Over the past three years, I have been speaking to many groups about the notion of synodality and what it might mean (and not mean) for that community of disciples we refer to as the Catholic Church. In the discussions, one question is invariably put to me, and it amounts to this: If you were Read more
Pope Francis keeps repeating that the upcoming synod is not a parliament. For him, the synod is not a forum for competing positions to debate each other with a goal of developing new policies or effecting structural changes in the church. Similarly, when Pope John XXIII convoked the Second Vatican Council in 1962, he did Read more
Since he was elected in 2013, Pope Francis has been remaking the College of Cardinals in preparation for the next conclave that will elect his successor. He has made the college more international, less European, less curial, more pastoral and less ideological. Like every pope before him, Francis has been looking for men who reflect Read more
The Synod’s Working Document is the Holy Spirit talking and Bishop Stephen Lowe is urging people to become familiar with it. Emphasising its importance, Lowe, President of the New Zealand Bishops Conference, describes the document as “another step towards the future”. “This working document is the product of the process of the Church listening to Read more
The 2023 assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which takes place from October 4-29 in Rome, will be the most important Catholic Church gathering since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). A consistory will precede it on September 30 when Pope Francis is to create twenty-one new cardinals. Both events are indicative of how high the Read more
Robert Barron, the conservative bishop and founder of Word on Fire Institute, has reassured US Catholics that the forthcoming synod on synodality will not bring about significant doctrinal changes. Despite concerns about the potential outcomes of the synod, where a diverse group of bishops, priests and laity will convene to discuss the Church’s future, Barron Read more
Nearly two years into the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis’ global effort to listen to what Catholics think about their church, most American Catholics still find it unintelligible, from its seemingly circular name to its goals and methodology. If an American were in charge of running the pope’s synod, it would be very different. Americans Read more
The fifteen people to represent the ‘Oceania continent’ at the 2021-2014 Synod were announced in Rome late Friday night. The ‘Oceania continent‘ is the term the Vatican has used for the purpose of the Synod to group Australia and the mission churches in the South Pacific. Of the fifteen, six women and nine men will Read more
What do Cardinal Gerhard Müller and the Reverend James Martin SJ have in common? They are both members of the Roman Catholic clergy who tend to be polarising figures in the Church. The first is a hero of traditionalists, while the second is a champion of those who want reform. And now the German cardinal Read more
Recent allegations that a biased synod agenda working document favours a liberal plan are baseless and lack substance, says Massimo Faggioli. The working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the Synod of Bishops, a result of a comprehensive process involving the participation of the entire church, is a testament to the church’s commitment to inclusivity and dialogue, Read more