For the first time ever, women have been appointed to the secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. Until now the secretariat’s all-male board has been limited to priests and a bishop. The secretariat prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years on a different topic. Catholic women’s groups are welcoming the appointments. “It Read more
Young people helping the Vatican hierarchy prepare for next year’s Synod say the bishops should be open to hearing young people talk about sex, love and sexuality. The theme for the October 2018 conference is “Young people, faith, and vocational discernment”. To involve young people in planning and preparation for the conference, the Secretariat General of Read more
A questionnaire is seeking young people’s input for the 2018 Synod of Catholic bishops in Rome. A new website has been created for the questionnaire, which seeks information about “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”. The questions have been designed to help the Church better understand the lives, attitudes and concerns of 16- to 29-year-olds Read more
Cardinal George Pell is one of 15 prelates who will plan and organise the next synod of bishops. He was one of 12 prelates elected at the recent 2015 synod. Pope Francis added three others to the “synod’s ordinary council”. While the names of the 12 elected members had been circulating for some time, the Read more
Pope Francis has called for a Church that listens and learns at every level, but he said this requires the correct view of Church structure. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Francis outlined his vision for a Church that is “synodal” at every level. “A synodal church is a listening church, aware that listening is Read more
Since the 2014 Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops a growing theological divide has become apparent. This divide, evident among a small minority of cardinals and bishops present (and not present) at the Extraordinary Assembly, has been recognized through their views on how to “pastorally” apply Catholic teaching regarding marriage, family and sexual Read more
Now that the dust is beginning to settle on the tumultuous Synod of Bishops on the family, conclusions are up in the air as to what it all meant. Given the clear divisions that ran through the summit, it should be no surprise that after-the-fact interpretations are also all over the map. For some, the Read more
At the beatification of Blessed Pope Paul VI, Pope Francis has urged the Church to be open to new ways. Speaking to 70,000 people at St Peter’s Square on October 19, Francis said Catholics must “not fear the new” and must be open to previously “unexpected paths”. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who was made a Read more
ROME – True old-timers in the Vatican press corps still love to reminisce about how much fun it was covering the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of the world’s Catholic bishops from 1962 to 1965 that launched the Church on a course of modernisation and reform. It was a gripping story, filled with colorful characters. Read more
On Sunday, Pope Francis convenes a special type of meeting of bishops — one held only two other times — meant to start a frank debate about the church’s teachings and practices with which Catholics seem to most disagree, struggle with and ignore: family, marriage and sexuality. The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Read more