In an interview with Cindy Wooden of the Catholic News Services Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington, said he did not think anyone was arguing that church doctrine should be changed. “We know what the church teaches; we all want to preserve that.” He said that there was, however, a need to change the Read more
A Catholic friend of mine who spent his professional life as a journalist at what was the then rather WASPISH Melbourne Age told me in the 1980s that two sports dominated that paper’s pages – Australian Rules football and Catholic fights. Cardinal George Pell should have stuck to playing Ozzie Rules. In that game, shirt Read more
Mercy towards those not following Church teaching is emerging as a prominent theme at the synod on the family. According to a media briefing on Saturday, another prominent issue in the first week of synod discussions was the Church’s vision on the indissolubility of marriage. Vatican Radio journalist Romilda Ferrauto told the briefing that the Read more
An English bishop has admitted that he struggles with the notion of hundreds of celibate men discussing family issues at a synod. Speaking ahead of the synod on the family in Rome, Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton said “there is a bit of an issue”. “I thought I understood marriage and family life because I Read more
Some controversial statements in an interim report at last year’s extraordinary family synod did not reflect synod fathers’ discussions, a new book claims. Vatican reporter Edward Pentin has written “The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation of Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family”. The Relatio post disceptationem, or interim report, released Read more
The head of the largest Chinese Catholic diocese in the world will be absent from the synod on the family because he has been deemed to be too old. Cardinal John Tong Hon of Hong Kong was not invited to participate in October’s synod because he is older than 75, UCA News reported. “Now I Read more
More than 500,000 people have signed a petition asking Pope Francis to reinforce traditional Church teaching on marriage and the family. The petition, launched by TFP Student Action, asks the Pope to take this action at the synod on the family in October. Backed by 25 pro-family groups around the world, the petition is titled Read more
A cardinal has said the synod on the family in October must not forget those who are left alone by divorce. Speaking to the National Catholic Register, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna said “we have to speak about mercy and be merciful to the divorced and remarried, who often experience many sufferings and troubles”. “And Read more
Pope Francis has asked a congregation of more than a million people in Ecuador that they pray for a miracle to happen in October’s synod on the family. Preaching at a Mass on Monday at Guayaquil, the Pope said the point of the synod is “to mature a true spiritual discernment and find concrete solutions Read more
The working document for October’s synod on the family has affirmed the need for the Church to speak its message of mercy more clearly. The Instrumentum Laboris was released by the Vatican on June 23. It includes portions of the final document from the 2014 synod and is also informed by responses from bishops’ conferences and others Read more