special paragraphs dedicated to immigrants, refugees and persecuted families
who
are often divided and whose members can become victims of trafficking. A
welcoming approach was invoked for them too, recalling their rights and also
their duties in their host countries.
 There are specific paragraphs on women, men and children, the mainstays of
family life: the text emphasises the need for the protection and the
recognition
of the value of their respective roles. It is hoped that a more prominent role
will be identified for women in the formation of ordained ministers, while in
relation to children mention was made of the beauty of adoption and fostering,
practices which reconstruct ruptured family bonds. The Synod does not forget
widows and widowers, the disabled, the elderly and grandparents, who enable the
transmission of faith in the family and must be protected from the throwaway
culture. Unmarried people must also be acknowledged for their commitment to the
Church and society.
 Among the "shadows" that are frequently cast on the family, the Synod notes
the
presence of political and religious fanaticism hostile to Christianity, growing
individualism, gender ideology, conflicts, persecution, poverty, precarious
employment, corruption, economic difficulties that can exclude families from
education and culture, the globalisation of indifference in which humanity's
place at the centre of society is usurped by money, pornography, and the
declining birth rate.
 The Relation therefore gathers together suggestions for strengthening
preparation for marriage, especially for the young who appear intimidated by
it.
They are in need, says the Synod, of an adequate emotional formation, following
the virtues of chastity and self-giving. In this regard, mention was made of
the
bond between the sexual act and procreation between spouses, of which children
are the most precious fruit, since they bear the memory and hope of an act of
love. Another bond is that between the vocation of the family and the vocation
to consecrated life. Education in sexuality and corporeality and the promotion
of responsible parenting would also be central, in accordance with the
teachings
of Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae" and the primary role of parents in the
education of their children in faith.
 An appeal is launched to institutions to promote an support policies in favour
of the family, and Catholics engaged in politics are exhorted to protect the
family and life, as a society that neglects them loses its openness to the
future. In this respect, the Synod reaffirms the sacredness of life from
conception to natural death, and warns against the grave threats posed to the
family by abortion and euthanasia. Further paragraphs are dedicated to mixed
marriages, whose positive aspects in relation to ecumenical and interreligious
dialogue are underlined, while confirming the need to protect religious freedom
and the right to conscientious objection in society.
 The text includes extensive reflection on the need to modify the language of
the Church, making it more meaningful so that the proclamation of the Gospel of
the family may truly respond to the deepest human aspirations. This means not
only presenting a series of regulations but rather announcing the grace that
gives the capacity to live well the good of the family.
 Finally, the Relatio emphasises the beauty of the family: as a domestic church
based on marriage between a man and a woman, the fundamental cell of the
society
whose growth it contributes, a safe entry to the deepest sentiments, the sole
point of connection in a fragmented age, and an integral part of human ecology,
it must be protected, supported and encouraged, also by the authorities.
 The document concludes by a plea to the Synod Fathers by the Pope, regarding
the possibility of producing a document on the family. As Fr. Lombardi
explains,
"The Synod Fathers do not say that all is complete, but affirm that they offer
the Relatio to the Holy Father to enable him to evaluate whether to continue on
this route with a document, on the basis of the Synod text, to further examine
the theme of the family from the perspective he wishes to offer. 'We continue
on
our path'".

