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 He was opening two days of closed-door sessions with some 185
cardinals from around the world to prepare for an autumn synod of
bishops that will discuss the issues at greater length.
"We are called to make known God's magnificent plan for the family
and to help spouses joyfully experience this plan in their lives, as
we accompany them amidst so many difficulties, even with a pastoral
plan that is intelligent, courageous and full of love," Francis told
the cardinals.
While there is no possibility that the Church will change its
teachings against abortion and gay marriage, many Catholics hope
that the autumn synod could lead to modifications of its stance on
other family-related issues, notably divorce.
Catholics who have divorced and remarried without a Church annulment
are now barred from receiving communion. A growing number of Church
officials believe the ban should be lifted, or annulments made
easier, to welcome such Catholics back into full participation in
the 1.2 billion-member Church.
In his address to the cardinals, meeting in what is known as an
"extraordinary consistory", Francis said the Church leaders should
"seek to deepen the theology of the family and discern the pastoral
practices which our present situation requires".
SURVEYS SHOW DISSENT
In preparation for the autumn synod, the Vatican asked local
churches to survey their faithful about teachings on sexual morality
related to the family.
Bishops in some countries, including Britain, opted not to publish
their findings, but those published by German, Swiss and Japanese
bishops showed that many people did not know Church teachings fully
or rejected them as unrealistic and heartless. They showed that
most Catholics in those countries disputed bans on contraception,
premarital or gay sex and criticized the rules regarding divorced
Catholics.
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Addressing the gathering of cardinals, Francis called the family the
"fundamental cell of society" and indirectly re-stated the Catholic
Church's opposition to gay marriage.
"From the beginning the Creator blessed man and woman so that they
might be fruitful and multiply," he said, calling the family an
image of "God in the world".
Francis has had a packed week of meetings about reform with top
Church officials in Rome before ceremonies on Saturday when he will
elevate 19 prelates to the rank of cardinal.
The first three days of sessions focused on overhaul of the
Vatican's often troubled finances.
A select group of eight cardinals from around the world advising the
Pope gave him their proposals on Wednesday, with one suggesting a
new central economic ministry that would incorporate the Holy See's
scandal-plagued bank.
The eight cardinals from Italy, Chile, India, Germany, Democratic
Republic of Congo, the United States, Australia and Honduras are
advising Francis on how to reform the Curia, the Vatican's often
dysfunctional central administration.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Alistair Lyon)
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