At the conclusion of the recent consultation in the diocese for the Extraordinary Synod, Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, expressed his concern and, at the same time, the hope that the questions raised represent a “demanding agenda.” This introduction to the questionnaire says that “never before has it been so urgent and necessary to proclaim the Gospel as in this context,” that is in the midst the crisis of the family, the increase in cohabitation and divorce, surrogacy and the legalization of same-sex unions. It is, therefore, necessary to address the problems through long-term pastoral strategies that are able to cope with the increasing complexity of the contemporary family.
Despite the difficult nature of the questionnaire, 16,500 replies came from throughout the country, and more than 1,600 of these have been handled by the Westminster office for marriage and family life. From the responses it is possible to extrapolate a sort of barometer on the challenges to be faced, which is summed up in the following categories: conscience, marriage preparation, transmission of the faith, and the culture of life. Concerning conscience, there is a lot of confusion, and it is necessary to go back to the catechism in order to form the moral conscience on matters related to parental responsibility and reproduction. Marriage, universally accepted and considered irreplaceable as a social institution and sacrament of the Church, is appreciated, even if there are substantial gaps and a variety of experiences. We must insist on formation, from the parish to the school, so that young people, from an early age on, strive for a stable union open to life.
As for the transmission of the faith, it is a huge challenge against the backdrop of aggressive secularism and the digital revolution: we need to study ways in which the home, the school and the parish can work together. The authentic dignity of every person, from conception to natural death, is a radical teaching in the modern “throwaway culture”. However, the responses show a great imbalance of opinions: hence, the duty to raise public conscience.
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