The Synod On The Family -- Is-Sinodu Dwar il-Familja

The Synod On The Family

You've probably all heard about the Synod of the Catholic Church which has just ended. A Synod is a meeting of Bishops that was created by Pope Paul VI to provide consultation and collaboration, and is called by the Pope when required. Bishops are generally chosen by the Bishop Conferences in the regions around the world.¹

This year's Synod was called by Pope Francis to discuss the family in the context of evangelisation, and so had to discuss hot topics like cohabitation, same sex unions, divorce and others. You might remember the Vatican's questionnaire about the life of the family, in which members of the Catholic Church last year were asked to anonymously give their views about these topics, how they understood the teachings of the Church and what was their own practice. From what little outcomes of this questionnaire that have been published,² the reaction of local churches has been that of great shock.³

You might ask yourself “Why is there a need to discuss these matters? Isn't the Church teaching already established? Given it's established, isn't it God's will? Does God change his mind? Isn't the Pope the successor of St Peter and to date is providing the word of God to his people? How can the Church ever accept forms of behaviour that are contrary to God's will?”

I think that to answer questions like this, it would be good to look back and see how similar issues that were raised were treated by the Church.

The example of Manwel Dimech springs to mind, one of the greatest Maltese that has ever lived. This person is perhaps one that not all readers may be have heard of. I have to admit with regret that even I only discovered this extraordinary person only a few years ago, probably due to the conservative environment I was brought up in.

Dimech was a philosopher, poet, educator, publisher and social leader at a time, between 1860 and 1921, when the liberties and prosperity that we enjoy today were just a dream. He was born and lived in poverty, never went to school and ended up in prison ten times, the first at thirteen years of age and once for murder. At the prison, he learnt languages and opened his mind to the possibilities that are only the result of education.⁴ He died while exiled unjustly in Egypt.

Some of Dimech's more revolutionary activities where the publication of the newspaper Il-Bandiera tal-Maltin (The Maltese Flag) and the setting up of Xirka tal-Imdawlin (The Society of the Enlightened) - later Xirka tal-Maltin (The Society of the Maltese), with which he strove for the education of workers, better conditions of work, the industrialisation of Malta, changes to social policy, Malta's political independence and, last but not least, equality for women.

Naturally these matters did not go down too well with the privileged forces in Malta, which had much to loose, not less the Catholic Church I'm sorry to say, which at one stage condemned the newspaper and the Society, and later excommunicated Dimech. In his pastoral letter of 1911, which was read in all the churches in Malta, Bishop Pietru Pace said:

“...In The Flag of the Maltese …. our women have been called to rise and seek to be equal in all things to men, and to persuade them to have absolutely the same rights in society; that is against the teaching of the Holy Scripture and the Gospel and against the whole basis of social order.”⁵

Does what Bishop Pace said a hundred years ago represent the will of God? I think that few today would answer yes. I would rather expect people to remain flabbergasted today at this lack of enlightened leadership from who is supposed to lead us to the way, the truth and the life.

The point is this: is it then possible that the head of the Maltese Church provide teaching that is not the will of God?

And to which other teachings today exist that, in a hundred years time, our children's children will remain flabbergasted?

That is why a Synod is needed, to help the Pope and the Church revise decisions, spiritual guidance, teachings, moral language and pastoral care in these facets so important in everyday life. That which yesterday was thought to be the will of God, perhaps today we might humbly acknowledge isn't.

It is not bad that this process is undertaken, rather Jesus himself showed us that this process is acceptable to God, when he was speaking to St Peter:

“... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”⁶

The final document Relatio Synodi that came out of the Synod⁷ permitted us to see that on hot subjects like the divorced, those who remarried, cohabit, civil marriage and homosexuals, between a quarter and a bit less than half the bishops who attended the Synod did not vote in favour of the final paragraphs, if abstentions are counted. On other matters there was a much wider consensus.

Perhaps to those who are used to, when hearing the Church speak, one would be hearing the very word of God, a single message from all time and for all time, it may be confusing to hear of one bishop not agreeing with another, more so when a substantial quantity of bishops in matter so important.

I don't look at it this way. I consider the Church giving it's best interpretation of the message of the Gospels and the apostolic tradition, and through the centuries accumulating teachings and developing its theology. This process is still under way, and interpretations may change or be clarified with time. Theological development has not reached its pinnacle, and probably never will. We need to be humble enough to let the Scripture and the God's people talk to us, and the Synod was part of this process.

It was courageous, and admirable, that the Pope has allowed this level of transparency on the Synod's deliberations, as this permits us to realise that on some issues, not only white and black exist. It's clear that the message of his people, as delivered by last year's questionnaire, has been seriously considered, and the discussion continues.⁸

The main work is still to come.

