The apostolic nuncio in Israel and the apostolic delegate for Jerusalem and
Palestine presented reports n the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and on the
presence of Christians in the Holy Land. A solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is crucial for the stabilisation of the Middle East and for peace in
the region. Indeed, after many years it remains unresolved, with the very
grave regional and global consequences this implies. In this regard, the Holy
Father's pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the subsequent prayer meeting in the
Vatican opened up hopes for peace. The recent conflict in Gaza recalls that
the situation is serious and difficult, but it is necessary to renew
diplomatic efforts for a just and lasting solution that respects the rights of
both parties to the conflict.
 After a moment of dialogue, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity provided information on the relationship between the
Catholic Church and other Churches and Christian confessions in the Middle
East.
 In the afternoon, two reports will be heard on the role of the Church in
relation to the refugee crisis and in the promotion of justice and peace,
presented by the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant Peoples and the Prefect of the Pontifical Council
"Justice and Peace". After a lengthy dialogue, the afternoon session will
conclude with Vespers and a fraternal dinner at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
 Tomorrow, the final day of the meeting, Holy Mass will be celebrated in the
Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, presided by the Cardinal Secretary of
State, followed by an exchange of ideas in relation to the conclusions and
working guidelines emerging from these days of study and reflection.

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 Cardinal Baldisseri on the Synod on the Family
 Vatican City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning
in the Holy See Press Office during which Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri,
secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, outlined the structure of the
Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, to be
inaugurated by the Pope during a solemn mass in St. Peter's Basilica next
Sunday.
 The Cardinal explained that among the 191 Synod Fathers there will be 61
Cardinals, one Cardinal Patriarch, 7 Patriarchs, one major archbishop, 67
metropolitan archbishops, 47 bishops, one auxiliary bishop, 1 priest and 6
religious. There will also be 16 experts, 38 auditors and 8 fraternal
delegates. He also remarked that since this assembly will consider the theme
of the family, special emphasis has been given to married couples, parents and
family heads, a total of 12 persons; there is also one married couple within
the group of experts.
 He went on to speak about the characteristics of the upcoming Synod, which
show the Holy Father's wish to "undertake an innovative and original Synodal
path, structured in two phases: the current Extraordinary Assembly, on the
theme 'Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation',
and next year's Ordinary Assembly, which will take as its theme 'The vocation
and the mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world'".
Cardinal Baldisseri noted that during the preparatory phase, "there resounded
the voice of all of the People of God", from bishops to lay faithful who were
able to express their opinions through the questionnaire linked to the
preparatory document distributed by the Episcopal Conferences. "The large
number of responses is due on the one hand to the theme of the Synod, which
regards the life of the community, families and people and reflects the
pastoral care that the bishops have always had in relation to the family. On
the other hand, the breadth of the material that was submitted is without
doubt an indication of the frankness and freeness with which the consultation
was carried out. This broad-ranging freedom of expression will also
characterise the Synod Assembly, which will certainly take place in an
atmosphere of respect for every position, with mutual charity and with a
genuinely constructive approach".
 He continued, "other new elements will affect the organisation of the work of
the Synod, and therefore relate to the internal methodology of the Assembly.
First, the Relatio ante disceptationem will include various novelties, and the
Secretariat General asked the Synod fathers to transmit their contributions in
advance, indicating the issue on which they intended to speak during the
Assembly, respecting the order of themes. These texts were taken into
consideration during the drafting of the Relatio ante disceptationem, which
proved useful in organising the thematic agenda. In this way, the so-called
Relatio becomes reference point which may be worked upon during the
interventions in the Assembly".
 Secondly, during the debate in the Synod Hall, which will take place during
the first week, beginning with the Second General Congregation, the thematic
order established following the Instrumentum laboris will be followed. Each
general Congregation will open with the announcement of the theme by the
president delegate, followed by an intervention by a married couple of
Auditors, who will offer the Synod Fathers their testimony of family life,
contributing to the enrichment of the debate on pastoral action.
 Thirdly, during the "Relatio post disceptationem" issued at the end of the
first week will provide the basis for the work of the second week by the
so-called "small groups", when the Fathers prepare the final document, the
"Relatio Synodi", to be submitted to the Holy Father.
 "There will also be novelties regarding the means of communication",
continued Cardinal Baldisseri. "Each day there will be a Briefing in the Holy
See Press Office, with the collaboration of the Press Secretaries and the
participation of various Synod Fathers. The Press Office Bulletin will contain
information regarding the day's work. Furthermore, there will be a Twitter
service to transmit brief summaries of the most important news in real time.
 "The work of the Synod Fathers will be accompanied by the prayer of the
people of God", concluded Cardinal Baldisseri. In Rome, in the Salus Populi
Romani chapel in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a bishop or a cardinal will
celebrate a Holy Mass for the family. The presence of the relics of the
Blessed couple Zelie and Louis Martin, and their daughter St. Therese of the
Child Jesus, are significant, as are those of the Blessed couple Luigi and
Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi. Throughout the world, prayers will be offered in
shrines, especially those dedicated to the Holy Family, in monasteries, in
communities of consecrated life, in dioceses and in parishes".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience
Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San Cristobal de La
Habana, Cuba.
 In the afternoon of Thursday, 2 October, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, apostolic penitentiary;
 - Bishop Hugo Nicolas Barbaro of San Roque of Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena,
Argentina; and
 - Bishop Fernando Martin Croxatto, auxiliary of Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina.

___________________________________________________________

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