Major challenges facing marriage and family life are being discussed by the Bishops of England and Wales at their bi-annual gathering in Leeds this week.
It will be the first opportunity the hierarchy has had to discuss the questionnaire sent out ahead of next October’s synod on marriage which included issues such as communion for divorced and remarried couples, church teaching on contraception and passing on the faith to children of same-sex couples.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols is due to feed back to the bishops what was discussed at the consistory on the family in February while members of the conference will give their thoughts on what the synod should focus on. A number of English bishops have, for example, publicly called for divorced and remarried couples to be able to receive Communion. It is understood, however, that the bishops will not simply be considering the “hot-button” issues of the synod but also the general pastoral response to families.
The hierarchy will also discuss their opposition to Lord Falconer’s bill on assisted suicide due to be debated in the House of Lords in the coming weeks and the Government’s 50 per cent cap on pupils selected on grounds of faith in new academies and free schools.
Fr Patrick Daly, the General Secretary of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (Comece), will address the bishops just a few weeks before the European elections on 22 May.
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