The Catholic Church must move towards collective decision-making, and “the time of lonely decisions in the Catholic Church is over” according to Synod advisor Thomas Söding. In an interview with Vatican News on Saturday, Söding stressed the importance of unity. “For us, deliberation and decision-making belong together. For us, commonality in decision-making is also part Read more
Despite women’s ordination being excluded from the agenda of the Synod on Synodality, the topic remains a significant point of discussion within the Church. According to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the General Relator of the Synod, the issue of women’s priestly ordination was not included because it was not universally raised. The Instrumentum laboris published recently Read more
Bishops are conducting regional workshops around the world to prepare for the October 2024 Synod on Synodality in Vatican City. These workshops are crucial in shaping discussions at the synod, which aims to make the Church more inclusive and participatory. This reflects the themes outlined in the Vatican’s guiding document “Instrumentum Laboris”. Europe In Europe, Read more
The working document, or instrumentum laboris, for next October’s meeting of the Synod of Bishops is “taking up again” the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the church by focusing on the missionary responsibility of all the baptized in the synodal church. That is what Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich (pictured), the relator general for next Read more
Theologian Tina Beattie has expressed frustration over the Vatican’s ongoing postponements regarding women’s roles in the Catholic Church, describing the situation as “platitudinous waffle”. Beattie criticised the lack of progress in an article published on Thursday by Sacred Heart University in the US. Beattie’s comments follow the release of a new working paper by the Read more
The agenda for the next round of the Synod on Synodality, scheduled for Oct. 4-27 in Rome, will focus on female leadership and the inclusion of women in the Catholic Church, according to a document released Tuesday (July 9) by the Vatican. The “Instrumentum Laboris,” or “working document,” is an initial plan for the second Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has selected Whanganui Parish Priest Fr Craig Butler to attend a pre-synod world meeting of parish priests at the Vatican. Butler (pictured) will represent New Zealand’s Catholic priests at the gathering from 28 April to 2 May. He and 300 confreres from across the globe will share views and Read more
Pope Francis has set up study groups to explore various themes that emerged from the Synod on Synodality’s session last October. At the upcoming session, participants will continue to work on the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission”. The pope has also set the dates for the second session which – after Read more
It is hard for result-oriented Americans to understand that, for Pope Francis, the synodal process is more important than any decision, report or document that comes out of it. We are eager to know what the synod will decide on specific issues like blessing gay couples, ordaining women as deacons or priests and authorising married Read more
Speaking at the Synod on Synodality, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich shared an introductory reflection on the “co-responsibility of the mission.” This is the subject of the third module, dedicated to section B2 of the Instrumentum laboris, or working document, which is being addressed starting today. B2 reads: “Co-responsibility in Mission: How can we better share gifts Read more