___________________________________________________________

 Closing Mass of the Synod: what the people sow today in tears, they will reap
tomorrow in joy
 Vatican City, 24 October 2015 (VIS) - This Sunday the Pope celebrated Mass for
the conclusion of the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
In
his homily, he reflects on the day's three readings that show us the compassion
and paternity of God, revealed in Jesus.
 "In the midst of a national disaster, the people deported by their enemies,
the
prophet Jeremiah proclaims that 'the Lord has saved His people, the remnant of
Israel'. Why did He save them? Because He is their Father; and as a Father, He
takes care of His children and accompanies them on the way, sustaining 'the
blind and the lame, the women with child and those in labour'. His fatherhood
opens up for them a path forward, a way of consolation after so many tears and
great sadness. If the people remain faithful, if they persevere in their search
for God even in a foreign land, God will change their captivity into freedom,
their solitude into communion: what the people sow today in tears, they will
reap tomorrow in joy.
 "We too have expressed, with the Psalm, the joy which is the fruit of the
Lord's salvation: 'our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongues with
shouts of joy'. A believer is someone who has experienced God's salvific action
in his life. We pastors have experienced what it means to sow with difficulty,
at times in tears, and to rejoice for the grace of a harvest which is beyond
our
strength and capacity. The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews shows us
Jesus' compassion. He also 'is beset with weakness', so that He can feel
compassion for those in ignorance and error. Jesus is the great high priest,
holy and innocent, but also the high priest Who has taken on our weakness and
been tempted like us in all things, save sin. For this reason He is the
mediator
of the new and definitive covenant which brings us salvation.
 "Today's Gospel is directly linked to the First Reading: as the people of
Israel were freed thanks to God's fatherhood, so too Bartimaeus is freed thanks
to Jesus' compassion. Jesus has just left Jericho. Even though He has only
begun
His most important journey, which will take Him to Jerusalem, He still stops to
respond to Bartimaeus' cry. Jesus is moved by his request and becomes involved
in his situation. He is not content to offer him alms, but rather wants to
personally encounter him. He does not give him any instruction or response, but
asks him: 'What do you want me to do for you?'. It might seem a senseless
question: what could a blind man wish for if not his sight? Yet, with this
question made face to face, direct but respectful, Jesus shows that He wants to
hear our needs. He wants to talk with each of us about our lives, our real
situations, so that nothing is kept from Him. After Bartimaeus' healing, the
Lord tells him: 'Your faith has made you well'. It is beautiful to see how
Christ admires Bartimaeus' faith, how He has confidence in him. He believes in
us, more than we believe in ourselves.
 "There is an interesting detail. Jesus asks His disciples to go and call
Bartimaeus. They address the blind man with two expressions, which only Jesus
uses in the rest of the Gospel. First they say to him: 'Take heart!', meaning
'have faith, strong courage!'. Indeed, only an encounter with Jesus gives a
person the strength to face the most difficult situations. The second
expression
is 'Rise!', as Jesus said to so many of the sick, whom He took by the hand and
healed. His disciples do nothing other than repeat Jesus' encouraging and
liberating words, leading him directly to Jesus, without lecturing him. Jesus'
disciples are called to this, even today, especially today: to bring people
into
contact with the compassionate Mercy that saves. When humanity's cry, like
Bartimaeus', becomes stronger still, there is no other response than to make
Jesus' words our own and, above all, imitate His heart. Moments of suffering
and
conflict are for God occasions of mercy. Today is a time of mercy.
 "There are, however, some temptations for those who follow Jesus. ... None of
the
disciples stopped, as Jesus did. They continued to walk, going on as if nothing
were happening. If Bartimaeus was blind, they were deaf: his problem was not
their problem. This can be a danger for us: in the face of constant problems,
it
is better to move on, instead of letting ourselves be bothered. In this way,
just like the disciples, we are with Jesus but we do not think like Him. ... We
are able to speak about Him and work for Him, but we live far from His heart,
which is reaching out to those who are wounded. This is the temptation: a
'spirituality of illusion'".
 "There is a second temptation, that of falling into a 'scheduled faith'. We
are
able to walk with the People of God, but we already have our schedule for the
journey, where everything is listed: we know where to go and how long it will
take; everyone must respect our rhythm and every problem is a bother. ...
Jesus,
on the other hand, wants to include, above all those kept on the fringes who
are
crying out to Him. They, like Bartimaeus, have faith, because awareness of the
need for salvation is the best way of encountering Jesus".
 "Dear Synod Fathers, we have walked together", he concluded. "Thank you for
the
path we have shared with our eyes fixed on Jesus and our brothers and sisters,
in the search for the paths which the Gospel indicates for our times so that we
can proclaim the mystery of family love. Let us follow the path that the Lord
desires. Let us ask Him to turn to us with His healing and saving gaze, which
knows how to radiate light, as it recalls the splendour which illuminates it.
Never allowing ourselves to be tarnished by pessimism or sin, let us seek and
look upon the glory of God, which shines forth in men and women who are fully
alive".

___________________________________________________________

 The first to walk with us is our Father
 Vatican City, 26 October 2015 (VIS) - Following the Holy Mass for the
conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, celebrated
in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to
pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Before the Marian prayer, the Pope invited those present to "give thanks to God
for these three weeks of intense work, inspired by prayer and by a spirit of
authentic communion. It has been arduous but it was a true gift from God, which
will surely bear many fruits". He explained that "the word 'Synod' means 'to
walk together' and reflected on the Synod experience, also mentioning the
continuing refugee crisis.
 "This Word of God tells us that the first Who wishes to walk together with us,
to have a 'synod' with us is ... our Father. His 'dream' is, and has always
been,
to form a people, to bring them together, leading them toward the land of
freedom and peace. And this people is made up of families, the 'mothers and
those with child'; it is a people that, as it proceeds, perpetrates life, with
God's blessing. ... I confess to you that I compare this prophecy of the
journeying people with the images of refugees on the streets of Europe, a
dramatic situation in our days. God too says to them, 'They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them; I will lead them to brooks of water'.
Even those families who suffer the most, who have been uprooted from their
lands, were present with us in the Synod, in our prayers and in our work,
through the voices of some of their pastors present in the Assembly. These
people in search of dignity, these families looking for peace are still with
us.
The Church does not abandon them, because they belong to the people that God
wants to free from slavery and lead to freedom".
 After praying the Angelus, Pope Francis greeted pilgrims from several
countries, especially the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles of Rome, "who
with
great devotion have brought the image venerated in Lima, Peru", the musical
pilgrims of the "Musikverein Manhartsberg" from the Austrian diocese of Vienna
and the Orchestra of Landwehr, Fribourg, Switzerland, who had performed in a
concert for charity the previous day.


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