Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, blasted Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality, saying that the meeting’s purpose is to remove the hierarchical system centered on the bishops, the successors of the apostles, and replace it with a “democratic system” led by lay people.
Archbishop Jaime Spengler, the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), confirmed that the Amazon rite and Indigenous inculturation of the liturgy are taking place in his native Brazil. In addition, Spengler urged the church to remain “open” to the idea of married clergy.
A group of Cardinals in Rome for the Synod on Synodality took time on Tuesday to attend an event hosted by Fr. James Martin S.J. and his Outreach group, where attendees heard testimonials from “LGBTQ Catholics.”
Father Timothy Radcliffe opened the Vatican Synod by confessing, “I am old, white, a Westerner, and a man! I don’t know which is worse.”
ROME — Kazakh Bishop Athanasius Schneider has joined the many Catholic prelates warning of nefarious plotting behind the scenes of the upcoming Vatican “Synod on Synodality.”
Same sex marriages will receive “prayers for God’s blessing” for the first time in the Church of England following a General Synod vote.
In his opening address to bishops gathered in Rome for the Vatican synod on marriage and the family, Pope Francis reminded them that the Synod is not a “Parliament” where participants argue their case or negotiate, but a gathering of believers attentive to the Holy Spirit.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has released an official statement reaffirming its commitment to fight for traditional marriage in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling that imposed same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
In a bizarre sequence of events, the German edition of Vatican Radio published a cover photo of two lesbians kissing, with the caption: “Church’s sexual morality is in motion,” only to be removed, then reposted, then removed again.
The Vatican’s new document that will serve as a guide for discussions in the upcoming synod on marriage and the family has caused consternation among liberals who see the text as a barrier to more progressive reforms in Catholic teaching on marriage.
Vatican spokesman Father Tom Rosica had his lawyers send a letter threatening to sue a Catholic blogger in Canada for the man’s ongoing criticism of Rosica and his influence on the Extraordinary Synod of Catholic Bishops last fall in Rome. But now, after considerable media attention, Father Rosica has backed off and says he never really meant it.
