The Synod is not just about looking for ways to improve the pastoral outreach of the Church. It's also about inner reflection-and looking at where the Church has failed in the past.
CARD. RUBEN SALAZAR
Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia)
'I would dare say that some of the problems we are are seeing in the family nowadays, so dysfunctional families, with pain and problems, separated families etc, is due in part to us. We did not give them the support they needed.â?
Colombia is a country that's following a pattern that's becoming all too common: less couples are getting married and those who do tie the knot, often find themselves in unstable marriages. What's more, he says eight out of every ten children are born out of wedlock.
CARD. RUBEN SALAZAR
Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia)
'There's a high rate of pregnancies among teens. There's not really a responsible notion of what it means to bring children into this world. But at the same time, there's also not a strong public understanding of the values and elements needed to have a healthy and solid family life.â?
The Cardinal recognizes that when it comes to reaching out to families, the Church hasn't always applied the best methods. But he says looking ahead, this should be a priority in the outreach programs that come from the Synod.
CARD. RUBEN SALAZAR
Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia)
'We have to be there for these families. Not just good Catholic families and couples where the faith is strong, but also broken families who, in my country, make up the vast majority. In Colombia we have already taken steps to reach out to these families on a pastoral level.â?
The first two weeks of the Synod have focused on the challenges modern day families face and how the Gospel and the Church can provide support. In the following days, groups within the Synod will start looking at concrete solutions and share them for consideration.
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