The final document of the synod of bishops on the family has stressed that the Church must involve the divorced and civilly remarried in all ways possible. While the document does not mention Communion for such people who are baptised, it calls for their integration into the Church community, while “avoiding every occasion of scandal”. Read more
New thinking about how some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion could be the start of a breakthrough at the synod on the family. In a report back to the synod, the German-speaking small group presented another way of looking at the issue. They argue that the Church might be able to use Read more
A US religious sister at the synod on the family has spoken of her difficulties within one of the small group discussions. Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Maureen Kelleher told the National Catholic Reporter that the ordained men at the synod have a distinct culture and a common background. Sr Kelleher is an auditor at Read more
An Australian archbishop has called for a new pastoral creativity, not an all-or-nothing approach, to families in situations the Church sees as problematic. Speaking a news conference at the synod on the family, Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane said he was concerned an “all-or-nothing” approach tended to dominate discussions before and, at times, during the Read more
A statement from a New Zealander on the goodness of sexual love in marriage is being considered for inclusion in the family synod’s final document. In a blog post on the New Zealand Catholic bishops’ website, Dr John Kleinsman wrote of how the synod’s working document made little mention of this goodness. He told a Read more
Bishops at the synod on the family last week grappled with the issue of access to the sacraments for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. In 93 interventions at the synod on Wednesday and Thursday, widely different views were expressed. A key issue is whether there could be any possibility for divorced and remarried people to Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said that the first task of bishops is not to be theologians but to teach, explain, and defend the Church’s faith and morals. The Australian cardinal delivered his intervention at the synod on the family in Rome last week, and an extended form of it was posted to the Catholic Herald’s website. Read more
The Primate of Ireland has criticised the synod on the family’s working document for not recognising the impacts of domestic violence and abuse on families. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh said it would be a mistake for the synod to overlook the “shattering” effects of clerical sexual abuse on families. In his synod intervention, Archbishop Read more
A Catholic friend of mine who spent his professional life as a journalist at what was the then rather WASPISH Melbourne Age told me in the 1980s that two sports dominated that paper’s pages – Australian Rules football and Catholic fights. Cardinal George Pell should have stuck to playing Ozzie Rules. In that game, shirt Read more
A South African cardinal has admitted signing a letter to Pope Francis criticising the make-up of a commission which includes New Zealand’s Cardinal John Dew. Cardinal Wilfred Napier of Durban told Crux that he shares concerns about “the choice of the people that are writing up the final document” for the synod. Pope Francis appointed Read more