As part of the synodal process, Archbishop of Perth Tim Costelloe urges bishops to listen non-defensively and understand “where people are.” Costelloe has spoken out in support of the synod process, calling it a “fantastic opportunity” for the Catholic Church to engage with the contemporary world. He has urged adding that the synod is inviting Read more
On the last day of their meeting at the Vatican this month, the seven-member Synod of Bishops’ preparatory commission had an audience with Pope Francis. Bishop Daniel Flores, who has been coordinating the synod process for the United States bishops, said the meeting was “very encouraging”. Francis speaks “very beautifully about the Church and about Read more
We do not know what the final result of the Synod on synodality will be. But we already know that the synodal process is a crucial moment in making real the transition from a Eurocentric Catholic Church to a global Catholic Church. We are now in a crucial moment of the multi-stage process that will Read more
Everyone who participates in the Synod of Bishops is eligible to vote, including women. Pope Francis made the comment in an interview with the Argentinean newspaper La Nacion. Francis stressed that including diverse voices in the synod is an ongoing process but that everyone who participates in the synod, regardless of gender, has the right Read more
The next six months are likely to be a bumpy road on the way to Rome where the first of two Synod assemblies on the very issue of synodality will take place this coming October. This gathering, and a second one in October 2024, are the culmination of the Synodal Path on which Pope Francis Read more
Asian Church leaders have concluded their continental-level preparations for making the Church more participatory by discussing key questions that have not been sufficiently discussed during lower-level gatherings. The continental-level gathering that ended on Feb. 26 in Bangkok was the highest preparation level ahead of the Synod of Bishops, more commonly called the Synod on Synodality, Read more
As the Church’s global “synod on synodality” continues, groups of bishops and laity are now staging continental-level discussions of the “Working Document for the Continental Stage,” a synthesis document created by a Vatican-appointed working group. The continental stage’s working document – published by the Vatican in October – is meant to be a summary and Read more
The German bishops’ conference unveiled the initial results Wednesday of a study measuring global support for the goals of the country’s controversial “synodal way.” The study, co-funded by the bishops’ conference, is gauging the attitude of Catholics around the world toward the four main themes of the German initiative: power, the priesthood, women in the Read more
Every summit of bishops called by Pope Francis has been ripe with expectations about the possible reforms — and novelties — that it might introduce in the over 2,000-year-old institution. The pope’s latest effort, the Synod on Synodality, now underway and continuing through the end of 2024, has already fomented ardent debate on some of Read more
“Hear the voices of women from around the world.” A newly released Catholic Women’s Council report makes that message clear. A delegation from the Council (CWC) presented the report to Sister Nathalie Becquart in Rome last week. She is the undersecretary at the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The CWC is the umbrella Read more