The Catholic Church must find ways of welcoming divorced and remarried, and gay Catholics, Pope Francis said. The Pontiff made the comments in a wide-ranging interview by Argentine daily, La Nacion. Addressing the turmoil his papacy is causing with conservative-minded groups, Francis says he’s pleased the issues are in the open. It’s a “good sign” that Read more
It is important to understand that the Synod is not a parliament according to Pope Francis. Francis made the comments during a press conference to journalists during a 46 minute in-flight journey on the way home from a three day trip to Turkey. “The Synod is a path, it is a journey, firstly. “Secondly the synod Read more
The US bishops elected a solidly conservative team to represent the US Church at part two of the Synod in 2015. The decision, reported Monday, comes in the wake of what they see as a confusing part one of the Synod held in October 2014. The US Bishops are of a view that the October 2014 Synod sent Read more
The cardinal patron of the Knights of Malta, Cardinal Raymond Burke, is urging Pope Francis to take the “hot-button” issues off the table at the 2015 Synod on the family. The former Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura made the comments while addressing more than 300 delegates at a family and marriage conference Read more
Let there be no doubt. There is change, and a great deal of uncertainty, in the air in Rome. And it is not just coming from Pope Francis. The Catholic Church retaining some of the attributes of a royal court in its mode of governance provides its senior prelates with every opportunity to emulate the Read more
I have a huge concern that many of Synod Fathers’ are airing views in direct opposition to my understanding of the Church’s teachings. Thankfully there is another year to go before we hear anything official from the Church. The interim Synod document (Relatio Post Disceptationem) states that “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian Read more
In October 2014, there will be a meeting of the Synod of Bishops in Rome to examine “Pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”. To assist them prepare for the Synod the Bishops of New Zealand have asked Catholics across New Zealand to respond to a marriage questionnaire. The New Zealand Catholic Read more
The Archbishop of Westminister, Vincent Nichols is urging Catholics in England and Wales to complete ‘the pope’s survey’. So far around 5,000 people from England and Wales have filled in the survey. Elizabeth Davies, marriage and family life project officer, told the Catholic Herald that 15,000 people had accessed the survey so far but only Read more