Synodal silence: Pope says church must pause, ‘fast’ from public words October 6, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News For the duration of the assembly Oct. 4-29 all the heads of Vatican dicasteries and hundreds of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, religious superiors, professors, students and parents were scheduled to be away from their homes and their desks.
Synod members begin small-group discussions on ‘synodality’ October 5, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News The 364 members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the 85 experts, facilitators and ecumenical delegates accompanying them began their work in earnest Oct. 5, meeting, sharing and praying in small groups.
Synod begins work with focus on Holy Spirit and listening October 4, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News Pope Francis opened the work of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops asking members to meditate on ancient theological texts about the Holy Spirit, have the courage to be honest about their disagreements and focus much more on listening than on sharing their opinions.
Cardinal Burke says his concerns about synod are sign of faith October 3, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, World News U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke said when he and four other cardinals formally asked Pope Francis to respond to questions related to the synod on synodality, they were seeking reassurances about the “perennial truths” taught by the church and not attacking the person of Pope Francis.
Synod is called to understand authority, recognize truth, preacher says October 3, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News Competing notions of authority and giving certain Christian truths preeminence over others can not only derail the assembly of the Synod of Bishops but, worse, cripple the church’s ability to share Christ with the world, Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe told synod members.
Be tender, close to the poor, pope asks religious October 3, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Sharing the Gospel message requires closeness and tenderness, especially toward people most in need, Pope Francis said in separate meetings with a religious order of women and an order of men holding their general chapters in Rome.
Pope writes to children about mission, invites them to Vatican in November October 2, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Peering just over the windowsill of Pope Francis’ studio above St. Peter’s Square, five children aged 7-10 joined the pope to announce a special gathering of children at the Vatican in November.
New cardinals say building church unity is urgent need September 29, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Speaking to Catholic News Service Sept. 29, the eve of his induction into the College of Cardinals, the French prelate insisted the key to Catholic unity is “not to take refuge in ideologies.”
God has the same love for all, pope says at Angelus September 25, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News People often are tempted to think their relationship with God is some kind of commercial transaction where they buy God’s grace with their hard work, Pope Francis said.
Inside, outside: Synod to focus on the church and its role in the world September 24, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Bishops, Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News Unlike earlier meetings of the Synod of Bishops, which focused on a specific issue or a specific region of the world, the “synod on synodality” is focused on the church itself: Who belongs? How are leadership and authority exercised? How does the church discern God’s call? How can it fulfill its mandate to share the Gospel with a changing world?
Indiscriminate destruction in Ukraine is a ‘crime,’ pope says September 22, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News In a message to an ecumenical meeting at a historic Benedictine abbey in Hungary, Pope Francis said Russia’s war on Ukraine is a reminder of what the Second Vatican Council taught: “Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities or of extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself.”
Pope names two Chinese bishops to synod; Vatican publishes synod schedule September 22, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News On the recommendation of the Catholic bishops of mainland China in consultation with the Chinese government, Pope Francis has named two bishops from the country’s mainland as members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
