Letters

Synod of Bishops

Arnold Jago

Contents - Dec 2014 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Coming of Christ - Peter Westmore Family Synod: Synod reaffirms Church teaching on marriage and family - AD2000 Report News: The Church Around the World Dissent: New controversy erupts in Toowoomba - Peter Westmore Vocations: Young Men of God Retreat for 2014 another success - Br Barry Coldrey The Long View: Catholicism today and the lessons of history - John Young Economic justice: The Catholic Church explains sexual mores - with economics - Emma Green Cardinal Pell: Synod rebuts 'secular agenda' - Catholic News Service The after-life: Why pray for those who are no longer with us? - Audrey English Separation of church and state: the position outside Australia - Frank Mobbs Obituary: Fr Benedict Groeschel, aged 81, dies in New Jersey - Peter Westmore Letters: Toowoomba trouble - Tristan Ross Letters: Synod of Bishops - Arnold Jago Letters: Language - Frank O'Connor Letters: Last man standing! - Anne Lastman Books: IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE SPIRIT: Guide to the Sacraments in the Byzantine Church - Paul Simmons (reviewer) Books: AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY, by C. Fini and C. Ryan (Eds) - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Support: 2014 Fighting Fund Progress Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light - Pope Francis

As was obvious from the start to anyone really thinking about it, the recent Vatican Synod on the Family was never going to move to approve of same-sex "marriage".

In the Synod's own words, "There is no reason to assimilate or establish analogies, even remote ones, between homosexual unions and God's design for marriage and the family."

The Church still urges that homosexually-active persons shouldn't be treated unfairly but – to be fair to them and to everybody else - their relationships must be recognised as having nothing basically in common with natural marriage.

It is certainly to be hoped that homosexual persons will never give up seeking for the God who loves us all.

And that they may be able, by his help, to lead lives that are pleasing to him and that demonstrate God-inspired love to all around them.

What other reason is there to have a life at all?

ARNOLD JAGO
Nichols Point, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 27 No 11 (December 2014 - January 2015), p. 15