Synod concludes first phase of debate on family life

Alice and Jeffrey Heinzen

Bishops and lay experts attending the Synod on the Family ended their first week of meetings on Friday. With Pope Francis present at almost every session, a vast variety of family issues was placed under the spotlight. At a briefing for journalists Director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr Federico Lombardi was joined by three lay experts, Jocelyne Khoueiry, from the Lebanese bishops’ commission for family and life, and Alice and Jeffrey Heinzen, advisors on natural family planning to the US bishops’ conference.

Supporting children of separated families, reaching out to the widowed and lonely, and accompanying couples searching for reconciliation and healing were some of the practical questions discussed in the Synod Hall by participants. Central to these debates are the very real experiences of men and women serving as experts and auditors.

Jocelyne Khoueiry, a former leader of a female Christian militia group during Lebanon’s civil war and founder of an organisation for lay women in her country said: “We fought in the past to protect our sovereignty and our country but now we’re fighting to rebuild our culture and our identity, based on the values and principles that we have always dreamed of.”

Those values include the central role of the family as the foundation of society. But how can the Church also reach out to men and women whose marriages have broken down? How can it help children of separated families, learning to deal with new parental figures in their lives? For the first time today I also heard how the Church needs to be more attentive to those who are widowed, a condition that will effect one member of every couple at some point in their lives.

Another important issue that emerged from the questionnaires ahead of this Synod was family planning and the very high numbers of Catholics who ignore the Church’s ban on artificial methods of contraception. Alice and Jeffrey Heinzen urged couples to look again at the advantages of natural methods of fertility regulation, which they say can now prove up to 99% effective, if they are properly understood and practised.

Jeffrey Heinzen said: “You know there has been so much new research since 1968 when Humanae Vitae was first introduced…..it’s time for couples to take a second look…..when we step aside from the faith part, the practical side of a husband and wife understanding more about their fertility… when I’ve talked to men over the years…..the level of trust raises to a different level….why would you not want to have some information that can keep your wife happy all the time?”

and will be now moving into their different language discussion groups for the second phase of the meeting.

After a summing up session on Monday morning, participants will move into ten different language discussion groups where they will try to reach some agreement to be presented at the end of the Synod. But as Canadian Fr Tom Rosica explained, this meeting may be less about results and more about the radical new listening method that Pope Francis has introduced.

"The openness, the dialogue, the discussions....and also the listening style of Pope Francis have caused something new to come about," Fr Tom said.

Source: Vatican Radio