The German bishops’ conference unveiled the initial results Wednesday of a study measuring global support for the goals of the country’s controversial “synodal way.” The study, co-funded by the bishops’ conference, is gauging the attitude of Catholics around the world toward the four main themes of the German initiative: power, the priesthood, women in the Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Synod’
Cardinal leading Catholics’ churchwide consultation wrestles with tradition and change
Monday, December 5th, 2022
Every summit of bishops called by Pope Francis has been ripe with expectations about the possible reforms — and novelties — that it might introduce in the over 2,000-year-old institution. The pope’s latest effort, the Synod on Synodality, now underway and continuing through the end of 2024, has already fomented ardent debate on some of Read more
Synod told to “hear the voices of women”
Monday, October 10th, 2022
“Hear the voices of women from around the world.” A newly released Catholic Women’s Council report makes that message clear. A delegation from the Council (CWC) presented the report to Sister Nathalie Becquart in Rome last week. She is the undersecretary at the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The CWC is the umbrella Read more
NZ Synod responses a can of worms too serious to ignore
Monday, August 15th, 2022
The jury is out. The collated data from the diocesan Synod responses have been published for all to read. After the New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference has prepared the synthesis of syntheses, all will be posted to Rome. The can of worms has been opened. The reading is too serious to ignore. In amongst the Read more
Local synods are speaking. How will Rome respond?
Thursday, June 30th, 2022
The relationship between the centre and the peripheries has always been critical in Church history. That’s even truer now in the context of the “synodal process”. A number of interesting decisions the Vatican has taken recently shows how delicate this moment is for Pope Francis’ pontificate. The first came on June 2 when Bishop Dominique Read more
Catholic Church ‘judgemental and condemning’
Thursday, May 12th, 2022
Many laity have expressed the view that the Catholic Church appears to be ‘judgemental and condemning’. They also conveyed a strong sense that the Church must be ‘there for all.’ The feedback has come from a synthesis of reports from the dioceses of England and Wales in a “listening” process that is part of the Read more
The value of open and transparent processes
Monday, May 9th, 2022
There is an old joke about the civil servant who was put in charge of implementing the government’s new policy on “freedom of information”. When asked by a journalist how the new freedom of information policy was playing out, he replied: “I’m afraid I cannot comment: that matter is classified!” It may be an apocryphal Read more
First US diocesan synod results made public
Monday, May 9th, 2022Key findings cited in the first US diocesan synod report available for public consumption highlight a strong desire from parishioners for the church to better reach out to the marginalised, be more transparent, be more consistent in moral teaching, and focus on the “critical” need to re-engage youth and young adults in the faith. The Read more
Holy Spirit desperately needed for Synod success
Thursday, May 5th, 2022
I have been on this planet now for almost 80 years. I grew up in a 50/50 Catholic family but lost the Catholic half when I was 10. This was largely compensated for by spending seven years at boarding school, both nuns and priests being my mentors. This is something for which I will be Read more
Something very new: A church that listens
Thursday, March 31st, 2022
A church that listens to and engages with the universe, with te ao Māori, with women, young people and LGBTQI is the dream of a group of laypeople who are planning an online synod in August. The group, which is part of Be the Change Aotearoa New Zealand, is inspired by the concept of Te Read more