The much anticipated “synthesis report” from October’s synod on synodality was released after the confidential Vatican-based meetings concluded on Sunday. The synthesis report summarises synodal discussions about how a synodal Church’s ministries and structures can give a wider role for laity which is more in line with the vision of Vatican II. Big issues discussed Read more
When I was in Rome during the second week of the Synod on synodality, I had the opportunity to talk with some of the participants. Every single one of them offered encouraging words of hope. But if one wants to know what is happening at this synodal assembly, those words of hope are pretty much Read more
High-ranking Catholics from across the globe have converged on the Vatican, where a landmark initiative is underway that will shape the future of the Catholic Church. Cardinals, bishops, priests and lay Catholics, both men and women, are meeting Oct. 4-29, 2023, as part of the Synod on Synodality: an effort Pope Francis launched in 2021 Read more
My first synod was in 1985, when Pope John Paul II called an extraordinary synod to reflect on the Second Vatican Council 20 years after it ended. I have covered almost every synod since. It has never been easy. Meetings of the synod are usually closed, and the information released to the press is carefully Read more
Lay apostolate groups worldwide have made their voices heard at the synod in Rome. Current and former lay leaders from 33 countries – many in the Global South – all endorsed and are signatories to a joint statement “Contribution to the First Assembly of the Synod on Synodality”. Lay apostolate group concerns Australian Cardijn Institute Read more
The “niche issue” issue of women priests and deacons distracts the Church from addressing what women really need, a theologian participating in the Synod on Synodality says. “As a woman, I’m not focused at all on the fact that I’m not a priest,” says Professor Renée Köhler-Ryan (pictured). Köhler-Ryan is the National Head of School Read more
In a stunning revelation, it has been discovered that private deliberations at the Synod on Synodality have been accessible through an unsecured server. According to The Pillar news outlet, the records contain vital information. This includes rosters of synodal participants and their working group assignments. Reports filed by these working groups at the conclusion of the Read more
Oceania and African delegates attending the Synod on Synodality have expressed their readiness to make their voices heard by the universal Church. The delegates emphasise that their communities already practise synodality and want to share their unique perspectives. Grace Wrakia, a representative of the Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, expressed Read more
The first female president-delegate has presided at a Synod of Bishops assembly. Sister Maria de los Dolores Valencia Gomez (pictured) says her inclusion in the role at the Synod on Synodality shows the Church “has… something that places all of us at the same level”. Gomez led the Synod on Synodality assembly Friday morning in Read more
Addressing Spirit Unbounded, Pa Ropata McGowan from New Zealand said that humanity is not the master of the universe and that everything we have depends on the earth’s wellness. Organised by the International Reform Network, Spirit Unbounded is a virtual assembly running in parallel to the current Synod on Synodality, attracting participants from all over Read more