FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

790,190 Signatures, Amongst Whom Are 202 Prelates, Beseech a Clarifying Word From the Pope

Final result of the “Filial Appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis On the Future of the Family”

ROME, Italy (September 29, 2015) — This morning the “Filial Appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis On the Future of the Family” was delivered as a result of a signature campaign in 178 countries.



In view of the opening of the Ordinary Synod on the Family, the 790,190 signers, including 202 cardinals, archbishops and bishops, ask Pope Francis to say “a clarifying word” to dissipate the “widespread confusion arising from the possibility that a breach has been opened within the Church that would accept adultery — by permitting divorced and then civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion — and would virtually accept even homosexual unions when such practices are categorically condemned as being contrary to Divine and natural law.” Only an intervention from the highest authority can help the disoriented faithful to see through the confusion that has been created over the years and that has become much worse in our days.

The spokesman of this initiative, Tommaso Scandroglio, professor of Ethics and Bioethics in the European University of Rome commented that the “Filial Appeal” “has had widespread repercussions in the Italian and international press.” He added “the repercussions in the mass media, the number of signatures collected and the number of personalities who have signed indicate that a substantial number of believers are very worried about certain theological tendencies present in the Church today.”

“The initiative — according to Prof. Scandroglio — takes place constructively amidst the climate of discussion and dialogue regarding these subjects. An example is the handbook Preferential Option for the Family—100 Questions and Answers relating to the Synod, that has been distributed along with the collection of signatures. It aims to spread the teaching of the Catholic Magisterium on these matters. Tens of thousands of copies of the handbook, authored by three bishops, have been requested from all over the world.”

Amongst the many signers of the “Filial Appeal” we highlight, in the ecclesiastical sphere: Jorge Cardinal Medina Estévez, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship; Geraldo Cardinal Majella Agnelo, former Primate of Brazil and Secretary Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome; Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila; the bishops of the Military Services of the United States and Brazil, respectively Archbishops Timothy Broglio and Fernando Guimaraes; the President of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar, Most Rev. Désiré Tsarahasana, Archbishop of Toamasina. Prelates who direct large dioceses such as Most Rev. Ramón Arguelles, Archbishop of Lipa in the Philippines (2,700,000 faithful); the Archbishop of Tucumán, Argentina, Most Rev. Alfredo Zecca (over one million); Most Rev. Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, Archbishop of Paraíba, Brasil, (over one million) and the Archbishop of Manizales, in Colombia, Most Rev. Gonzalo Restrepo (over 800,000). In Africa, we can mention the diocese of Maputo, Mozambique, with more than 1,200,000 Catholics, where both the current Archbishop Francis Chimoio and his predecessor Alexandre Cardenal dos Santos have signed. In Asia, amongst the signers are the Archbishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, Most Rev. Tomasz Peta and the Archbishop of Trivandrum in India, Most Rev. Calis Soosa Pakiam. There are several signers amongst European archbishops and bishops including the eparchs and bishops from the Greek Catholic rites.

In the political sphere some of the signers are: Dr. Alejandro Ordóñez Maldonado, Procurator General of the Republic of Colombia; Rick Santorum, former US Senator; H.I.R.H. Dom Luiz de Orleans-Braganza, Head of the Imperial House of Brazil; members of the European Parliament Anna Zaborska (Slovakia) and Ruza Tomasic (Croatia).

Signers from the academic world include members of the Pontifical Academy for Life: Josef Seifert, former President of the International Academy of Philosophy; Luke Gormally, Director Emeritus of The Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics; and Wolfgang Waldstein, professor emeritus of the University of Salzburg. Other university personalities include Professor Stephan Kampowski of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, as well as Professor Massimo de Leonardis, Director of the Department of Political Sciences at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart – Milan.

Many signers are leaders of pro-family and pro-life organizations from every continent.

Contact:

Tommaso Scandroglio, Spokesman

366 997 1858 (9:30 – 13:00)

supplicafiliale@gmail.com

Supplica filiale a Papa Francesco sul futuro della famiglia

Via Nizza, 110

00198 Roma

www.supplicafiliale.org

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Africa Asia Europe USA

Who are we?

In view of the Synod on the family to be held in October 2015 in Rome, a group of concerned lay Catholic leaders and pro-family organizations gathered to address a filial appeal to Pope Francis asking him to categorically reaffirm Catholic teaching that divorced and civilly remarried Catholics cannot receive Holy Communion and that homosexual unions are contrary to Divine and natural law.

We note with anguish how the chaste and fecund family model taught by the Gospel is at risk. This family model is the only beacon capable of guiding the millions of faithful who are bombarded by the decades-long sexual revolution and its hedonistic propaganda.

Indeed a breach has been opened in the Catholic Church with pastoral proposals that deny in practice, if not in principle, Our Lord’s doctrine on chastity and the indissolubility of marriage.

In these circumstances, it is paramount that Pope Francis speak out to clarify the growing confusion amongst the faithful and to prevent the very teaching of Jesus Christ from being watered-down.

Who else can dispel the darkness looming over our children’s future, should that beacon no longer light their path?