SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2015
SINGAPORE $0.70 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$2.10
MCI (P) 009/08/2015
PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)
Church has to proclaim mercy, not condemnation Pope sums up synod’s challenging moments as it grappled with family issues VATICAN CITY ± 7KH ¿UVW WDVN
of the Catholic Church “is not to hand down condemnations or anathemas, but to proclaim the mercy of God”, Pope Francis told members of the Synod of Bishops on the family. $W WKH HQG RI WKH V\QRG¶V ¿QDO working session on Oct 24, Pope Francis was honest about the differences of opinion present among synod participants and about the tone of their discussions, sometimes exceeding the bounds of charity. But he framed all those differences as a learning opportunity. “In the course of this synod, the different opinions that were expressed freely – and, unfortunately, sometimes with methods that were not completely charitable – certainly led to a rich and lively dialogue,” he said. The synod, he said, was a time of trying “to broaden horizons... so as to defend and spread the freedom of the children of God [and] to transmit the beauty of Christian newness, which sometimes is covered by the rust of a language that is archaic or simply incomprehensible”. “For the Church,” he said, “concluding the synod means to go back to really ‘walking together’ to bring to every part of the
world – every diocese, every community and every situation – the light of the Gospel, the embrace of the Church and the support of the mercy of God.” The synod sessions, the pope said, were designed to have people speak openly about the needs of families and to face them “without fear and without hiding our heads in the sand”. The gathering, he said, was a time “to witness to all that the Gospel remains for the Church the living source of eternal newness against those who want to ‘indoctrinate’ it into dead stones to hurl at each other”. :LWKRXW PHQWLRQLQJ VSHFL¿F differences, such as deeply varied cultural approaches to homosexuality, Pope Francis said synod members learned that “what seems normal for a bishop on one continent can seem strange – almost a scandal –
to a bishop from another”. 7KH V\QRG WULHG WR ¿QG EHWWHU ways to convince the world of the importance of the family based on the lifelong marriage of one man and one woman, he said, knowing that it should not be afraid to shake “anaesthetised consciences or to dirty its hands animatedly and frankly discussing the family”. “The experience of the synod,” the pope said, “has made us understand better that the true defenders of doctrine are not those
who defend its letter, but its spirit; not ideas, but people; not formulas, but the free gift of God’s love and forgiveness. This is in no way to detract from the importance of formulas, laws and divine commandments, but rather to exalt the greatness of the true God, who does not treat us according to our merits or even according to our works, but solely according to the boundless generosity of his mercy.” Continued on Page 15
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INSIDE HOME Archdiocese’s Deepavali message: Let’s protect the environment Page 4
St Joseph’s parishioners honoured Two receive papal awards Page 7
ASIA Br McNally’s mural restored Last Supper artwork rededicated in Ipoh church Page 8
Pope Francis waves as he leaves the ¿QDO VHVVLRQ RI WKH 6\QRG RI Bishops on the IDPLO\ DW WKH Vatican. CNS photo
Vatican-China dialogue Has a breakthrough been achieved? Page 9
SYNOD ON THE FAMILY ‘Accompanying’ families in their situations
The true defenders of ‘doctrine are not those who
Pages 14-15
defend its letter, but its spirit; not ideas, but people; not formulas, but the free gift of God’s love and forgiveness.
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– Pope Francis
FOCUS Yearning to share your faith? New Evangelisation RI¿FH FDQ KHOS Page 17