Consistory: Cardinal Kasper addresses the Cardinals
(VIS/Vatican Radio) The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi,
S.J., gave a briefing for journalists at midday Thursday on the progress of the extraordinary
consistory for the family which opened this morning in the New Synod Hall and in which
around 150 cardinals participated.
“After the Pope's address, the cardinals
sent an affectionate greeting to Archbishop Loris Capovilla, one of the new cardinals
to be created by the Holy Father in next Saturday's consistory, who for reasons of
age and health was not able to travel to Rome, but who is present in the spirit of
this encounter”, he explained.
The introductory presentation by Cardinal Kasper,
which will not be published as it was intended for use within the context of the meeting
by participants only – occupied almost the entire morning, with the exception of the
last ten minutes in which a few comments were made. However, this afternoon and tomorrow
morning will be dedicated to comment and discussion.
The text of the president
emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is “in harmony” with
the words spoken today by Pope Francis. The focus was very coherent with that of the
Holy Father: facing, with realism and in depth, all that is beautiful about the family
without eluding its problems. However, the issue is approached from an extremely positive
point of view: rediscovering and proclaiming the Gospel of the family according to
God's plan, with all its beauty, as truth also convinces through beauty. Another central
point of Kasper's address was the concept of the family as a small domestic church,
and the idea according to which in the family the Church encounters reality and thus
constitutes a path towards the future; the family can be a privileged route to evangelisation.
Cardinal Kasper spoke about this “domestic church” in a broad sense, referring not
only to the nuclear family, but also by extension to communities, parish groups etc.
From
a formal point of view, Fr. Lombardi mentioned that Cardinal Kasper's document does
not claim to address all themes related to the family, nor does it attempt to anticipate
the next Synod, but is rather a form of “opening”. Its introduction was dedicated
to the rediscovery of the Gospel of the family, originating from the family in the
order of creation, the vision of the family in Genesis and in God's plan. The second
part focused on the structures of sin within the family: problems, tensions between
men and women, body and spirit, the alienation of the suffering of women and mothers,
etc. Finally, it explored the issue of the family in the Christian order of redemption,
referring to texts from the Gospel and the New Testament relating to the family, such
as the Letter to the Ephesians. It also considered marriage as a Sacrament, and its
sanctifying grace.
The cardinal also referred to the question of remarried
divorcees, considering the theme in depth and in a structured, nuanced fashion. He
reiterated that in this area it is necessary to bring together pastoral care with
the inseparable duo of faith and the words of Jesus, and an understanding of divine
mercy. The cardinal referred to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI's work on this issue, when
he asked if, beyond rigour and laxity, the Sacrament of penance could perhaps offer
the path to accommodating difficult situations. He also recalled Pope Francis' address
to the prelates of the Roman Rota at the beginning of this year, in which he spoke
about the validity of marriage, when he affirmed that the legal and pastoral dimensions
are not in opposition.
Fr. Lombardi concluded by emphasising that the Cardinal
accorded great importance to the “law of gradualness”, or rather the advancement towards
new forms in exploring in depth the mystery of redemption in Christ, and in understanding
the Gospel law of truth.