US cardinal: ‘Synod is moving along very well’

Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington DC has said that the opening days of the synod on the family have been a success.

The cardinal made the comments in an interview with Vatican Radio.

“I think we’re moving along very well. We’ve had very good discussions,” he said. “Many, many of the points that were raised contribute positively to trying to find a better way to say what we want to say. The rest of them reinforced what’s already there. So far, this has been a very positive meeting.”

During the interview Cardinal Wuerl was asked about his predictions for the synod and he replied that he was hopeful that “that out of this whole discussion will come a recognition that while we have a very clear doctrinal basis for our appreciation of marriage, equally part of the revelation is God’s mercy.”

He added that he hoped the synod would respond pastorally “to all of the people whose marriage is not the ideal, whose lives more reflect the brokenness of the human condition than they reflect the beauty of the ideal.”

Small group discussions began today at the synod from which Cardinal Wuerl said he was starting to get a sense of solidarity and consensus.

“Now we’re in the small language groups. We’re just beginning. And I think we’re already beginning to sense, in our small group, a sense of solidarity around what it is we want to say, and a consensus where are the major points to be underlined. We’re just beginning, but we’re off to a good start,” he said.