Since the beginning of May, a dispute has flared up in the USA between the Catholic magazine “Commonweal”, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the media organisation “Word on Fire”, founded by the prominent US bishop Robert Barron. The cause was a column by the Italian theologian and church historian Massimo Faggioli (pictured), who Read more
Catholic bullying is spreading. In the latest example of a bully is Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire organisation threatened Commonweal magazine and theologian Massimo Faggioli over Faggioli’s April 22 essay, “Will Trumpism Spare Catholicism?” The commotion is too weird to behold. Sticks and stones It began like all schoolyard fights. Barron, or someone Read more
On May 1, the Associated Press ran an interesting report on the return of conservative Catholicism in the United States. The nutshell of the article is this sentence: “Generations of Catholics who embraced the modernizing tide sparked in the 1960s by Vatican II are increasingly giving way to religious conservatives who believe the church has Read more
In the past 11 years, it has become clear that the United States is the capital of the organised opposition to Pope Francis. There is an institutional opposition that seeks to maintain the institutional status quo, a theological opposition that’s resisting “synodality”, the newest phase of the reception of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), and Read more
It has been reported that the regulations concerning media access to the discussions at the upcoming Synod assembly in Rome – first of two sessions that will be held over the next twelve months – have not yet been approved. Journalists can only hope that the hypothesis of imposing the pontifical secret (the highest kind Read more
Cardinal-elect Víctor Manuel Fernández, set to lead the Vatican’s chief doctrinal office, has expressed his readiness for theological debates, emphasising their role in deepening the Church’s grasp of the Gospel. In an interview with the National Catholic Register, Fernández (pictured) acknowledged that while the core doctrine remains unchanged and the Gospel is immutable, the Church Read more
Rumours are circulating about the possible resignation of Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas. There is speculation that Pope Francis may request his departure. The recent developments came to light following a meeting between Pope Francis, Archbishop Robert Prevost – the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops prefect, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Read more
The 2023 assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which takes place from October 4-29 in Rome, will be the most important Catholic Church gathering since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). A consistory will precede it on September 30 when Pope Francis is to create twenty-one new cardinals. Both events are indicative of how high the Read more
Recent allegations that a biased synod agenda working document favours a liberal plan are baseless and lack substance, says Massimo Faggioli. The working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the Synod of Bishops, a result of a comprehensive process involving the participation of the entire church, is a testament to the church’s commitment to inclusivity and dialogue, Read more
One of the most ancient axioms to define the See of Peter’s role in the Church reads: “prima sedes a nemine iudicatur” — no one can judge the first see. Centuries before papal primacy was defined at Vatican Council I in 1870, the Bishop of Rome already enjoyed a type of immunity in both the Read more