The synod on the family’s special secretary has given a qualified support to legal recognition of the rights of people in same-sex unions. At a press conference after the release of the synod’s half way report (relatio), Archbishop Bruno Forte said “it seems obvious to me that humans have different experiences [and] have rights that Read more
German Cardinal Walter Kasper has said that African prelates should not tell the rest of the Church what to do about homosexual people. In an interview with Zenit on October 15, after the evening working groups’ discussions at the synod on the family, Cardinal Kasper said homosexuality is a taboo subject in Africa. “Africa is Read more
A French couple has admitted to the synod on the family that they used artificial contraception after the birth of their third child. But Olivier and Xristilla Roussy said their experience with contraception was not a good one. After their third child was born, Mr Roussy said, Xristilla was exhausted; they thought that using the Read more
An Austrian cardinal says the Church under Pope Francis will find new ways of responding to people who don’t live up to its teachings. Speaking to media at the synod on the family, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn said it is clear that the Church must reach out to those whose marriages have failed. No one must Read more
One of the Vatican’s top canon lawyers at the Synod of Bishops on the Family says the current process for the annulment of marriages in the Catholic Church could be streamlined and expanded to the benefit of very many people whose marriages have broken down. This could be one of the positive fruits of the Read more
An Australian married couple has told Pope Francis and bishops at the synod on the family that Catholic parishes should welcome gay couples. Ron and Mavis Pirola, who have been married for more than 50 years, told the synod how friends of theirs welcomed their gay son and his partner one Christmas. “The Church constantly Read more
A Nigerian archbishop has told the synod on the family that no-one should try to impose foreign cultures and ways on African peoples. Africans “have come of age”, said Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, who is president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference. “We should be allowed to think for ourselves,” he said, noting that many African countries Read more
An interview with Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, one of the three presidents of the Synod on the Family. La Croix: The synod was preceded by a questionnaire sent to the parishes. Were you surprised by the influx of replies from local churches? Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois: Yes, I was. There was very little time Read more
“We need to stress the weaknesses and at the same time the complexity of the family in the Melanesian context”, according to Catholic Bishop Arnold Orawae of Wabag. He said this at a press conference in Port Moresby as he was setting out to Rome to attend the synod on the family with Pope Francis. Read more
More than 1000 cheating Northlanders have signed up to a dating website designed especially for married or attached people. The operators of European-based Victoria Milan claims it has 15,000 Kiwi members and 1020 registered as being from Northland. The founder, Norwegian Sigurd Vedal, claimed the cheater’s portal did not ruin marriages, but saved them. Continue Read more