Of the almost 400 members of the Synod, only ten of them will work in the coming hours: those in charge of drafting the final text. They're trying to integrate the proposals from all 13 working groups.
These three participants in the Synod discussed the situation.
MSGR. EAMON MARTIN
President, Irish Episcopal Conference
'Certainly yesterday afternoon during the report back from the various circoli minores I got a sense of convergence. And that convergence may not necessarily mean that everyone in the aula thinks or teaches and thinks exactly the same on the pastoral areas that we are, but the convergence was around Pope Francis.â?
CARD. DANIEL STURLA
Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay)
'The Holy Father has spoken about the importance of parresia, that free audacity to say whatever one thinks, and also the humility to listen. I believe that those two things have been present in the Synod and the moment of conclusions has come. It is important for the entire Church to say a prayer and that is what we are asking for.â?
CARD. REINHARD MARX
Archbishop of Munich (Germany)
'We made proposal in our text, of the German speaking group, unanimous, every text of the German group, every relatio, is unanimous, no one vote against it.â?
One idea that all of the reports shared is that it's important for the Church to do a better job of helping families. The other is broken families should not feel like the Church has turned her back on them.
CARD. REINHARD MARX
Archbishop of Munich (Germany)
'When we say I'll stay with you also in the difficult situations, also when you fail, that is not destroying the indissolubility of marriage, that is not destroying the will to marry, that is to strengthen it, the opposite.â?
As far as Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried, one group proposed a 'penitential wayâ? that includes four steps. Another said that they must speak of a 'way of charityâ? and an 'itinerary of reconciliation.â? Another group added that life in the Church cannot be reduced to just Communion.
CARD. DANIEL STURLA
Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay)
'In the Spanish speaking groups, or the ones with a Latin American sensibility, there are diverse positions. It is not one unanimous position, in that sense.â?
The provisional text will be introduced on Thursday afternoon, and it will be debated on Saturday in the morning, and voted on later that day.
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