Vatican City, Oct 15, 2014 / 11:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- An incorrect translation into English of the original midterm report of the Synod on the Family may have spurred controversial interpretations of the document itself. The document's original version was written in Italian, which Pope Francis directed to be used as the official language of the synod. In prior synods the official language had been Latin, esteemed for its precision and lack of ambiguity. The point of controversy occurs at paragraph 50 of the relatio. The Italian original, after praising the gifts and talents homosexuals may give to the Christian community, asked: “le nostre comunità sono in grado di esserlo accettando e valutando il loro orientamento sessuale, senza compromettere la dottrina cattolica su famiglia e matrimonio?” In the English translation provided by the Vatican, this is rendered as: “Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?” The key word “valutando,” which has sparked controversy within the Church, was translated by the Vatican as “valuing.” Italian's “valutando” in fact means “evaluating,” and in this context would be better translated with “weighing” or “considering.” The English translation, in contrast, suggests a valuing of the homosexual orientation, which could at least create confusion to those who are faithful to the teaching of the Church. It must be said that the translation was not an “official” translation – the Vatican website notes at the top it is an “unofficial translation” – but it was the working translation delivered by the Holy See press office in order to help journalists who are not confident in Italian with their work. However, until now only this “working translation” has been provided. The document was first delivered in Italian, shortly before Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, general rapporteur of the synod, was going to read it in front of the assembly. After about half an hour, the document was available in English, French, Spanish, and German translations, and delivered via a bulletin of the Holy See press office. This timing suggested that the translation had been done in the very last moments. According to a Vatican source, Cardinal Erdo had to give the document to the General Secretariat for the Synod on Saturday, and the document had been polished until the very last moment, and was given back to Cardinal Erdo only late on Sunday. That the text is not fully Cardinal Erdo’s may be suggested by the fact that “the post discussion relation is much shorter than the pre-discussion one,” as Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow put it to CNA Oct. 15. The excerpt on pastoral care of homosexuals has been addressed by critics during the discussion that followed the reading of the relatio on Monday. The document raised the impression that the Church had changed her views concerning homosexuality. Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stressed Oct. 13 that “pastoral care for homosexuals has always been part of the Church’s teaching, and the Church has never gotten rid of or dismissed homosexual from her pastoral programs.” In fact, pastoral care for homosexuals is well described in a 1986 document, issued by Cardinal Mueller's dicastery, “On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.” Bearing the signature of the then-prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and approved by St. John Paul II, the letter was delivered to bishops worldwide, providing instructions on how the clergy should respond to the claims of the LGBT community. Far from being a document of condemnation, the document provided a nuanced response to the issue of homosexuality. The document stressed that "it is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the object of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs." “Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.” Pastoral care for homosexuals was also addressed. “We encourage the Bishops to provide pastoral care in full accord with the teaching of the Church for homosexual persons of their dioceses,” the document read But – the document added – “no authentic pastoral programme will include organizations in which homosexual persons associate with each other without clearly stating that homosexual activity is immoral. A truly pastoral approach will appreciate the need for homosexual persons to avoid the near occasions of sin.” Likewise, “we wish to make it clear that departure from the Church's teaching, or silence about it, in an effort to provide pastoral care is neither caring nor pastoral. Only what is true can ultimately be pastoral. The neglect of the Church's position prevents homosexual men and women from receiving the care they need and deserve.” The document also dealt with the spiritual life. “An authentic pastoral programme will assist homosexual persons at all levels of the spiritual life: through the sacraments, and in particular through the frequent and sincere use of the sacrament of Reconciliation, through prayer, witness, counsel and individual care. In such a way, the entire Christian community can come to recognize its own call to assist its brothers and sisters, without deluding them or isolating them.” The approach of the document was thus that of reaffirming the truth of the teaching of the Church, and at the same time approaching with mercy homosexual persons. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2014 / 05:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Wednesday general audience address Pope Francis spoke on the meaning of Christian hope, saying that it consists in our joyful expectation of the return of its source, Jesus Christ. &ldqu... Read more

