The people of God

The Vocation of the Laity

43. Fundamental to Christian discipleship is the experience of being called like Matthew. "As Jesus was walking on from there he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, 'Follow me'. And he got up and followed him" (Mt 9:9). In Baptism, all Christians have received the call to holiness. Each personal vocation is a call to share in the Church's mission; and, given the needs of the new evangelization, it is especially important now to remind lay people in the Church of their particular call. The Synod Fathers "rejoiced in the work and witness of so many of the lay faithful who have been an integral part of the growth of the Church in Oceania".⁽¹³⁶⁾ From the very beginning of the Church in this vast region, lay people have contributed to her growth and mission in many different ways; and they continue to do so through their involvement in various forms of service, especially in parishes as catechists, instructors in sacramental preparation, youth work, leadership of small groups and communities.

In a world that needs to see and hear the truth of Christ, lay people in their various professions are living witnesses to the Gospel. It is the fundamental call of lay people to renew the temporal order in all its many elements.⁽¹³⁷⁾ The Synod Fathers "pledged their support for lay men and women who live out their principal Christian vocation in their daily lives and renew the temporal order through personal and family values, economic interests, the trades and professions, political institutions, international relations, the arts and so on".⁽¹³⁸⁾ The Church supports and encourages lay people who strive to establish the proper scale of values in the temporal order and thus direct it to God through Christ. In this way, the Church becomes the yeast that leavens the entire loaf of the temporal order.

Young People in the Church

44. In many countries of Oceania, young people form the majority of the population, while in countries like Australia and New Zealand this is not true to the same extent. The Synod Fathers wanted to assure the youth of the Church in Oceania that they are called to be "salt of the earth and the light of the world" (Mt 5:13,14). The Bishops wished them to know that they are a vital part of the Church today, and that Church leaders are keen to find ways to involve young people more fully in the Church's life and mission. Young Catholics are called to follow Jesus: not just in the future as adults, but now as maturing disciples. May they always be drawn to the overwhelmingly attractive figure of Jesus, and stirred by the challenge of the Gospel's sublime ideals! Then they will be empowered to take up the active apostolate to which the Church is now calling them, and play their part joyfully and energetically in the life of the Church at every level: universal, national, diocesan and local.⁽¹³⁹⁾ Today "youth live in a culture which is uniquely theirs. It is essential that Church leaders study the culture and language of youth, welcome them and incorporate the positive aspects of their culture into the Church's life and mission".⁽¹⁴⁰⁾

Yet this is also a time in which young people face great difficulties. Many are unable to find employment, frequently drifting to the larger cities where the pressures of isolation, loneliness and unemployment lead them into destructive situations. Some are tempted to drug abuse and other forms of addiction, and even to suicide. Yet in these situations too, young people are often searching for the life that only Christ can offer them. It is imperative therefore that the Church proclaim the Gospel to the young in ways that they can understand, ways that can enable them to grasp the hand of Christ who never ceases to reach out to them, especially in their dark times.

The Synod Fathers were convinced of the need for youth-to-youth ministry, and they echoed the plea I made to young people when I visited the region: "Do not be afraid to commit yourselves to the task of making Christ known and loved, especially among the many people of your own age, who make up the largest part of the population".⁽¹⁴¹⁾ With the Synod Fathers, I call on the young people of the Church to give prayerful consideration to the following of Jesus in the priesthood or in the consecrated life, for the need is great. The Bishops were quick to applaud young people for their acute sense of justice, personal integrity and respect for human dignity, for their care for the needy and their concern for the environment. These are signs of a great generosity of spirit which will not fail to bear fruit in the life of the Church now, as it has always done in the past.

In many places Youth Pilgrimages are a positive feature of the life of young Catholics.⁽¹⁴²⁾ Pilgrimage has long been part of the Christian life, and it can be most helpful in conferring a sense of identity and belonging. The Synod Fathers recognized the importance of the World Youth Day as an opportunity for young people to experience genuine communio, as was seen most memorably during the Great Jubilee. There they come together to listen to God's word presented in a language which they understand, to reflect upon it prayerfully and to take part in inspiring liturgies and prayer meetings.⁽¹⁴³⁾ Time and again I have seen how many of them are by nature open to the mystery of God revealed in the Gospel. May the glorious mystery of Jesus Christ bring unending peace and joy to the young people of Oceania!

