1.
The
Church wishes to speak the truth about the family.
2.
Synod
of 1980 is connected with previous synods.
3.
Only
through acceptance of the Gospel will man’s hope in the family be fulfilled.
Part One: Bright Spots and Shadows for the Family Today
(A). Need to Understand the Situation
4.
The
Church must understand the present situation of marriage and the family.
5.
This
understanding arises through faith and the Spirit’s gift to clergy and laity.
(B). Present Situation
6.
Positive
(awareness of personal freedom and interpersonal relationships, responsible
procreation, education) and negative aspects (mistaken independence, view of
authority, transmission of values,
divorce, abortion, contraception, poverty)
7.
Cultural
and societal circumstances influence even the consciences of the faithful
(C). Need to respond
8.
Need
for recovery of wisdom and moral values.
9.
Need
for conversion of mind and heart.
Part Two: The Plan of God for Marriage and the Family
10.
Two fundamental ways of love
(I) Marriage
(Marriage as communion)
11.
Love
is man’s fundamental vocation. The vocation to love in totality is realized in
marriage or celibacy. Marriage follows from this plan of God for man’s love.
12.
Marriage
is a proclamation of God’s love for his people.
(Marriage as sacrament)
13.
In
their marriage, a Christian man and woman, placed within the spousal covenant
of Christ and the Church, love each other with the love of Christ, and their
communion of love becomes a sacramental sign of Christ’s union with the Church.
Family: (Marriage and Children)
14.
Marriage
and conjugal love are ordered to the procreation and education of children, and
find their crowning in them, though the communion of life still has meaning and
value when it is not possible to have children.
15.
Christian
marriage builds upon the human and the ecclesial community.
(II) And Celibacy
16.
Virginity
or celibacy presupposes and witnesses to the dignity of marriage; celibacy
bears witness to the future resurrection and the supremacy of God above all.
Part Three: The Role of the Christian Family
17.
The
family’s mission correspond to its nature: it is called to become ever more a
community of life and love
(I). Forming a Community of Persons
18.
Love
is the principle and goal of communion
(A) The form of the community
Fundamental communion is that of husband and wife
19.
The
equal dignity of man and woman, and the complete self-giving requires unity of
marriage (one man and one woman)
20.
Moreover
this completeness, as well as the good of the children, requires
indissolubility.
The family
21.
Upon
the conjugal communion is built the communion of the family
(B) Parts of the community
Women
22.
Men
and women have equal dignity, as reason may recognize and as is taught by the
word of God.
23.
Public
roles should be fully open to women, yet clear recognition should be given to
the particular value of their familial and maternal role.
24.
Women
are offended by the mentality that treats humans as things, by discrimination,
etc.
25.
Men: As husband and father, the man should love his wife and children, and
appreciate his role in the family.
26.
Children: Every child should be esteemed and loved, especially in a Christian
family.
27.
Elderly: The elderly in the family should be specially venerated and loved,
and play a particular role within the family.
(II) Serving Life
(1). The transmission of life.
28.
Procreation
is a share in God’s creative blessing, and a sign of conjugal love.
29.
The
Church reaffirms her teaching on the transmission of life, particularly that
conjugal love must be open to new life.
30.
Anti-life
mentality comes from God’s absence from people’s hearts. Yet human life is
always a gift of God’s goodness.
31.
In
the face of the many modern problems, it is importance to illustrate the
biblical foundations, ethical gounds, and personalistic reasons for this
doctrine.
32.
The
union of the conjugal act, loving self-giving, and procreation is founded in an
integral vision of the human person in God’s plan.
33.
The
Church teaches the moral norm, and seeks to provide lovingly for her children.
34.
God’s
plan for the transmission of life in the family is included in their call to
holiness.
35.
Moral
practical help and witness should be given married persons.
(2) Education
36.
Parents
have the first right and duty to educate their children.
37.
Parents
must educate their children in the essential values of life: justice, but above
all love, in particular as regards sexuality, in which it pertains especially
to parents to educate their children.
38.
The
sacrament of marriage makes parents’ education of their children a true
“ministry” of the Church.
39.
The
family is the first school of following Christ.
40.
Parents
have a right and duty to have an active relationship with other educating
agents
41.
Married
love serves life by begetting and educating children, but also by adoption, or
by reaching out in other ways beyond the family.
(III) Participating in the Development of Society
42.
The
family is the first and vital cell of society.
43.
It
is, firstly, the place of experiencing and transmitting the fundamental human
values of acceptance, service, solidarity, service, and thus contributes to
human formation for community
44.
The
family also participates in society in a social and political manner, through,
e.g., hospitality and political action.
