October will mark the second anniversary of the Vatican issuing its unprecedented questionnaire asking Catholics their view about the family. It explored issues such as marriage preparation, marriage, marital breakdown and remarriage, and other relationships.
A year later, last October, bishops met in Rome for their synod on the family and no conclusions were drawn. Pope Francis told the bishops to go away and listen to their people. They will come back, one year on. Meanwhile Francis announced a Year of Mercy would begin shortly after this second synod.
In May our priest gave a homily on the inconclusive synod. He thought we should discuss our views on these points, compile them in a letter and send them to our bishop.
Around 45 local churchgoers, ranging from 15-90 years old, attended the two-hour meeting. Our priest reminded us that some church teachings have not been defined as “infallible” – which I didn’t know – and how the Church had changed its view of, for example, slavery and the Crusades. He mentioned how St Thomas Aquinas would say that the truth can usually be found not at the extremes but somewhere in the middle. We then split into groups of ten for around an hour and discussed the questions from the Vatican’s survey, before reporting back.
The conversations we had went beyond your typical after-Mass chitchat. Here we were, focusing on our invitations to others. I raised the point that there is little preparation for marriage these days; my point was seconded by an elderly gentleman who informed me that when he had got married, there was no preparation at all! This is sad, as marriage is a sacrament and a priest receives around seven years training before taking his vows.
Everyone fed back with similar viewpoints: the Church should be a place of mercy, a place where you can go to receive the food you need to live well – the Eucharist. Is Holy Communion for the “worthy” only? And if so, who among us is able to go? Or is it nourishment that our souls need for us to be the best people we can be? Our priest sat listening and taking notes. We didn’t come to conclusions but drew out common points, namely that we need to be actively more welcoming and inclusive. The secretary collated a feedback letter, and because we had missed the deadline to send feedback to our bishop, we sent ours to Bishop Doyle, one of the prelates representing England and Wales at forthcoming synod.
I left with a great respect for church teaching and my eyes opened further to the way the Church works, from the Pope, through the hierarchy, down to us, the laity.
I would hope that after the synod meets again, another of these meetings could take place to tell us what is happening. It is refreshing to hear about it in your own parish, as opposed to through filtered conversations and mass media.
Do you know what your parish is doing to make sure your bishop is listening to you, his people? The second synod will take place in October, so speak to your parish priest before then.
Rachael Jones is a lay Catholic in the diocese of Shrewsbury
Above: Who said synods are just for senior clerics? Photo: CNS
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In our families, we have divorced people, people in de facto relationships, gays and lesbians, as well as those like me who have been married to one partner for most of a lifetime. We love all these people, and I for one don't for one moment that God loves them less than I do. The Christ welcomed all- prostitutes, fishermen, pharisees, collaborators- and called them to follow him. Cannot the Church do the same?
Excellent report, Rachel. Thanks yor sharing your experience
But wht ever does happen to those opinions and reasoning that people shared? Provided they were asked to share at all.
Seeing and hearing about topics discussed at the Synod on the Family, it might have been useful to have had a "Synod on the Eucharist" first.
Clarification on the full Church's beliefs on what is Jesus' intent in inviting us to share Communion would be a helpful preliminary to the present discussions.
Thank you for sharing this. I wish there were more priests who would encourage their flocks to get together like this and share in faith and love. The forthcoming Bill on assisted dying would make another interesting topic as it is something I have to say I have mixed and confused feelings about.
I find it difficult to comment on this. Our present Bishop appears to want a reversal to 'olden days' - pre-Vatican 2 and I fear his opinion is also planted in those times regarding church rules and regulations.
I do, however, have to say that where priests can be laicised when their vows are made directly to God, it does seem a little odd to me that when humans make their vows to each other, human beings - weak and fallible beings - though admittedly before God, that it is not permissible to revoke those vows.
Thank God that we are not the judges and that we can leave the judgements to our dear and loving Father who knows us as we are and understands all.