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 03:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After a media frenzy and lively internal debate were both raised by the publication of the midterm relatio of the Synod of Bishops, its secretariat issued a statement clarifying its merely provisional nature. “The General Secretariat of the Synod … reiterates that it is a working document, which summarizes the interventions and debate of the first week,” said an Oct. 14 declaration of the Holy See press office on behalf of the secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The statement was made “in response to reactions and discussions following the publication of the Relatio post disceptationem, and the fact that often a value has been attributed to the document that does not correspond to its nature.” The relatio's publication was hailed in the secular media with such headlines as “Synod signals Catholic shift on gays” and “Vatican's New Views On Gays, Divorced”. The Holy See press office also noted that the relatio “is now being offered for discussion by the members of the Synod gathered in the Small Groups, in accordance with the Regulations of the Synod.” Among the synod fathers who received the relatio less than warmly was Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, O.F.M., of Durban, South Africa's largest port on the Indian Ocean. Cardinal Napier, a moderator of one of the small circles at the synod, openly dismissed the relatio during an Oct. 14 briefing with journalists, saying, “that’s Cardinal Erdo’s text, not the synod text.” The cardinal questioned whether “some expectations of the synod are unrealistic,” and underscored that “the synod is not called to discuss contraception, abortion, same-sex marriages. It was convoked to speak about the family.” “How it is written, the relatio conveys that there is an agreement on issues, on which there is not in fact an agreement” the Archbishop of Durban underscored. And he concluded: “I hope the line of the synod, not that of some group, prevails.” Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and moderator of an Italian small group, recounted to journalists that synod fathers “were surprised by the first reactions published in the media, as if the Pope has declared, as if the synod has decided … it is not true! The relatio is a working document, and every group will relate its points of view and proposals, which will be voted on by the synod fathers.” Notwithstanding the Holy See press office's statement, the discussions in small circles has been called “lively” by many of the participants. The press office also released an unofficial summary of the discussion that followed the issuance of the relatio. According to this summary, the synod fathers raised many points of concern. The synod fathers stressed that the relatio should have spoken more widely of families faithful to the Gospel, in order to encourage their testimony; they also asked that the synod shed light with clarity on the beautiful and merciful indissolubility of marriage – which is often lived out and is indeed possible in our society – rather than focusing on failed family situations. Other synod fathers desired to stress more the importance of women in transmitting life and faith; suggested to at least mention the importance of grandparents; asked for a more specific mention to the family as ‘domestic Church”, to the parish as “family of families,” and to the Holy Family. The Holy See press office also reported that synod fathers asked that the issue of graduality be clarified, since it can lead to some confusion. “For instance, regarding admission to the sacraments for the divorced and remarried, it was said that it is difficult to welcome exceptions without exceptions becoming a common rule,” the Holy See press office recounted. For what concern homosexuals, synod fathers have highlighted that welcoming them is needed, but this must be done prudently, in order not to give the impression that the Church is positively evaluating homosexual acts. Part of this discussion was also revealed during the Oct. 13 press conference. Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest and general rapporteur of the synod, said the relatio may not be completely attributed to him. When asked about legislation regarding homosexual couples, Cardinal Erdo did not respond and instead gave the floor to Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, saying “who has written the paragraph must respond.” However, after Archbishop Forte’s response, Cardinal Erdo wanted to point out that the relatio lacks a mention of “the disorder” of some behavior, even though synod fathers had stressed it. Likewise, some synod fathers – the Holy See press office said – complained that the word “sin” is almost not present in the relatio, and reminded that Christ asked that his followers not conform to the mentality of the contemporary world. In an Oct. 13 interview, Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, told CNA the relatio “is simply riven with very serious difficulties, and I'm deeply, deeply concerned and I'm not alone.” And Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan, on behalf of the Polish bishops' conference, told Vatican Radio that “we also need to present the truth,” according to a translation by Rorate Caeli. It is general opinion that the relatio post disceptationem may be overturned in the final document, the ‘relatio synodi’ (synod’s report). The latter will be a comprehensive document which will contain all the inputs of the two-week synod of bishops. It will be the first time the synod issues a final report. Usually, synods made a list of proposals and suggestions coming from the discussions of the small groups, and the Pope himself was entrusted with summarizing all the concerns and suggestions in a post-synodal apostolic exhortation. According to the new methodology of the synod, the proposals will be summarized by the General Secretary of the Synod, the General Rapporteur, the Special Secretary, and a group of six prelates called to assist in drafting the document. The group includes: president and deputy of the Commission for the message, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Archbishop Victor Fernandez, rector of the Catholic University of Argentina; the General Superior of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas; Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla; Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington; and Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Cheju. “The appointment of six people to help in drafting the final report was normal. Before, there were proposals, and there was no need of help to draft a comprehensive text. This kind of summary is a hard amount of work for the only General Rapporteur and General Secretary,” said Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office. The Pope will decide whether or not to make public the synod’s report. Its conclusions will be the basis for the working document of the 2015 synod of bishops. