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Media Articles on the Synod

 

Air of mystery clouds nearly every aspect of synod on the family

National Catholic Reporter 

 

An unmistakable air of expectation mixed with uncertainty pervaded the atmosphere here as Pope Francis prepared to open in early October his global meeting of Catholic bishops to discuss issues of contemporary family life.

 

 

Church needs to hear from wounded faithful at family synod

National Catholic Reporter 

 

With the October Synod on the Family upon us, I've been rereading Eusebius' account of the Council of Nicea. He writes of the bishops whom Constantine called together in A.D. 325:

 

Cardinals Jousting in Public. Been there, Done that

 

Back in February, I was sitting in a Rome restaurant with a member of the College of Cardinals the day after retired Cardinal Walter Kasper of Germany had delivered an impassioned appeal to fellow members of the church’s most exclusive club for relaxing the church’s ban on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Communion. >>

 

The Betting Is Open on the Next Synod

 

For the first time in decades, bishops and cardinals will get back together to clash over radically opposed ideas, in particular on the yes or no to communion for the divorced and remarried. It is Pope Francis who wanted to reopen the dispute. With an unpredictable outcome

 

Surprise! One of the Church’s family issues is polygamy | Crux 

 

Say “family issues” to most Americans or Europeans, and they’re likely to flash on divorce, or the challenges of single-parent households, or perhaps same-sex relationships and the push for gay marriage.

 

What probably wouldn’t come naturally to mind is polygamy. Yet in many parts of the non-Western world, polygamy is a major feature of family life, and thus a major pastoral challenge for the Catholic Church.

 

Looking back at the 1980 synod on the family | National Catholic Reporter

 

NCRONLINE.ORG

 

Thomas Reese  |  Sep. 12, 2014 Faith and Justice Synod on the Family PrintemailPDF The first synod I covered as a journalist was the 1980 Synod of Bishops on the family, which proved to be a month of fun and frustration. It was fun because it took place in October, the best month for visiting Rome.…

 

 

Cardinal Napier of South Africa on the upcoming synod on the family

EN.RADIOVATICANA.VA

 

Cardinal Napier of South Africa on the upcoming synod on the family

 

CARDINAL BALDISSERI: NEW METHODOLOGY FOR OCTOBER'S SYNOD OF BISHOPS

 Tuesday, September 9, 2014
 
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – The following is the full text of the presentation by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, of the participants in the upcoming Synod in October 2014:

 

The makeup of Synod of Bishops on the family is disappointing

 

The list of those attending the Synod of Bishops on the family is a disappointment to those hoping for reform of the Curia and for those who hope that the laity will be heard at the synod.

 

Read the article

 

Cardinal Tagle: Upcoming synod will reflect clear picture of families

N.J. Viehland  |  Jun. 27, 2014

For Philippines Cardinal Luis Tagle, the Synod of Bishops on the family is a "hopeful" sign that the church is willing to listen to the difficulties families experience.

Synod working paper is boring and joyless

Thomas Reese  |  Jun. 27, 2014

Faith and Justice: There is little beautiful or inspiring in the new instrumentum laboris. If married life is as boring and joyless as this document, I am glad I am celibate.

 

Vatican document for synod on family balances mercy and cultural blame

Joshua J. McElwee  |  Jun. 26, 2014

The document says the faithful's struggles in following Catholic teachings stem mainly from ineffective education and the pervasive effect of the culture.

 

Underreported survey responses for synod on the family a valuable tool for Vatican

Christine Schenk  |  Jun. 19, 2014

Simply Spirit: This survey provided an opportunity for Catholics from anywhere in the U.S. to give feedback, not only those in the 72 U.S. dioceses that offered online surveys.

Working paper for synod on the family due this month

Thomas Reese  |  Jun. 14, 2014

NCR Today: All of the material sent to Rome for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family will be compiled to stimulate discussion of the topic for the October meeting.

With a new Synod of Bishops comes a new chance to do things right

Joan Chittister  |  May. 28, 2014

From Where I Stand: The topic of reform in the church is on the table again, but time will tell if we have another Council of Trent on our hands.

Cardinal ‘shocked’ by survey responses on family life

Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service  |  May. 22, 2014

Initial reviews of responses from around the world on questionnaires about church teaching on the family in advance of this fall's extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family show that the teaching is misunderstood, said a cardinal who will run one the synod's sessions.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, told Catholic News Service he found the responses "shocking, if I am allowed to use that word."