Throughout the Catholic Church, something is stirring about the way we are governed. For many of us in the Church and across society, we don’t much care about that subject; we long ago made peace with being parts of communities, organizations, nations and even families where we just get on with our lives and leave Read more
This is a Synod on synodality, we were told. My first reaction was: what is synodality? “Synodality means walking together,” we were then told. But this had to be explained several times, and not only to those less educated. Synodality is a strange word, even for the more literate. So, I have a problem with Read more
A Catholic leader has said that his archdiocese won’t take part in the two-year global synodal process, saying that it would run “the risk of becoming ideological.” Archbishop Wolfgang Haas of Vaduz, Liechtenstein, announced his decision on Oct. 15, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. “I am of the opinion that in our small Read more
The worldwide Catholic Church has now officially embarked on the “synodal process 2021-2023”. Pope Francis launched the project at the Vatican on October 10 with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and bishops around the globe (though not all of them) inaugurated the process at the diocesan level the following Sunday with celebrations in their Read more
The Vatican on Tuesday launched a website and smartphone app to help Catholics pray for the success of the two-year process culminating in the 2023 synod on synodality. At prayforthesynod.va, Catholics can find information in English, Spanish, and other languages about how to support the synod through prayer. “This website, together with the app Click Read more
So far 220,000 Australians have answered the Plenary Council’s question, “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” In 2015, Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge says he was asking himself something similar. There was a government-mandated investigation into sexual abuse in the church and Australian Catholics were leaving the faith. Read more
Pope Francis says the two-year process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality is not about “gathering opinions,” but “listening to the Holy Spirit.” He repeatedly stressed the Holy Spirit’s role in decision-making. The three-phase synod opens next month with a diocesan phase, which will run until April. A second, continental phase will take place Read more
In a first-ever appointment of its kind, a lay Catholic will represent the Church in Poland at the official opening of the synodal process next month. The two-year synodal process is a consultative phase involving Catholic dioceses around the world. Chosen by the Polish bishops’ conference president Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, Professor Aleksander Bańka is the Read more
The process for identifying issues to be discussed at the 2023 global Synod of bishops will stifle lay Catholic voices all over the world, a group of lay Catholics in the UK says. The group is speaking out as they organise an upcoming lay-led diocesan synod. The synod’s aim is to feed ideas to bishops Read more
A Synodal Church is not just another idea, it is ‘the’ idea, Thomas O’Loughlin, Professor Emeritus at the University of Nottingham told CathNews. “If we fail to embrace this challenge we shall have little to offer and shall become an irrelevant religious sect with massive museums and a complex back story.” Pope Francis has said Read more