1 http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_20050309_documentation-profile_en.html#C._Ordo_Synodi_Episcoporum,_the_Order_of_the_Synod_of_Bishops, retrieved 21/10/2014

2 http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ACP-Family-Life-Synod-survey-analysis-edited.pdf, retrieved 21/10/2014

3 http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/cardinal-shocked-survey-responses-family-life, retrieved 21/10/2014

4The Amazing Story of Manuel Dimech, Mark Montebello, Dom Communications Ltd, 2014

5Ibid., p96

6Matthew 16:19

7 http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html, retrieved 21/10/2014

8http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2014/10/20/4110456.htm, retrieved 21/10/2014

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Is-Sinodu Dwar il-Familja

Aktarx li lkoll smajtu bis-Sinodu tal-Knisja Kattolika, li għadu kif intemm. Sinodu huwa laqgħa tal-Isqfijiet li ġiet maħluqa mill-Papa Pawlu VI sabiex isservi ta' konsultazzjoni u ta' kollaborazzjoni, u tiġi mgħajta mill-Papa meta meħtieġ. L-isqfijiet ġeneralment jintgħażlu mill-Konferenzi tal-Isqfijiet tar-reġjunijiet ta' madwar id-dinja.¹

Is-Sinodu ta' din is-sena kien mgħajjat mill-Papa Franġisk biex jittratta lill-familja fil-kuntest tal-evanġelizzazzjoni, u għalhekk kellu jittratta kwistjonijiet jaħarqu bħall-koabitazzjoni, unjonijiet tal-istess sess, id-divorzju u oħrajn. Forsi xi wħud jiftakru il-kwestjonarju tal-Vatikan fuq il-ħajja tal-familja li bih il-membri tal-Knisja Kattolika intalbu s-sena l-oħra li b'mod anonimu jgħidu kif jaħsbuha fuq dawn il-kwistjonijiet, kif jifhmu it-tagħlim tal-Knisja u kif inhi l-prattika tagħhom. Mill-ftit riżultati ta' dan il-kwestjonarju li ġew ippubblikati,² ir-reazzjoni tal-knejjes lokali kienet ta' xokk kbir.³

Forsi tistaqsi lilek innifsek “Imma għalfejn hemm bżonn li jiġu diskussi dawn il-kwistjonijiet? It-tagħlim tal-Knisja mhux diġa stabbilit? Ladaraba stabbilit, mhuwiex ir-rieda t'Alla? Mela Alla se jibdel fehmtu? Il-Papa mhux suċċessur ta' San Pietru u għadu sallum iwassal lill-poplu l-kelma t'Alla? Kif tista' l-Knisja qatt taċċetta lil dawn il-forom ta' imġieba li huma kontra r-rieda t'Alla?”

Naħseb li biex inwieġbu għal mistoqsijiet bħal dan, tajjeb li nħarsu daqsxejn lura u naraw kwistjonijiet oħra simili li ġew imqajjma kif ġew ittrattati mill-Knisja.

Għandi f'moħħi lil Manwel Dimech, wieħed mill-akbar Maltin li qatt għex fuq din l-art. Dan huwa bniedem li forsi mhux il-qarrejja kollha semgħu bih. Ikolli nammetti b'sogħba li anke jien skoprejt lil dan il-bniedem straordinarju biss ftit snin ilu, aktarx minħabba l-ambjent konservattiv li trabbejt fih.

Dimech kien filosfu, poeta, edukatur, pubblikatur u mexxej soċjali fi żmien, bejn l-1860 u l-1921, meta l-libertajiet u l-prosperita' li ngawdu llum kienu biss ħolma. Huwa twieled u għex fil-faqar, qatt ma mar skola u spiċċa mar il-ħabs għal għaxar darbiet, l-ewwel darba ta' tlettax-il sena, inkluż darba fuq qtil. Mill-ħabs, tgħallem il-lingwi u fetaħ moħħu għall-possibiltajiet li jiġu biss bl-edukazzjoni.⁴ Miet eżiljat inġustament fl-Eġittu.

Uħud mill-iktar affarijiet rivoluzzjonarji ta' Dimech kienu l-pubblikazzjoni tal-gazzetta Il-Bandiera tal-Maltin u t-twaqqif tax-Xirka tal-Imdawlin (iktar tard ix-Xirka tal-Maltin), li bihom ħadem għall-edukazzjoni tal-ħaddiema, kundizzjonijiet aħjar tax-xogħol, l-industrijalizzazzjoni ta' Malta, bidla fil-politika soċjali u l-indipendenza ta' Malta, u fl-aħħar imma mhux l-inqas, l-ugwaljanza tan-nisa.