45.
Conversely,
society and the state must respect and foster the family.
46.
Some
fundamental rights of the family, which are often ignored or attacked.
47.
The
Christian family’s social and particular role is marked by its share in the
kingship of Christ.
48.
The
political action of the family extends even to new international order.
(IV) Sharing in the Life and Mission of the Church
49.
The
family is educated and formed by the Church; in turn, it is a sign of Christ’s
love and communicates this love.
50.
The
specific ecclesial role of the family consists in building up the kingdom of
God by familial love and life.
1. As believing and evangelizing community
51.
The
celebration of the sacrament of marriage is the first proclamation of their
faith as a couple, which must then be prolonged in married life
52.
Having
accepted the Gospel itself, the family becomes an evangelizing community
53.
This
evangelization concerns the children in the family, but also involves
cooperation with other evangelizing activities in the diocese and parish.
54.
The
family’s evangelizing mission extends to the whole world
2. As community in dialogue with God.
55.
Through
the sacraments, prayer, and its life, the family is engaged in a dialogue with
God.
56.
The
sacrament of marriage accompanies and graces the married couple through their
married life
57.
The
Eucharist it the source of Christian marriage.
58.
Sacrament
of penance offers grace and opportunity for renewal and forgiveness within the
family.
59.
Family
prayer follows from and fosters the communion bestowed by Baptism and
Matrimony. Its object is family life itself.
60.
Parents
are educators and examples for their children in prayer.
61.
Family
prayer prepares for and extends liturgical prayer. Certain suggested private
prayers.
62.
Prayer
is located at the heart of a responsible and active life in society.
3. As community at the service of man.
63.
The
family is called to exercise a service of love towards God and towards fellow
human beings.
64.
From
the inner circle of the family, love is to be extended to the whole ecclesial
community, and indeed all human beings.
Part Four: Pastoral Care of the Family: Stages,
Structures, Agents, and Situations
I. Stages of
Pastoral Care of the Family
65.
Church
accompanies the family.
66.
Church
helps prepare for marriage: remote, proximate, immediate preparation.
67.
Celebration
of marriage involves whole Christian community.
68.
Marriage
and evangelization of Non-believing Baptized Persons: an implicit acceptance of
the sacrament is enough; only if the couple explicitly rejects what the Church
intends to do should they not be allowed the celebration of marriage in the
Church.
69.
Pastoral
care after marriage
II. Structures of Family
Pastoral Care
70.
Both
universal and particular levels of the community are concerned with marriage.
71.
Families
as apostles to families.
72.
Associations
of families for families.
III. Agents of
the Pastoral Care of Families
73.
Bishops
and priests.
74.
Men
and women religious.
75.
Lay
specialists.
76.
Recipients
and agents of social communication.
77.
Particular
cases: migrant workers, soldiers, sailors and itinerants, prisoners, etc.,
ideologically divided families
78.
Mixed
marriages
79.
Irregular
situations are becoming more widespread, and are of concern.
80.
a)
Trial Marriages: such are contrary to reason, which sees that human persons
must be the term of self-giving love without limitations of time other
circumstances; they are also inadmissible for reasons deriving from faith: (1)
the gift of the body in a sexual relationship is a real symbol of the giving of
the whole person; (and this giving now requires for its full truth the love of
charity, given by Christ) (2) marriage between two baptized persons is a real
symbol of the union of Christ and the Church; therefore between baptized
persons there can only be indissoluble marriage.
81.
b)
De Facto Free Unions
82.
c)
Catholics in civil marriages. This is better than no bond at all, but is still
problematic; the pastoral aim of the Church is to induce these persons to bring
their life into conformity with their faith.
83.
d)
Separated or Divorced Persons Who Have not Remarried. Respect, understanding,
love, and help is to be offered.
84.
E)
Divorced and Remarried Persons. Various reasons for this situation. These
persons must share in the Church’s life; nevertheless they cannot be admitted
to Eucharistic Communion, because (1) their state of life objectively
contradicts the union of love between Christ and the Church signified and
effected by the Eucharist; (2) for a special pastoral reason, namely to avoid
error and confusion regarding the Church’s teaching on the indissolubility of
reason. Reconciliation requires either separation of the partners, or, when for
serious reasons that is not possible, acceptance of the duty to live in
complete continence.
85.
Those
without a family.
Full Text of Familiaris Consortio
Summary Outline of Casti Connubii by Pope Pius XI (1930) - Also the history of various events concerning divorce and contraception that lead up to the encyclical.
Summary Outline of On the Good of Marriage, by St. Augustine.
www.pathsoflove.com