Cathal BarryThe Synod of Bishops was an attempt to capture different viewpoints, writes Cathal Barry
The Synod on the Family has come to a close with participating bishops handing Pope Francis a rather open ended document leaving the tough decisions to him.
Critics of the synod on either end of the spectrum may argue that the three-week-long meeting of Church leaders was a waste of time, a ‘talking shop’ which delivered little or no results.
Both conservatives and liberals have been attempting to claim victory, but what they fail to see is that the real winner was not to be found in the final report, but in the synod process itself.
This synod was never going to change Church teaching. Rather, it was an attempt to capture different viewpoints. It was an exercise in listening and learning in an atmosphere of discernment and mutual respect.
There was debate and disagreement, of course, but the fact that every section of the final report was approved by a majority of at least two-thirds proved that consensus can be met after open and honest deliberations.
Speaking on the final day of the synod, Pope Francis outlined clearly that the process was “not about settling all the issues” facing the family in today’s world. Nor was it “about finding exhaustive solutions for all the difficulties and uncertainties which challenge and threaten the family,” the Pontiff said.
What this synod was about, according to Pope Francis, was “bringing the joy of hope without falling into a facile repetition of what is obvious or has already been said”.
Furthermore, it was about viewing today’s challenges “in the light” of the Faith, “carefully studying them and confronting them fearlessly, without burying our heads in the sand”.
Ultimately, according to Pope Francis, “it was about urging everyone to appreciate the importance of the institution of the family and of marriage between a man and a woman, based on unity and indissolubility, and valuing it as the fundamental basis of society and human life”.
While the Pope was absolutely unequivocal in upholding the Church’s teaching at this synod, he warned that the “first duty” of the Church was “not to hand down condemnations or anathemas, but to proclaim God’s mercy”.
He said the synod experience had made participating bishops “better realise that the true defenders of doctrine are not those who uphold its letter, but its spirit”.
This was a synod where varying opinions were freely expressed and where rich and lively dialogue took place.
It was an opportunity for Church leaders to listen and learn from each other, to see and come to understand how the Church operates in different cultures.
Ultimately, the bishops that took part will realise that despite the diversity that exits, the challenges remain the same.
It is what Pope Francis outlined at the synod’s conclusion: To proclaim the Gospel to the men and women of today and to defend the family.
What Pope Francis said about the synod
“It was about listening to and making heard the voices of the families and the Church’s pastors, who came to Rome bearing on their shoulders the burdens and the hopes, the riches and the challenges of families throughout the world.”
“It was about showing the vitality of the Catholic Church, which is not afraid to stir dulled consciences or to soil her hands with lively and frank discussions about the family.”
“It was about trying to view and interpret realities, today’s realities, through God’s eyes, so as to kindle the flame of faith and enlighten people’s hearts in times marked by discouragement, social, economic and moral crisis, and growing pessimism.”
“It was about bearing witness to everyone that, for the Church, the Gospel continues to be a vital source of eternal newness, against all those who would ‘indoctrinate’ it in dead stones to be hurled at others.”
“It was also about laying closed hearts, which bare the closed hearts which frequently hide even behind the Church’s teachings or good intentions, in order to sit in the chair of Moses and judge, sometimes with superiority and superficiality, difficult cases and wounded families.”
“It was about making clear that the Church is a Church of the poor in spirit and of sinners seeking forgiveness, not simply of the righteous and the holy, but rather of those who are righteous and holy precisely when they feel themselves poor sinners.”
“It was about trying to open up broader horizons, rising above conspiracy theories and blinkered viewpoints, so as to defend and spread the freedom of the children of God, and to transmit the beauty of Christian Newness, at times encrusted in a language which is archaic or simply incomprehensible.”