Paragraph 84 of the final message of the Synod of Bishops states: “The baptised that are divorced and remarried civilly must be integrated into Christian communities in the various possible ways. The logic of integration is the key of their pastoral accompaniment, so they not only know they belong to the Church, but that they also can have a joyful and fruitful experience.
“They are baptised, they are brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit has given in them gifts and charisms for the good of all: the Church needs them. Their participation can be expressed in different ecclesial services: it is necessary therefore to overcome various forms of exclusion that are at present practised in the liturgical, pastoral, educational and institutional fields.
“They should not only not feel themselves excommunicated but [they should feel] that they can live and mature as a living member of the Church, feel her as a mother who welcomes them always, takes care of them with affection and encourages them in the journey of life and of the Gospel. This integration is necessary also for the care and Christian education of their children, who must be considered as the most important.
Respect for gay people
“Paragraph 76 of the same message states: “The Church conforms her attitude to the Lord who in a love without frontiers offered himself for every person without exception.
“When faced with families that have within them persons with homosexual tendencies, the Church reaffirms that every person, independent of their own sexual tendency, must be respected in their dignity and welcomed with respect, [and] with care to avoid ‘every mark of unjust discrimination’.”
The synod was about…
In his final address to the synod the Pope said: “[The synod] was also about laying bare the closed hearts which frequently hide even behind the Church’s teachings or good intentions, in order to sit in the chair of Moses and judge, sometimes with superiority and superficiality, difficult cases and wounded families.
“It was about making clear that the Church is a Church of the poor in spirit and of sinners seeking forgiveness, not simply of the righteous and holy, but rather of those who are righteous and holy precisely when they feel themselves poor sinners.
“It was about trying to open up broader horizons, rising above conspiracy theories and blinkered viewpoints, so as to defend and spread the freedom of the children of God, and to transmit the beauty of Christian newness, at times encrusted in a language which is archaic.
“In the course of this synod, the different opinions which were freely expressed – and at times, unfortunately, not in entirely well-meaning ways – certainly led to a rich and lively dialogue; they offered a vivid image of a Church which does not simply ‘rubber stamp’, but draws from the sources of her faith living waters to refresh parched hearts.”
Temptations to avoid
In his homily at the synod’s concluding Mass the Pope said: “This can be a danger: in the face of 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, ... Jesus, on the other hand, wants to include, above all those kept on the fringes who are crying out to him.”
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)