Marriage and Family Life

45. "The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a domestic church".⁽¹⁴⁴⁾ Ultimately, the family is an image of the ineffable communio of the Most Holy Trinity. In the procreation and education of children the family also shares in God's work of creation, and as such it is a great force for evangelization in the Church and beyond. "The Church and society in Oceania depend heavily on the quality of family life".⁽¹⁴⁵⁾ This implies great responsibility for Christians who enter the marriage covenant, and "there needs to be suitable pastoral preparation for all couples seeking the Sacrament of Marriage".⁽¹⁴⁶⁾

As an institution, the family will always need the concerted pastoral care of the Church, and there will be special need to acknowledge the requirements and responsibilities of larger families. Church and civic authorities ought to feel the duty to provide all possible services and support in order to affirm parents and families. The Church is especially conscious of women's right to freedom in entering marriage and their right to respect within marriage. Polygamy, which still exists in some areas, is a serious cause of exploitation of women. More generally, the Synod Fathers were concerned for the social condition of women in Oceania, insisting that the principle of equal wages for equal work be respected and that women not be excluded from employment. At the same time, it is vital that mothers not be penalized for staying at home to care for their children, for the dignity of parenthood is very great and the care of children is supremely important.

In families where both parents are Catholic, it is easier for them to share their common faith with their children. While acknowledging with gratitude those inter-faith marriages which succeed in nourishing the faith of both spouses and children, the Synod encourages pastoral efforts to promote marriages between people of the same faith.⁽¹⁴⁷⁾

Today in Oceania as elsewhere, marriage and family life are facing many pressures. This can corrode marriage as the basic unit of human society, with the gravest of consequences for society itself. As I noted when I was in Australia: "The Christian concept of marriage and the family is being opposed by a new secular, pragmatic and individualistic outlook which has gained standing in the area of legislation and which has a certain 'approval' in the realm of public opinion".⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ Recognizing this, the Synod Fathers urged that "pastoral programmes ought to provide support for families that face any of the serious problems of modern society: alcohol, drugs, behavioural addictions, gambling... In view of the difficulties facing marriage and family life today, with the sad reality of marital disharmony, breakdown and divorce, the Synod calls for a renewed catechesis on the ideals of Christian marriage".⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ The Church has a unique opportunity to present Christian marriage anew as a life-long covenant in Christ, based on generous self-giving and unconditional love. This splendid vision of marriage and the family offers a saving truth not only to individuals but to society as a whole. Therefore, the theological principles underpinning the Church's teaching on marriage and the family must be carefully and convincingly explained to all.⁽¹⁵⁰⁾

Programmes of marriage-enrichment can help couples confirm their commitment to their vows and deepen their joy in the mutual gift of self through married love. If however the marriage is threatened in any way, pastors are asked to give every care to those caught up in this distress. The Synod was conscious of the great dedication of single parents in the task of raising and educating their children, and it expressed appreciation of them as they live out the Gospel in often difficult circumstances. Special care needs to be given to these parents and their children by clergy, Catholic schools and catechists.⁽¹⁵¹⁾

Women in the Church

46. The great procession of saints through the ages makes it clear that women have always brought unique and indispensable gifts to the life of the Church, and that without those gifts the Christian community would be hopelessly impoverished.⁽¹⁵²⁾ More than ever now, the Church needs the skills and energies, indeed the sanctity of women, if the new evangelization is to bear the fruit so earnestly sought. While some women still feel excluded in the Church as well as in society as a whole, many others find a deep sense of fulfilment in contributing to parish life, participating in the liturgy, the prayer life and the apostolic and charitable works of the Church in Oceania. It is important that the Church at the local level enable women to play their rightful part in the Church's mission; they should never be made to feel alien. Many forms of the lay apostolate and many lay formation programmes are open to women, as are various roles of leadership which allow them to offer their gifts more abundantly in service of the Church's mission.⁽¹⁵³⁾

New Ecclesial Movements

47. One of the "signs of the times" for the Church in Oceania is the emergence of new ecclesial movements, which are another of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. They offer a powerful stimulus and support to Catholics of all ages in the attempt to live the life of discipleship more intensely. Some of them are also producing a good number of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life; and this is cause for great gratitude. Through these ecclesial movements, many Catholics are discovering Christ at a new depth, and this experience enables them to remain faithful in the cultural context of the day, whatever the difficulties. As these movements help people to grow in their Christian life, they bring to the Church many gifts of holiness and service.⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ Welcoming these movements as signs of the Holy Spirit at work in the Church, the Synod Fathers asked that they work within the structures of the local Churches in order to help build up the communio of the Diocese in which they find themselves. The local Bishop should "exercise his pastoral judgment in welcoming and guiding them, while asking them to respect the pastoral strategy of the Diocese".⁽¹⁵⁵⁾