The jury is out. The collated data from the diocesan Synod responses have been published for all to read. After the New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference has prepared the synthesis of syntheses, all will be posted to Rome. The can of worms has been opened. The reading is too serious to ignore. In amongst the Read more
The relationship between the centre and the peripheries has always been critical in Church history. That’s even truer now in the context of the “synodal process”. A number of interesting decisions the Vatican has taken recently shows how delicate this moment is for Pope Francis’ pontificate. The first came on June 2 when Bishop Dominique Read more
Many laity have expressed the view that the Catholic Church appears to be ‘judgemental and condemning’. They also conveyed a strong sense that the Church must be ‘there for all.’ The feedback has come from a synthesis of reports from the dioceses of England and Wales in a “listening” process that is part of the Read more
There is an old joke about the civil servant who was put in charge of implementing the government’s new policy on “freedom of information”. When asked by a journalist how the new freedom of information policy was playing out, he replied: “I’m afraid I cannot comment: that matter is classified!” It may be an apocryphal Read more
Key findings cited in the first US diocesan synod report available for public consumption highlight a strong desire from parishioners for the church to better reach out to the marginalised, be more transparent, be more consistent in moral teaching, and focus on the “critical” need to re-engage youth and young adults in the faith. The Read more
I have been on this planet now for almost 80 years. I grew up in a 50/50 Catholic family but lost the Catholic half when I was 10. This was largely compensated for by spending seven years at boarding school, both nuns and priests being my mentors. This is something for which I will be Read more
Vatican officials are not saying whether women can vote in the 2023 synod of bishops on concrete proposals about the future of the Catholic Church. By 2023 the two-year synodal path process Pope Francis will formally open next month will be complete. For years, women, including nuns, have pressed to be able to vote at Read more
The Vatican has issued the world’s Catholic dioceses with synodal path guidelines as they prepare for the 2023 Synod of Bishops. The preparatory document and a “handbook” for dioceses focuses on the theme, ‘For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission’. “Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive Read more