form would it take?

g) Does a ministry exist to attend to these cases? Describe this pastoral ministry? Do such programmes exist on the national and diocesan levels? How is God’s mercy proclaimed to separated couples and those divorced and remarried and how does the Church put into practice her support for them in their journey of faith?

5. On Unions of Persons of the Same Sex

a) Is there a law in your country recognizing civil unions for people of the same-sex and equating it in some way to marriage?

b) What is the attitude of the local and particular Churches towards both the State as the promoter of civil unions between persons of the same sex and the people involved in this type of union?

c) What pastoral attention can be given to people who have chosen to live in these types of union?

d) In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children, what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?

6. The Education of Children in Irregular Marriages

a) What is the estimated proportion of children and adolescents in these cases, as regards children who are born and raised in regularly constituted families?

b) How do parents in these situations approach the Church? What do they ask? Do they request the sacraments only or do they also want catechesis and the general teaching of religion?

c) How do the particular Churches attempt to meet the needs of the parents of these children to provide them with a Christian education?

d) What is the sacramental practice in these cases: preparation, administration of the sacrament and the accompaniment?

7. The Openness of the Married Couple to Life

a) What knowledge do Christians have today of the teachings of Humanae vitae on responsible parenthood? Are they aware of how morally to evaluate the different methods of family planning? Could any insights be suggested in this regard pastorally?

b) Is this moral teaching accepted? What aspects pose the most difficulties in a large majority of couple’s accepting this teaching?

c) What natural methods are promoted by the particular Churches to help spouses put into practice the teachings of Humanae vitae?

d) What is your experience on this subject in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance and participation at the Eucharist?

e) What differences are seen in this regard between the Church’s teaching and civic education?

f) How can a more open attitude towards having children be fostered? How can an increase in births be promoted?

8. The Relationship Between the Family and the Person

a) Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the human person. How can the family be a privileged place for this to happen?

b) What critical situations in the family today can obstruct a person’s encounter with Christ?

c) To what extent do the many crises of faith which people can experience affect family life?

9. Other Challenges and Proposals

What other challenges or proposals related to the topics in the above questions do you consider urgent and useful to treat?