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 01:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Polish bishops' conference voiced concerns Monday over the interim report released by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. The relatio post disceptationem, or “report after debate,” caused controversy and confusion yesterday after its release. Particularly under scrutiny have been passages about cohabitation before marriage and persons with same-sex attraction, as well as unclear language in the document. In an Oct. 14 interview with Vatican Radio, translated into English by Rorate Caeli, Polish bishops expressed concerns that the relatio departed from the teachings of their late countryman St. John Paul II, who played a role in forming the final documents of the Second Vatican Council.   "Referring to the issues of marriage and family, certain criteria are being applied that raise doubt,” said Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan. “For example, the criterion of gradualism. Can you really treat cohabitation as gradual, on the path to holiness?” An excerpt from the document, in sections 12-23, speaks of this gradualness: “In considering the principle of gradualness in the divine salvific plan, one asks what possibilities are given to married couples who experience the failure of their marriage, or rather how it is possible to offer them Christ’s help through the ministry of the Church.” It continues: “Following the expansive gaze of Christ, whose light illuminates every man (cf. Jn 1,9; cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22) the Church turns respectfully to those who participate in her life in an incomplete and imperfect way, appreciating the positive values they contain rather than their limitations and shortcomings.” The Polish bishops also questioned the synod’s approach to family issues, wondering why it seems to be focusing on “special cases” rather than the traditional family unit, which also needs support. They also found the language in the document not clear enough to uphold the Church’s teachings on family and marriage, so much so that it commits the sin of omission, Archbishop Gadecki said. “(It is written) as if the world's view prevailed and everything was imperfection which leads to perfection,” commented the president of the Polish bishops' conference. “(In a discussion on the document) attention was paid not so much to what this document says, but to what it does not say. Speak about the practical exceptions, but we also need to present the truth.” The Polish bishops said the relentless focus on mercy is also problematic. “It created an impression that the teaching of the Church has been merciless so far, as if the teaching of mercy were beginning only now," Archbishop Gadecki noted. In an interview with CNA on Oct. 13, Cardinal Raymond Burke nearly echoed Archbishop Gadecki’s concern: “There is a continual evocation of mercy, as if the Church had never talked about mercy, but there’s no description of what this mercy is and what it means concretely in relationship to the truth and to just relationships.” The relatio is a working document that will serve as a springboard for further discussion and reflection for the rest of the synod this year. No official teaching document will be released until well after the ordinary synod, scheduled for next autumn.   However, because this is the first time such a document has been made available to the general public, many bishops are feeling the need to speak out because of the confusion it has caused among the laity. “This confusion is particularly distressing because of the message it will convey to the world in general,” Cardinal Burke observed. Father Robert Barron wrote a column for Word on Fire on Oct. 14, trying to clear up the process of the synod, and the relatio’s role in that process. “What has just appeared is not even close to a definitive, formal teaching of the Catholic Church. It is a report on what has been discussed so far in a synod of some two hundred bishops from around the world,” he wrote. “It conveys, to be sure, a certain consensus around major themes, trends that have been evident in the conversations, dominant emphases in the debates, etc., but it decidedly does not represent ‘the teaching’ of the Pope or the bishops.” Fr. Barron noted that Blessed John Henry Newman once said of ecclesial life: “Those who love the barque of Peter ought to stay out of the engine room!” “This is a somewhat more refined version of ‘those who enjoy sausage ought never to watch how it is made.’ The interim report on the Synod represents a very early stage of the sausage-making process and, unsurprisingly, it isn’t pretty.” The confusing disputes about Christianity and how it is lived out in everyday life are not unlike the discussions that took place surrounding the synods of the early Church, Fr. Barron wrote, and simply represents a robust conversation in which all of the 200 bishops had a chance to say their piece. “This does not imply for a moment that Pope Francis will agree with every point of view expressed, and indeed he can’t possibly, since many are mutually exclusive.” “But it does indeed mean that he has the confidence and the patience required to allow the Holy Spirit to work in his preferred fashion.”   Read more

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 12:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The American married couple who addressed the Synod of Bishops said daily life is where they first saw God’s plan for families revealed and that they hope to equip parents to be primary educ... Read more