The final document of the synod of bishops on the family has stressed that the Church must involve the divorced and civilly remarried in all ways possible. While the document does not mention Communion for such people who are baptised, it calls for their integration into the Church community, while “avoiding every occasion of scandal”. Read more
An Australian archbishop has called for a new pastoral creativity, not an all-or-nothing approach, to families in situations the Church sees as problematic. Speaking a news conference at the synod on the family, Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane said he was concerned an “all-or-nothing” approach tended to dominate discussions before and, at times, during the Read more
In his intervention at the synod on the family in Rome, Cardinal John Dew reinforced the message that when families are struggling, they need friends. In an interview with the Catholic News Service, Cardinal Dew said that during his intervention he quoted from a letter issued by the Oceania bishops in 1994. Cardinal Dew said Read more
Pope Francis has opened the synod on the family by calling for a Church that proclaims the truth, but which must be a bridge and not a roadblock. In his homily at the opening Mass of the three-week synod at the Vatican, the Pope spelled out “God’s dream” for humanity. “[This is] God’s dream for Read more
Sharron Cole, one of the delegates from New Zealand at the Synod on Families, will raise the issue of contraception in her three-minute speech and a written submission. “It has caused enormous angst [and anxiety], and probably the majority of Catholics, in the western world anyway, ignore the church’s teaching on contraception,” said Cole. “Even Read more
Many Catholics in England and Wales are concerned at a legalistic and punitive response by the Church to those who cannot live up to the ideal of marriage. That was one of the conclusions of a report summarising responses to consultation by the England and Wales bishops ahead of next month’s synod on the family. Read more
In an historic address to a joint session of the US Congress, Pope Francis challenged US lawmakers and the nation to heal the “open wounds” of the world. The 45-minute address by Pope Francis on September 24 was the first time a Roman Pontiff had addressed this body of US lawmakers. The Pope’s speech featured a Read more
Since the 2014 Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops a growing theological divide has become apparent. This divide, evident among a small minority of cardinals and bishops present (and not present) at the Extraordinary Assembly, has been recognized through their views on how to “pastorally” apply Catholic teaching regarding marriage, family and sexual Read more
Dr. Paul Kengor is a professor of political science at Grove City College (Pennsylvania) and the author of several best-selling books, including Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century; God and Ronald Reagan; God and George W. Bush; God and Hillary Clinton; and The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. Read more
“We know from long experience how precious our few remaining shop-free days are for families and communities,” says Caritas Director Julianne Hickey. She was responding to the announcement by the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse that The Government will change “arbitrary” national Easter Sunday trading restrictions and put the onus on local councils Read more