Why there was an Extraordinary Synod in the Church?

The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was concluded on 19th October 2014.  This is the third ever Extraordinary Synod of the Church; previous were held in 1969 and 1985.   Why an Extraordinary Synod?  It was a preparation for the XIV Ordinary Synod of Bishops, which will be held in 2015.  Therefore this Extraordinary Synod was called for a special and urgent purpose, according to the Lineamenta (Preparatory Document) published in 2013, “to define the “status quaestionis” [current situation] and to collect the bishops’ experiences and proposals in proclaiming and living the Gospel of the Family in a credible manner”.

In June 2014, an InstrumentumLaboris (working instrument) was published.  It is a Vatican official document that summarises the response of all Episcopal conferences, Eastern Churches, Department of the Curia and the Union of Superiors General, on the Lineamenta (Preparatory Document) of the Pastoral challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.  It says that the III Extraordinary Synod “will thoroughly examine and analyse the information, testimonies and recommendations received from the particular Churches in order to respond to the new challenges of the family.”

According to the Instrumentum Laboris (working instrument), the entire Extraordinary Synod was divided into three parts: Communicating the Gospel of the Family in today’s World, The Pastoral Program for the Family in Light of New Challenges and An openness to Life and Parental Responsibility in Upbringing.

The first part is divided into four chapters and these dealt with God’s plan for marriage and family, the understanding from the Sacred Scriptures, Church Documents and family as a vocation.  The second Part is divided into three chapters and focused on the challenges and difficult situation that each family goes through and proposals to help the family life.  The third part is divided into two chapters and it dealt with the challenges concerning an Openness to Life and the Challenge of Upbringing.  The report of this Extraordinary Synod will be reflected and discussed in the XIV Ordinary Synod, in October 4-25, 2015, to formulate a “working guidelines in the pastoral care of the person and the family”.