Last week, the Vatican published the document that will form the basis for the discussions at the extraordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will meet in October 2014 to discuss the family.

Archbishop Bruno Forte, the special secretary for extraordinary sessions Synod, said during the press conference launching the document that the Synod will not be discussing Church doctrines but pastoral strategies.

Archbishop Lorenzo Baldiserri, the secretary-general of the Synod, said that these extraordinary sessions will be followed by an ‘ordinary’ general assembly, 2015. This session will also discuss the family.

Cardinal Peter Erdo of Budapest said the Church sees the issue of family life as closely connected with marriage.

Among the topics listed for discussion one finds the rise in acceptance of divorce, the increase in cohabitation, the influence of feminist ideologies hostile to Christian marriage, the “culture of non-commitment”, and the recognition of same-sex unions.

Forty-five Christians massacred in Syria

Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh said 45 Christians were massacred by Islamist rebels in Sadad, Syria. The town was later captured by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

“What happened in Sadad is the most serious massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two-and-a-half years,” Boutros Alnemeh said. He compared this massacre to the one that happened in the church of Our Lady of Salvation in Iraq, in 2010.

He said: “The churches are damaged and desecrated, deprived of old books and precious furniture. Schools, government buildings, municipal buildings have been destroyed, along with the post office, the hospital and the clinic.” He lamented that the world is not listening to the anguished cries of the suffering Christians of Syria.

“Where is the Christian conscience? Where is human consciousness? Where are my brothers? I think of all those who are suffering today in mourning and discomfort: We ask everyone to pray for us.”

Pope in joint surprises with Anglicans?

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Communion, said: “There are very fundamental and extremely important doctrinal and dogmatic differences that we have between us and they have to be worked on, as they are with Rome and the Anglicans with the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and we take those extremely seriously,” he said.

He continued: “It’s absolutely essential that those are worked on. But we need to make sure we’re working on them in the context of churches and ecclesial communities that say no sacrifice is too great to be obedient to the call of Christ that we may be one. God has given you, and given us all, a great Pope, and he’s a Pope of surprises. I think there’ll be one or two surprises. We’re hoping to produce a few surprises.”

Pope’s November prayer intentions

The Vatican Information Service published the intentions of Pope Francis for November. The Pope’s general prayer intention for November is: “That priests who experience difficulties may find comfort in their suffering, support in their doubts, and confirmation in their fidelity”.

His mission intention is: “That as fruit of the continental mission, Latin American churches may send missionaries to other churches”.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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