The extraordinary synod in October last year and the synod that concluded in Vatican a day ago are considered as one by Pope Francis. This is also the first time that two synods considered the same issue. The gap in between also provided more than one year for the church as well as the world to think about the family and goes to prove that the Church has a special place for the affairs of the family.
The synod came to the conclusion that families face various problems across the world and their effects are seen everywhere. There are many problems and a lot of issues within families. Each family has issues that are hard to solve. Many families are not equipped to face such problems and the main focus of the synod was how such families may be helped.
The synod made a welcome move by not considering the family as a nuclear one and instead considered the family in a comprehensive perspective. The recent synod also assuaged, to an extent, earlier complaints that families and marriages were not given due consideration.
The synod came to the conclusion that the concept of marriages do not undergo change with time and that it is a non-breakable agreement between man and woman to stay together, giving rise to new life in the process. The synod also called for families to be self sufficient with respect to religious matters and special teams were urged to be formed to help families do this.
Many were concerned about the approach of the church to homosexuals and remarriage. The synod considers homosexuality as a problem of the family and said that it could not consider homosexual union as marriage. However, such people deserve sympathy and respect and they deserve good human emotions.
About re-marriage, the synod said that each case need to be considered on its merit and the sin of re-marriage outside the church must be considered case-by-case.
On allegations that there were contesting views to the suggestions that arose in the synod, the Pope said, "This is not a parliament. It is a travel that cooperates with the Holy Spirit." Decisions were taken after hearing all as well God.
(The author is the founder of the KCBC prolife committee and former secretary of the family commission.)
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