In the mid 1990s my husband and I lived together before we were married. In the interest of family peace we kept our living arrangement secret from my devoutly Catholic grandparents who would not have approved. I wonder what my grandparents, who died a few years ago, would have thought about Pope Francis’ decision last Read more
The list of those attending the Synod of Bishops on the family is a disappointment to those hoping for reform of the Curia and for those who hope that the laity will be heard at the synod. The appointment of 25 curial officials to the synod on the family is a sign that Pope Francis Read more
A cardinal who will run a session of October’s synod on the family says he is shocked at responses to a Vatican questionnaire on the topic. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila told the Catholic News Service he found the responses “shocking, if I am allowed to use that word”. “Shocking because almost in all Read more
Pope Francis is to beatify his predecessor Pope Paul VI on October 19, the Vatican has confirmed. The Vatican announced that Francis has approved a decree attributing a miracle to the intercession of the Italian pope, and his beatification will take place at the conclusion of the bishops’ synod on the family. On May 6, Read more
Catholic Church’s teaching are not known in Japan and the Vatican’s Europe-centric views hamper evangelisation efforts where Catholics represent a small minority of the population. This is the response of Japan’s bishops to the Vatican survey of global Catholics’ view on family issues. In what CNS describes at as a ‘sometimes pointed’ and ‘blunt’ 15 Read more
The situation of remarried divorcees will be a major topic of discussion when Catholic bishops meet in October 2014 for an extraordinary Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis on the pastoral needs of families. The Code of Canon Law says such a synod is held to “deal with matters which require a speedy solution”. Read more
The reform of the Roman Curia, the function of the Vatican Secretariat of State and the role of the Synod of Bishops have occupied Pope Francis and his advisory council of cardinals during their first meeting. The three-day meeting opened with a talk by the Pope on the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council. This Read more
Archbishop John Dew arrived back from the Synod of Bishops with many questions, including “what is the New Evangelization”, and “Why do we need a New Evangelization?” The archbishop expressed hope that some of the things spoken about which were specifically about what parishes and schools will be elaborated on. “Hopefully some of that will come Read more
President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, New Zealand Archbishop John Dew’s call to train lay evangelisers is one of the highlighted outcomes of the Synod of Bishops held in Rome. Among three of the highlighted recommendations, members of the Synod of Bishops recommended the Vatican develop guidelines for training evangelisers. Early Read more
Pope Benedict XVI closed the Synod of Bishops on Sunday with an exhortation to develop new ways of reaching out to those who had drifted from the faith. The pope closed the three-week meeting of some 260 bishops with a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. The bishops discussed ways to stem what has been Read more