Synod Archives - Catholic Herald

Synod

Pope’s new head of doctrine praises department’s ‘democratic system’ for handling queries

October 03, 2023

ROME – Pope Francis’s new doctrine chief has said he believes a revised structure for his department is working well, and now includes a “democratic system” for handling whatever queries or complaints might arrive that prohibits him from making unilateral decisions. New Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, a close papal friend and ghostwriter who recently became

Pope responds to cardinals’ dubia, says ‘maybe’ to blessing some same-sex unions, ‘no’ on women priests

October 02, 2023

ROME – Responding to a group of five cardinals who posed critical questions about his upcoming Synod of Bishops on synodality, Pope Francis largely upheld the Church’s ban on women priests, while suggesting the doctrine can still be studied, but signaled openness to giving blessings to same-sex couples provided that doing so is not confused

The problem with prioritising ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue at the Synod

September 28, 2023

As more details of the October Synod emerge, so does a clearer sense of its priorities. On 30 September the Synod will begin with an ecumenical vigil. A host of ecumenical guests have been invited. Much is being made of the fact that the Synod on Synodality is being begun with an ecumenical flourish. Sr. Nathalie

Cardinal Müller on Synod: ‘This is the great hour of manipulation’

September 14, 2023

On Tuesday Cardinal Müller gave a frank interview to Spanish Catholic news website InfoVaticana, in which he has expressed his grave concern about multiple aspects of the upcoming Synod Assembly on synodality and the current state of the Church. The interview was done in writing as the Cardinal is in Poland, and followed the announcement

Pope dismisses critics of Synod as ‘ideological’ with an ‘incapacity for dialogue’

September 04, 2023

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE – Pope Francis warned against the influence of what he called “ideology” on an upcoming Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, indicated that his future travel plans may be curtailed given considerations of health and limitations on movement, and also distanced himself from climate change extremists. The pontiff also largely rejected

Synodality: a new perestroika?

August 07, 2023

It is notoriously risky to compare two large historical movements, especially recent or contemporary ones, and to claim to detect similarities between them: quite simply, like is not being compared with like. That said, present debates might benefit from a quite different perspective: a comparison between the current enthusiasm for “synodality” within the Catholic Church and the

Instrumentum Laboris or Instrumentum Deceptionis?

July 10, 2023

The Catholic Church is indeed in serious need of renewal. But when has the Church not been? The task for each generation is one of discernment. Discernment is both a facet of common sense, but like so many aspects of the life of faith, it has a spiritual or supernatural dimension too. St Paul reminds

Lay people, including women, will participate in Synod on Synodality assembly, Vatican announces

April 27, 2023

The 2023 Synod of Bishops will include lay people, half of whom will be women, organisers revealed in a landmark development for the Church’s synod process. According to Vatican News, 70 lay people appointed directly by Pope Francis, 50 per cent of whom shall be women, will enjoy voting rights at the assembly, which will consist