At a press conference in Rome this morning, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri formally presented the preparatory document for the upcoming Extraordinary Synod on Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization. Archbishop Baldisseri, the head of the Synod of Bishops, said the family is an area that the church will work on for the next two years. Next year's extraordinary Synod will be the first of two synods looking at the pastoral care of families.

The Extraordinary Synod scheduled for 2014 will focus on getting a clear picture of the situation families find themselves in today. An Ordinary Synod scheduled for 2015 will focus on finding new approaches to ministering to families.

To prepare for the Extraordinary Synod, the Vatican sent the preparatory document to Bishops Conferences around the world, along with a list of questions. The bishops were asked to circulate the preparatory document and the questions to priests and parishioners. Bishops Conferences must submit their findings to the Vatican by the end of January 2014.

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