The situation of remarried divorcees will be a major topic of discussion when Catholic bishops meet in October 2014 for an extraordinary Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis on the pastoral needs of families.
The Code of Canon Law says such a synod is held to “deal with matters which require a speedy solution”.
It will be only the third extraordinary synod since Pope Paul VI reinstituted synods in 1965. The previous two have been on improving co-operation between the Holy See and national bishops’ conferences (1969) and the 20th anniversary of the end of the Second Vatican Council (1985).
Pope Francis had told reporters accompanying him on his plane back from Rio de Janeiro in July that the next synod would explore a “somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage”, including the question of the eligibility of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion.
He added that Church law governing marriage annulments also “has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical tribunals are not sufficient for this. It is complex, the problem of the pastoral care of marriage.”
Such problems, he said, exemplified a general need for forgiveness in the Church today. “The Church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy, and find a form of mercy for all,” the Pope added.
The official theme of the synod will be “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”.
“It is very important that an extraordinary synod has been convoked on the theme of the pastoral [care] of the family”, said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
“This is the way in which the Pope intends to promote reflection and to guide the path of the community of the Church, with the responsible participation of the episcopate from different parts of the world.”
He said about 150 synod fathers will take part in the October 5-19 meeting.
Sources:
Image: AsiaNews