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Australian participants hope synod on family will show a better way | The Catholic Leader

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Home News National News Australian participants hope synod on family will show a better way

Australian participants hope synod on family will show a better

way
September 18, 2014

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Family first: The Vatican has announced the names of lay people from the Church in Australia to
attend the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family.

By Peter Bugden
AUSTRALIANS invited to the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family are not hoping for changes
in Church teaching, but for better ways to spread its message of love and compassion and to pastorally
support families.
That was a consensus among some of those who will attend the synod from October 5-19 in Rome.
The extraordinary synod is being held in preparation for an ordinary synod on the same topic next
year.
The Holy See recently announced four Australians among lay people who will be attending the
extraordinary synod.
They are World Organisation of the Ovulation Billings Method in Australia co-ordinator Joan Clements,
of Melbourne; Sydney archdioceses Life, Marriage and Family Centre director Christopher Meney; and
chairs of the Australian bishops Catholic Marriage and Family Council Dr Ron and Mavis Pirola, of
Sydney.

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Synod discussions will centre on the theme The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of
evangelisation.
A working document for the extraordinary synod was released two months ago.
Brisbanes John Paul II Centre for Family and Life director Dr Ray Campbell said this document, which
drew on a worldwide survey on issues relating to family life and Church teaching, highlighted the

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Australian participants hope synod on family will show a better way | The Catholic Leader

challenges facing the family and the Churchs mission to the family today.
Mr Meney said the synod was important because it was centred on the various pastoral challenges to
the family and the impact on evangelisation.
This is not a doctrinal synod and will have a pastoral focus and explore possibilities for assisting
families in their important work, he said.
Mr Meney said he thought Pope Francis was serious about his desire for the synod to explore ways to
pastorally support the family.
This will involve potentially at least, a consideration of the various points of strain, which exist and
impede a closer integration of many families within the life of the Church.
Some of these relate to family breakdown and to situations where children make choices which are
contrary to the desires of parents and the teachings of the Church.

@BneArchdiocese

Mrs Pirola said, with the Church facing many challenges on many fronts, the domestic church of the
family could be a beacon for how the universal Church should handle those challenges.

Tweets

Dr Pirola said the synod was important because family was so important as a major training ground in
faith.

BrisbaneCatholic
@BneArchdiocese

Family is all about life all about our deepest hopes, our deepest dreams, our deepest experiences,
he said.

Follow
16 May

A navigator and founder of many monasteries;

beloved in Ireland. Today is the Feast of St
Brendan
catholic.org/saints/saint.p

He said he hoped for change, not in Church rules or doctrine, but in finding better ways for the Church
to show its care for people.

Expand
BrisbaneCatholic
@BneArchdiocese

Dr Pirola said people saw the Church as a body of rules and as a place of judgment.
They dont feel welcomed, he said.

14 May

Today's Saint was one of the first bench players

in history, elevated to Apostleship before
Pentecost - St Matthias
catholic.org/saints/saint.p

People should feel loved and supported.

Dr Pirola said he and Mrs Pirola were full of enthusiasm and optimism about the synod.
Were particularly encouraged by Pope Francis, he said.

BrisbaneCatholic
@BneArchdiocese

Not that we see that hes changing anything.

13 May

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. 64

years to the day JPII said he was saved through
Mary's intercession.
nydn.us/1JrIWYM

Hes not changing any Church rules or doctrine (but) the way hes open and approachable, he helps us
see how we should be more approachable for people
Mrs Clements said: We hope that we will get an understanding from the bishops that the Church
needs to more actively promote that natural family planning is a viable option for married couples and
totally in line with Church teach on marriage and family.

Tweet to @BneArchdiocese

Former Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell will attend as prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for
the Economy and as a member of the synods ordinary council and Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart
will be there as the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president.

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