The Synod on the Family will begin on October 4th and its agenda is filled with important topics about the future of the family. One of those is marriage. In many countries, the divorce rate has gone through the roof. In the U.S., about half of all marriages end in divorce or separation. Others have it worse.
CARD. ENNIO ANTONELLI
Author, 'The Crisis of Marriage and the Eucharistâ?
'There are many reasons for why marriage is in crisis, but some of them that stands out: We live in a secular culture dominated by individualism, relativism, consumerism, and hedonism. God is marginal, as if He wasn't relevant.â?
Cardinal Ennio Antonelli is the president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Family. He has written a book called 'The Crisis of Marriage and the Eucharist.â? In it he writes that it is important to welcome those who have divorced and remarried to the Church, but he does not believe that they should receive Communion.
CARD. ENNIO ANTONELLI
Author, 'The Crisis of Marriage and the Eucharistâ?
'They have to be part of the life of the Church with concrete gestures of welcome, friendship, and respect. For example, with separated brothers, with Christians who are not Catholic, they can be in line for Communion to receive a blessing.â?
Many factors also lead young people to choose cohabitation before marriage. For Cardinal Antonelli, showing the beauty of Christian marriage with concrete testimony is very important.
CARD. ENNIO ANTONELLI
Author, 'The Crisis of Marriage and the Eucharistâ?
'There are people who can show that marriage is beautiful and achievable. There are sacrifices but also great joy.â?
He added that the Church must support couples to reconcile the demands of family and professional life.
CARD. ENNIO ANTONELLI
Author, 'The Crisis of Marriage and the Eucharistâ?
'The way society, the economy, or work is organized penalizes the family instead of supporting and promoting it. For proof we only have to see the married couples who spend lots of time far apart from each other because they must work.â?
Because of his four years as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, the cardinal has unique insight into the upcoming Synod. He said it won't cause a revolution nor will it leave things as they are. Instead, it's an opportunity to develop the Church's tradition.
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