VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 117
DATE 23-06-2015

Summary:
- Presentation of the Instrumentum Laboris of the Synod: "The vocation and the
mission of the family in the Church and contemporary world"
- Annual meeting of the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 Presentation of the Instrumentum Laboris of the Synod: "The vocation and the
mission of the family in the Church and contemporary world"
 Vatican City, 23 June 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office a
press conference was held to present the Instrumentum Laboris of the 14th
Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme, "The vocation
and mission of the family in the Church and contemporary world" (4-25 October
2015). The speakers were: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the
Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest,
Hungary, general rapporteur of the 14th General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops; and Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, special secretary
of
the 14th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
 The Instrumentum Laboris, explained Cardinal Baldisseri, is divided into three
parts following the structure of the Relatio Synodi, demonstrating the close
link between the Third Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in
October
2014, dedicated to "The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of
evangelisation", and the upcoming Ordinary General Assembly. The first part,
entitled "Listening to the challenges of the family", relates most directly to
last year's Synod, while the second, "Discernment of the family vocation", and
third, "The mission of the family today", introduce the theme of the next one.
 The cardinal highlighted certain novelties in the first part, which refer
principally to the anthropological-cultural, socio-economic and ecological
contexts, "now happily enlightened by the new Encyclical letter Laudato si'".
The challenges, he explained, are "poverty and social exclusion, old age,
widowhood, bereavement in the family, disability, migration, the role of women,
emotional life and education in sexuality, and bioethics".
 In the second part, "Discernment of the family vocation", the Relatio Synodi
is
enriched with an extension of the themes regarding natural marriage and
sacramental fullness, indissolubility as a gift and a duty, family life, union
and fruitfulness, the missionary dimension, faith, prayer, catechesis, the
intimate bond between Church and family, the young and fear of marriage, and
mercy.
 The third part, devoted to "The mission of the family today", begins with a
broad-ranging reflection on the family and evangelisation, and explores in
depth
a number of other issues such as the family as subject of pastoral ministry,
nuptial liturgy, renewed language and missionary openness.
 The general secretary of the Synod of Bishops noted that it makes reference to
"the family and ecclesial accompaniment, the streamlining of procedures for
causes for annulment, the integration of faithful in irregular situations, the
eventual introduction of a penitential route, the pastoral problems regarding
mixed marriages and disparities of worship, as well as questions related to
responsible procreation, reduction of births, adoption and fostering, respect
for life from conception to natural end, and education of future generations.
 "The reference to the economic hardship experienced by many families, who run
the risk of being subject to usury, is very relevant", he added, "as is the
socio-political commitment of Christians in favour of the family, also in the
international context. In this regard, it would be useful to re-propose the
Charter for the Rights of the Family, linked to the Universal Declaration of
the
Rights of Man".
 Cardinal Baldisseri illustrated the work of the Secretariat of the Synod
Council between one assembly and another, which began in November 2014 with the
presentation of the "Lineamenta", composed of the Relatio Synodi and a series
of
46 questions relating to the reception and deepening of this Synod document.
The
"Lineamenta" was sent to the synods of the sui iuris Oriental Catholic
Churches,
to the Episcopal Conferences, to the dicasteries of the Roman Curia and others,
with an invitation to respond by 15 April 2015. The Secretariat General
received
99 answers from the competent bodies, along with 359 observations sent freely
from dioceses, parishes, ecclesial associations, grass-roots groups of
faithful,
civil movements and organisations, etc. The inter-synodal period has thus been
shown to be "a valuable opportunity for listening to what the Spirit says to
the
Church in the plurality of her components".
 Finally, with regard to the methodology of the upcoming General Assembly, it
was mentioned that it is Ordinary and not Extraordinary like the previous one
and, in accordance with the suggestions of the members of the Synod, "it will
continue with the project of the development of the Synod taking a dynamic
approach more suited to our times".
 The Synod fathers reiterated the need to avoid a "long series of individual
interventions, as has happened in previous Synod assemblies, to ensure that
they
are better distributed in the time available and not presented one after
another. The importance of the Circuli Minores was noted, as was the need to
maintain the principle of thematic order. Thus, the three weeks of the Synod
will be divided in correspondence with the three parts of the Instrumentum
Laboris. The first week will be devoted to the first part of the document, the
second to the discernment of the family vocation, and the third to the mission
of the family today. "At the end of the third week, time will be set aside for
the preparation of the final text of the document, which will be presented to
the Assembly for the final modifications, to be inserted into the text before
its final approval. The method will ensure the opportunity to intervene on the
part of all those entitled to do so, including at the end of the day, and will
enable more time to be assigned to the Circuli Minores. It is expected that a
final document will be produced and consigned to the Holy Father".
 With regard to information during the Synod Assembly, the cardinal mentioned
the Holy Father's affirmation that "the Synod is a space in which the Holy
Spirit can act, not parliament. The Synod Fathers are invited to express
themselves with parrhesia. They will be free to communicate with the media at
their discretion and with responsibility".

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 Annual meeting of the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation
 Vatican City, 23 June 2015 (VIS) The management board of the "Populorum
Progressio" Foundation for Latin America will hold its annual council meeting
from 22 to 25 June in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to discuss the funding of projects in
favour of indigenous mestizo, Afro-American and rural communities in Latin
America and the Caribbean during the year 2015. Over one hundred projects were
presented this year.
 Since its institution by St. John Paul II in 1992, the Foundation was
entrusted
to the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and the members of its management board
are
the archbishops Edmundo Luis Flavio Abastoflor Montero of La Paz, Bolivia,
president; Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil, Ecuador, deputy president;
Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, cardinal archbishop of Santo Domingo; Oscar
Urbina Ortega of Villavicencio, Colombia; Murilo Sebastiao Ramos Krieger of Sao
Salvador de Bahia, Brazil; Javier Augusto Del Rio Alba of Arequipa, Peru; and
Msgr. Segundo Tajado Munoz, under secretary of "Cor Unum".
 The meeting provided an opportunity to study the most effective methods of
implementing the Foundation's mandate, especially in favour of Indios, peasant
farmers and Afro-American communities. Indeed, the Encyclical "Laudato si'",
while aimed at encouraging a more responsible attitude to the defence of
creation, also proposes a model for the full development of the person, within
the framework of human ecology, or rather in rapport with the surrounding
environment. The Foundation works in this way and evaluates projects that are,
in particular, able to link human development with the natural environment of
the territories in which they are to be realised.
 So far more than four thousand projects have been implemented by the
Foundation, with a total of more than 35 million dollars assigned to them. They
typically promote the participation of local communities and involve different
sectors: agriculture and livestock farming, craft and micro-businesses,
infrastructure for drinking water, education and school equipment, health, and
construction, among others.
 The Italian Episcopal Conference is among the major contributors to the
"Populorum Progressio" Foundation.

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 23 June 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health
Pastoral Care;
 - Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy;
 - Professor Alberto Melloni and entourage;
 - Bishop Lorenzo Chiarinelli, emeritus of Viterbo, Italy;
 - Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur, Switzerland.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 23 June 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the
resignation
from the pastoral care of the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, Peru,
presented by Bishop Francisco Gonzalez Hernandez, O.P., in accordance with
canon
401 para.2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Bishop David Martinez
De
Aguirre Guinea, O.P., coadjutor of the same apostolic vicariate.

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