The Synod of 1980 in
Continuity with Preceding Synods
2. A sign
of this profound interest of the Church in the family was the last Synod of
Bishops, held in Rome
from September 26 to October 25, 1980. This was a natural continuation of the
two preceding Synods(2): the Christian family, in fact, is the first community
called to announce the Gospel to the human person during growth and to bring
him or her, through a progressive education and catechesis, to full human and
Christian maturity.
Furthermore,
the recent Synod is logically connected in some way as well with that on the ministerilal priesthood and on justice in the modern world.
In fact, as an educating community, the family must help man to discern his own
vocation and to accept responsibility in the search for greater justice,
educating him from the beginning in interpersonal relationships, rich in
justice and in love.
At the
close of their assembly, the Synod Fathers presented me with a long list of
proposals in which they had gathered the fruits of their reflections, which had
matured over intense days of work, and they asked me unanimously to be a
spokesman before humanity of the Church's lively care for the family and to
give suitable indications for renewed pastoral effort in this fundamental
sector of the life of man and of the Church.
As I
fulfill that mission with this Exhortation, thus actuating in a particular
matter the apostolic ministry with which I am entrusted, I wish to thank all
the members of the Synod for the very valuable contribution of teaching and
experience that they made especially through the Propositiones,
the text of which I am entrusting to the Pontifical Council for the Family with
instructions to study it so as to bring out every aspect of its rich content.
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