The two week Synod is halfway through. For a week now, bishops, families and the Pope himself have discussed some of the challenges faced by modern day families and what the Church can do to help.

FAMILY

Cardinal Peter Erd , issued a midterm report to summarize the discussion list. He stated that despite the hardships faced by families, there is still much to be hopeful for.

CARD. PETER  ERDÖ

Archbishop Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary)

“Despite all the signs of families in crisis around the world, the will to have a family is still alive, especially among the youth. This highlights the need for the Church to constantly spread the message of the Gospel and the Family.”

via Midterm Report: 7 key Points of the Synod on the Family.

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In light of all the hoopla over the midterm report for the synod I thought this would be helpful from Fr. Barron …

The midterm report on the deliberations of the Synod on the Family has appeared and there is a fair amount of hysteria all around. John Thavis, a veteran Vatican reporter who should know better, has declared this statement “an earthquake, the big one that hit after months of smaller tremors.” Certain  commentators on the right have been wringing their hands and bewailing a deep betrayal of the Church’s teaching. One even opined that this report is the “silliest document ever issued by the Catholic Church,” and some have said that the interim document flaunts the teaching of St. John Paul II. Meanwhile the New York Times confidently announced that the Church has moved from “condemnation of unconventional family situations and toward understanding, openness, and mercy.” I think everyone should take a deep breath.

via Having Patience for the Sausage-Making Synod | Word On Fire.

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For many, the midterm report on the Synod came as a big surprise. Especially the wording used when referring to homosexuality. Some bishops expressed concern, fearing that the language left a lot of room for confusion.

CARD. WILFRID NAPIER

Archbishop of Durban, South Africa

“In some ways, is the misinterpretation reflecting what people would like to see happening rather than what is happening or is going to happen.”

Some bishops claim the description doesn’t fully reflect what’s been discussed in the debates.

via The Synod’s Report and Homosexuality: It’s a work in progress that doesn’t change Church Doctrine.

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Cardinal George Pell discusses the ongoing debate inside the synod on the family.

via Cardinal: Synod says no to ‘secular agenda’ – YouTube.

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At the close of a truly extraordinary, sometimes explosive fortnight, here below is the English text of the just-released final message of the Synod, said to have been approved by a “wide majority” (later said to be 158 of 174 voting members).

Alongside the following text, the 174 Synod Fathers are slated to vote later today on a considerably more extensive final report summarizing the discussions, the publication of which rests in the judgment of the body’s president – the Pope.

via Whispers in the Loggia: To Every Family, “We Stand At the Door and Knock” – The Synod’s Last Word.

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Since his arrival to the Diocese of Bologna in Italy, Cardinal Caffarra has developed a specific pastoral ministry for divorced and remarried people.

CARD. CARLO CAFFARRA

Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)

“I wanted to reach out to those people who felt rejected by the Church. I wanted to meet with them to tell them one thing: The Church does not reject you. Jesus loves you.”

He began by meeting with 200 divorced and remarried couples to thoroughly explain Church doctrine. Through his experience, the Cardinal said, divorced couples have been able to understand the Church’s stance on receiving Communion.

via Card. Caffarra: Church Doctrine on divorced couples doesn’t mean they’re rejected.

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Pope Francis gave a very interesting address at the conclusion the Synod. It gives a good view of the breadth of his understanding of the pastoral dimensions of the predicament of the family in modern times and the various exaggerations that pastors can fall into. He ends by invoking Our Lady and Joseph, heads of the Holy Family, and wins resounding applause from the attendants.

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2014 / 04:15 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ address at the conclusion of the Synod on the Family, delivered Saturday, was responded to with a four-minute standing ovation on the part of the bishops attending the Vatican meeting.

In the Oct. 18 speech, the Pope thanked the bishops for their efforts, and noted the various temptations that can arise in such a synod setting. He encouraged the bishops to live in the tension, saying that “personally I would be very worried and saddened if it were not for these temptations and these animated discussions; this movement of the spirits, as St Ignatius called it (Spiritual Exercises, 6), if all were in a state of agreement, or silent in a false and quietist peace.”

“Instead, I have seen and I have heard – with joy and appreciation – speeches and interventions full of faith, of pastoral and doctrinal zeal, of wisdom, of frankness and of courage: and of parrhesia. And I have felt that what was set before our eyes was the good of the Church, of families, and the ‘supreme law,’ the ‘good of souls; (cf. Can. 1752).”

Read the rest at News Briefs/Rss | Catholic World Report – Global Church news and views.

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MaryCast Specials #230 ( 06min) Play – In the wake of the extraordinary Synod of the Family that resulted in some contentious reactions, Dr. Mark Miravalle points out that with Mary and the Pope the Church will be sure to be united in truth and will be able to proclaim it in the most attractive way possible to our modern world.

To ask questions regarding Mary, email Dr Mark Miravalle: mary@motherofallpeoples.com. For more reading go to Motherofallpeoples.com.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #141217n ( 013min) Play – Fr. Matthias comments on Pope Francis’ catechism of December 17th, which was dedicated to the recent Extraordinary Synod on the Family.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Weekdays of Advent – Dec 17 – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: gen 49:2, 8-10
Resp: psa 72:3-4, 7-8, 17
Gsp: mat 1:1-17

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #150627n ( 04min) Play – Father speaks of the faith of the centurion in today’s Gospel, and encourages us to hold on to this faith as the western world is abandoning it (particularly clear in yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling on gay “marriage”). We must pray and sacrifice for the Church as she prepares for the Synod on the Family this fall, and remember that in the end, God wins, or, as Mary said at Fatima, “My Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Cyril of Alexandria – Opt Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Saturday 12th Week of Ordinary Time
1st: gen 18:1-15
Resp: luk 1:46-47, 48-49, 50, 53, 54-55
Gsp: mat 8:5-17

Audio (MP3)

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