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Synod of Bishops, Week 1: Suspended Between Pastoral Despair or the Decision to Hope

October 12, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod of Bishops, Week 1: Suspended Between Pastoral Despair or the Decision to Hope

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia gave probably the best description of the Synod’s Working Document – and by extension of the Synod’s discussion so far. In his October 7 speech at the Synod, published on the archdiocese web site – Archbishop Chaput said that the working documents “present us two conflicting views: pastoral despair or the decision to hope.” The Synod Fathers’ sentiment after one week has been swinging between these two poles. Pope Francis’ role Pope Francis has taken the floor two times in this first week. His first, planned speech was given at the opening of the Synod. In that spee

Pope’s Morning Homily: Be on Guard, Evil One Is Always Trying to Deceive

October 11, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope’s Morning Homily: Be on Guard, Evil One Is Always Trying to Deceive

At Casa Santa Marta, Francis Considers Necessity of Discerning and Watchfulness Vatican City, October 09, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter | 3436 hits Pope Francis today at his morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta recalled that a Christian should always discern what God is doing and asking in a situation, since the Evil One is always present as well, and trying to deceive. Vatican Radio reported that the Holy Father drew his homily from today’s Gospel reading, in which Jesus is accused of driving out a demon by the “power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” There was a group, the Holy Father said, “that did not appreciate him and sought to interpret Jesus’ words and actions in a different way,…Continue Reading

Prelates Note Satisfaction With Synod’s Work So Far . . . Say Instrumentum Laboris a ‘Martyr Document’ Meant to Be Changed

October 10, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Prelates Note Satisfaction With Synod’s Work So Far . . . Say Instrumentum Laboris a ‘Martyr Document’ Meant to Be Changed

Rome, October 09, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Staff Reporter Though reports from the 13 working groups read today at the synod of bishops showed generalized dissatisfaction with the Instrumentum Laboris, Cardinal Antonio Tagle of Manila says that is to be expected, as the working document is meant to be a “martyr document,” revised and corrected during the process of the synod. That was one of several points made at today’s briefing in the Vatican press office, to which spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi invited — in addition to Cardinal Tagle — Archbishops Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, and Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid, Spain. Fr. Lombardi noted the Pope’s appeal for prayer and peacemaking in the Middle East and Africa, which he made…Continue Reading

Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 6

October 10, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 6

(Vatican Radio) 10 Oct.At the end of the first week of the Synod on the Family in Vatican City, Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB, English Media Attache for the Holy See, joined Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ to summarise the discussions at the end of the week on Saturday. A number of issues were spoken about and addressed in interventions from Synod Fathers at the Synod on the Family on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The Fathers continued with their interventions on part two of Instrumentum Laboris. Once they had completed this section they began to listen to interventions on part three, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, told the media Fr. Lombardi said that there were 75 interventions in the plenary…Continue Reading

Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 5

October 9, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 5

(Vatican Radio) Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, director of the Holy See Press Office, brought three prelates as guests on Friday to the daily media briefing on the progress of the Synod on the Family taking place at Vatican City. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manilla, Philippines and Archbishops Joseph E. of Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, and Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid, Spain, were present.   Cardinal Tagle told the Friday press briefing that he was impressed by what he heard in the small group work at the Synod on the Family. He said that there was a “freedom and openness” to the diverse contexts and situations that families find themselves in across the world. He said that the sharp criticism…Continue Reading

Synod bishops looking for more autonomy, new insight, fresh language

October 9, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod bishops looking for more autonomy, new insight, fresh language

(Vatican Radio) At the Synod of Bishops on the Family on Friday morning, participants presented the results of their small language group work that has been going on behind closed doors for the past couple of days. Each group has been discussing the first section of the Synod’s working document, or Instrumentum Laboris, focused on the challenges facing family life today. Who exactly are those rows of men with their red and purple hats, sitting in the Synod Hall for three whole weeks? Firstly, they’re family men, in the sense that they grew up with mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, in-laws, cousins, nephews and nieces, so they know only too well the difficulties and dysfunctionalities that family life can bring to…Continue Reading

Pope Francis: why do good things happen to bad people?

October 9, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis: why do good things happen to bad people?

(Vatican Radio) God does not abandon the righteous, while those who sow evil are like strangers, whose names heaven remembers not. This is the lesson Pope Francis drew from the readings of the day at Mass Thursday morning in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. A courageous young mother with a husband and three children – and a tumor – “one of the ugly ones” – that keeps her nailed to her bed. “Why?” An elderly woman, prayerfully pious in her heart, whose son was murdered by the Mafia. Why do good things happen to bad people? Pope Francis on Thursday used this perennial query of the heart that loves good and desires to know God’s…Continue Reading

Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 4

October 8, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 4

(Vatican Radio) On Thursday Oct. 8 Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckley of Accra, Ghana, said that the world needs to be patient with Africa when it comes to dealing with issues like homosexuality. “Give countries time to deal with issues from our own cultural perspectives,” he said. He added that the dignity and rights of all God’s son and daughters need to be upheld. The Synod Fathers continued to work in groups on Thursday. Archbishop Edoardo Menchelli from Ancona-Osimo, Italy, told the briefing that there was an “open fraternal discussion” in his group and that there were divergent views emerging amongst the Fathers. The bishops, he said, were discussing the first part of Instrumentum Laboris on the current situation of the family…Continue Reading

Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 3

October 7, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 3

(Vatican Radio) At the press briefing today the Holy See Press Office announced that the Synod Fathers had elected chairpersons and moderators for their “circuli minori” (small groups). The thirteen groups were determined by language. The groups began to work on Wednesday morning on the first part of  Instrumentum Laboris which outlines the context in which contemporary family life is lived. Jesuit Father and director of the Holy See Press Office, Federico Lombardi, was joined by Archbishops Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, Laurent Ulrich of Lille and, Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón of Ayacucho o Huamanga of Peru. Fr. Lombardi invites some of the Synod Fathers as guests to the daily briefings. García-Calderón said that the Fathers had exchanged views and opinions among…Continue Reading

Pope Francis makes first direct intervention; was Cardinal Erdö undermined?

October 6, 2015 breaking Comments Off on Pope Francis makes first direct intervention; was Cardinal Erdö undermined?

Pope Francis makes first direct intervention; was Cardinal Erdö undermined? There appear to be two main contingents at the Synod: one favoring the proclamation of the fullness of the truth to be taught with clarity and Christian charity; and the other favoring mercy at any and all costs October 06, 2015 03:00 EST Fr Nicholas Gregoris Pope Francis arrives for the morning session of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 6. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) It seems as though Cardinal Péter Erdö’s presentation on the first day of the Synod, in which he reiterated the clear doctrinal content of the “Instrumentum Laboris,” struck a raw nerve among certain Synod Fathers, as well as among other participants,…Continue Reading