More cardinals and bishops are writing in defense of Catholic marriage and the family.
In an ever-growing response to the problematic Synod on the Family, 2 new books written by a collection of concerned cardinals and bishops are being made available in English on September 26 by USA publisher, Ignatius Press.
The first book we want to mention is titled: Eleven Cardinals speak on Marriage and the Family: Essays from a Pastoral Viewpoint.
As the title indicates, the book is written by the following 11 cardinals:
- Carlo Caffara, Archbishop of Bologna
- Beselios Cleemis, major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, president of the Episcopal Conference of the India
- Paul Josef Cordes, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum
- Dominik Duka, O.P., Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia
- Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht
- Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne
- John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Obuja (Nigeria)
- Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid
- Camillo Ruini, Vicar General Emeritus of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome
- Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
- Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela)
The editor of the book is Winfried Aymans, a professor of Canon Law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Bavaria.
The book's title, Eleven Cardinals seems to contrast an earlier Ignatius Press publication, Remaining in the Truth of Christ, which included the writing of 5 cardinals who took a firm position in favor of Christian marriage.
The context of this new work is purely pastoral. It answers very specific questions such as how to prepare for marriage engaged couples who have little or no knowledge of the catechism and have been deeply influenced by secularism. Another question addressed is how to support those who have been abandoned by their spouse, yet want to remain faithful to the indissolubility of their marriage vows.
The second book on the defense of Catholic marriage and the family is Christ's New Homeland—Africa, written by 10 authors, all cardinals and bishops from Africa, including:
- Robert Sarah
- Francis Arinze
- Christian Tumi
- Theodore Sarr
- Samuel Kleda
The book's subtitle is appropriately: Contribution to the Synod on the Family by African Pastors.
According to Cardinal Francis Arinze in his preface, the work's goal is to provide a unique insight on the positions of the Africans with respect to marriage and family, discuss the culture and traditions of their continent, drawing attention on the fine, rich teaching of the Magisterium of the Church on this subject.
Also included in the book, is Cardinal Robert Sarah's clear and firm remark made at the opening of the June 2015 Accra Meeting of the African Bishops in Ghana:
I encourage you to speak with clarity and with one credible voice and with filial love of the Church. Be conscious of the mission of the Church; protect the sacredness of marriage which is now being attacked by all forms of ideologies that intend to destroy the family in Africa. Do not be afraid to stress the teaching of the Church on marriage."
Footnote
1 News source is from Correspondance Europeenne French article of August 31, 2015: "Synode: le front des défenseurs du mariage chretien s’ elargit".
