Cardinals Offer a Wide Range of Proposals

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Taking up John Paul II´s challenge, the Church´s cardinals today came up with a wide range of pastoral proposals, including a "lexicon" on sexuality and the family.

The second day of the extraordinary consistory at the Vatican featured a marathon of notably frank speeches by cardinals.

When he opened the working sessions Monday, the Pope asked the cardinals to present concrete proposals in order to address the challenges facing the Church. Today, the consistory´s participants did not disappoint him.

Colombian Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, opened the series of specific initiatives by proposing the writing of a lexicon of terminology relating to "new" sexuality and to the family.

The work would explain new terms such as "sexual health" and "gender differences." This manual would include the studies and reflection of the Church, especially that of Vatican delegations to U.N. world conferences on population, women, social development, and shantytowns.

The Council for the Family would coordinate the initiative, with the help of about 50 internationally known experts, including sociologists and doctors and non-Catholics.

On Monday, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Vatican Committee for the Holy Year, said that one of the Pope´s hopes for the Jubilee was a meeting of representatives of all Christian confessions and churches. Today, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O´Connor, archbishop of Westminster, asked why the meeting couldn´t be held now -- and he proposed England as a site for the event.

Several cardinals spoke of the importance of the media and improved communication within the Church. In this regard, Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls revealed that journalists accredited to the Vatican sometimes receive information before dioceses do.

A proposal by Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, awakened much interest. The cardinal said that "for a series of reasons of a historical nature, Vatican Council II still has much richness that needs to be developed; therefore it is not useful to speak of a new council."

Milan´s Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini proposed "Vatican III" when he attended the 1999 Synod of Europe. The consistory today did not support the idea. In "Novo Millennio Ineunte" the Pope affirmed that Vatican II´s proposals illuminate the Church´s path in the new millennium.

The consistory lost two of its participants today, who were unable to attend because of exhaustion. They were Polish Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur, a university friend of Karol Wojtyla who has been in a wheelchair for years, and Brazilian Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, also a great friend of the Holy Father. Cardinal Moreira suffers from diabetes, which obliged him a few months ago to resign as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

On Wednesday, the cardinals will meet in working groups to continue analyzing the proposals presented at the plenary assembly. At day´s end, Mexican Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñíguez, Mexico, the consistory´s relator, will give a summary of the sessions.

Vatican spokesman Navarro-Valls said the Pope wants the cardinals to write a final declaration by Thursday morning, when this pontificate´s sixth extraordinary consistory ends.