Naturalment dawn il-ħwejjeġ xejn ma niżlu tajjeb ma' dawk il-forzi privileġġjati f'Malta, li kellhom ħafna x'jitilfu, xejn inqas jiddispjaċini ngħid il-Knisja Kattolika, li darba ikkundannat lill-gazzetta u lix-Xirka, u darb'oħra skomunikat lil Dimech. Fl-ittra pastorali tal-1911, li nqrat fil-knejjes kollha ta' Malta, l-Isqof Pietru Pace qal:

“..f'Il-Bandiera Tal-Maltin …. sar appell lin-nisa tagħna biex jitħarrku u jfittxu li jkunu ugwali f'kollox mal-irġiel, u jipperswaduhom li jkollhom assolutament l-istess drittijiet fis-soċjetà; dak li hu kontra t-tagħlim tal-Iskrittura Mqaddsa u tal-Vanġelu u kontra kull bażi ta' ordni soċjali.”⁵

Dak li qal l-Isqof Pace mitt sena ilu jirrappreżenta r-rieda t'Alla? Naħseb li ftit huma dawk illum li jsostnu li iva. Iktar nistenna 'l min jibqa' b'ħalqu miftuħ għal dan in-nuqqas ta' tmexxija imdawwla minn min suppost qed imexxina lejn it-triq, il-verità u l-ħajja.

Il-punt hu dan: mela huwa possibbli li l-kap tal-Knisja Maltija jagħti tagħlim bħal dak li mhix ir-rieda t'Alla?

U x'inhuma t-tagħlimiet ta' illum li mitt sena oħra, ulied uliedna meta jħarsu lura, jerġgħu jibqgħu b'ħalqhom miftuħ għalihom?

Għalhekk hemm bżonn tas-Sinodu, ħalli jgħin lill-Papa u lill-Knisja jagħmlu reviżjoni tad-deċiżjonijiet, il-gwidi spiritwali, t-tagħlim u lingwaġġ morali u l-ħsieb pastorali f'dawn l-oqsma daqshekk ta' importanza fil-ħajja ta' kuljum. Dak li ilbieraħ kien maħsub li huwa skont ir-rieda t'Alla, illum forsi nirrikonoxxu b'umiltà li mhuwiex.

Mhux ħażin li jsir dan, anzi Ġesu stess uriena li dan il-proċess huwa aċċettabbli għal Alla, meta kien qed ikellem lil San Pietru:

“... dak li tgħaqqad fl-art ikun magħqud fis-sema, u dak li tħoll ikun maħlul fis-sema.”⁶

Id-dokument finali Relatio Synodi li ħareġ mis-Sinodu⁷ ippermettielna li naraw li fuq is-suġġetti jaħarqu bħal fuq id-divorzjati, dawk li reġgħu żżewġu, li jikkoabitaw, iż-żwieġ ċivili u l-omosesswali, bejn kwart u ftit inqas minn-nofs tal-isqfijiet li attendew is-Sinodu ma vvutawx favur il-paragrafi finali, jekk jingħaddu l-astensjonijiet. Fuq kwistjonijiet oħra tista' tgħid kien hemm ħafna iktar kunsens.

Forsi għal min huwa mdorri li meta titkellem il-Knisja, tkun qed tisma' l-kelma t'Alla, messaġġ uniku minn dejjem u għal dejjem, wieħed jista' jitħawwad meta jisma' b'isqof ma jaqbilx ma' ieħor, iktar u iktar numru sostanzjali ta' isqfijiet f'kwistjonijiet tant importanti.

Jien ngħid għalija ma neħodhiex hekk. Inħares lejn il-Knisja tagħti l-aħjar interpretazzjoni tagħha tal-messaġġ tal-Vanġelu u t-tradizzjoni apostolika, u matul is-sekli takkumula tagħlim u tiżviluppa t-teoloġija tagħha. Dan il-proċess għadu għaddej, u l-interpretazzjonijiet jistgħu jinbidlu jew jiġu ċċarati biż-żmien. L-iżvilupp teoloġiku ma wasalx fil-quċċata tiegħu, u probabbli qatt ma jasal. Li rridu hu li nkunu umli biżżejjed li nħallu lill-Iskrittura u l-poplu t'Alla jkellmuna, u s-Sinodu kien parti minn dan il-proċess.

Huwa kuraġġuż, u għalija ammirevoli, li l-Papa qed iħalli dan il-livell ta' trasparenza fuq id-deliberazzjonijiet tas-Sinodu, għax jippermettielna li nindunaw li fuq ċertu kwistjonijiet, mhux abjad u iswed biss jeżistu. Jidher ċar li l-messaġġ tal-poplu tiegħu, kif imwassal mill-kwestjonarju tas-sena l-oħra, ġie diskuss bis-serjetà, u d-diskussjoni se tkompli.⁸

Ix-xogħol il-kbir għadu ġej.