In a recent address to the Schoenstatt Movement, Pope Francis openly admitted that the "Christian family and marriage are under great attack". Relativism is weakening the concept of marriage. Nevertheless, the Pope also reminded us that we mustn't lose hope.

Hope was certainly revived by the Holy Father's speech at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Synod on the family. Pope Francis hailed the Synod as an experience of collegiality and solidarity. It was an experience of journeying together. Obviously, since this journey was taken by human beings, it had its pitfalls too. In his speech Francis alluded to "moments of running fast"; "fatigue"; "profound consolation listening to the testimony of true pastors", as well as "moments of consolation and grace and comfort hearing the testimonies of the families who have participated in the Synod". The latter was "a journey where the stronger feel compelled to help the less strong, where the more experienced are led to serve others, even through confrontations".

On the other hand, the Pope clearly acknowledged that the Synod was also challenged by "moments of tensions and temptations". Francis did not hesitate to identify them individually. This first temptation was that of "hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit); within the law, with the certitude of what we know and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve". Francis explained that this is "the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called - today - 'traditionalists' and also of the intellectuals".

The second temptation that presented itself in the Synod was that of a "destructive tendency to goodness [it. buonismo], that, in the name of a deceptive mercy, binds the wounds without first curing them and treating them; that treats the symptoms and not the causes and the roots". Francis explained that this is "the temptation of the 'do-gooders,' of the fearful, and also of the so-called 'progressives and liberals.'"

The third temptation was that of "transform[ing] stones into bread to break the long, heavy, and painful fast (cf. Lk 4:1-4); and also to transform the bread into a stone and cast it against the sinners, the weak, and the sick (cf Jn 8:7), that is, to transform it into unbearable burdens (Lk 11:46)". This temptation ushered in another one, namely "to come down off the Cross, to please the people, and not stay there, in order to fulfil the will of the Father; to bow down to a worldly spirit instead of purifying it and bending it to the Spirit of God".

The last temptation was that of "neglect[ing] the 'depositum fidei' [the deposit of faith], not thinking of themselves as guardians but as owners or masters [of it]; or, on the other hand, the temptation to neglect reality, making use of meticulous language and a language of smoothing to say so many things and to say nothing! They call them 'byzantinisms,' I think, these things..."

What is the way forward in the presence of all these temptations which assail the Church's pastoral response to people who are experiencing difficult situations in their family life? The Pope rightly stated that there is still one year for the proposed ideas "to mature with true spiritual discernment".

In the meantime, let us, Church ministers, be mindful of Pope Benedict's golden advice: "St Augustine, in his Commentary on the Gospel of St John, says: 'let it therefore be a commitment of love to feed the flock of the Lord' (cf. 123, 5); this is the supreme rule of conduct for the ministers of God, an unconditional love, like that of the Good Shepherd, full of joy, given to all, attentive to those close to us and solicitous for those who are distant (cf. St Augustine, Discourse 340, 1; Discourse 46, 15), gentle towards the weakest, the little ones, the simple, the sinners, to manifest the infinite mercy of God with the reassuring words of hope (cf. ibid., Epistle, 95, 1)."

May we, priests and bishops alike, continually grow in unconditional love, personal and solicitous care, gentleness and God's wisdom to serve the Lord's flock humbly and faithfully!

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

Paola