Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
Date	5–19 October 2014
Convoked by	Pope Francis
President	Pope Francis
Attendance	253
Topics	Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization
Documents and statements	Message of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
Chronological list of ecumenical councils

The Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the first of two synods popularly referred to as the Synod on the Family, was held in Vatican City on 5–19 October 2014 on the topic of Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization. The synod was a gathering of 253 bishops and other participants in preparation for a larger synod with the same theme in October 2015. The participants discussed problems facing the family today, including the effects of war, immigration, domestic violence, sexual orientation, polygamy, inter-religious marriages, cohabitation, the breakdown of marriage, and divorce and remarriage.

As presented in the media, the synod played out like a "daytime soap opera", especially after publication of an interim working document was denounced by some participants as not a true reflection of the debate. This occasioned an unprecedented decision to also publish the responses of the small committees that studied it. Of 62 paragraphs in the synod's final report, the attention of the media was directed almost exclusively to issues discussed in 3 paragraphs which concerned how to pastorally care for Catholics living in "irregular unions", including those civilly remarried after divorce (in particular their desire to receive the Eucharist), unmarried cohabitating couples, and especially gay Catholics. The 2014 synod was also noted for a new prominence of African bishops.

The synod was called on 8 October 2013 by Pope Francis who said he wished to "continue the reflection and journey of the whole Church, with the participation of leaders of the Episcopate from every corner of the world." The Synod was meant to be the first of "two stages, forming a single organic unity" with the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

Later that month, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, sent a questionnaire to episcopal conferences around the globe asking them to distribute it "immediately as widely as possible to deaneries and parishes so that input from local sources can be received." The document, which includes 39 questions on 9 topic areas touching on themes such as contraception, same-sex unions, cohabitation by unwed couples, and marriage and divorce, marked "the first time the church's central hierarchy has asked for such input from grass-roots Catholics."