Reflections on the Synod After the conclusion of the October Bishops’ Synod on the Family (October 4-25), reactions to the events and controversies associated with it and its final, 94-paragraph document, the relatio, largely fell, not unpredictably, along “conservative” and “progressive” lines. But in both camps there was considerable uncertainty. Many “progressives” seemed to feel they [...]
October 24, 2015, Saturday — The Pope's Final Discourse Today At eh end of the Synod, Pope Francis gave a final discourse in the presence of 265 bishops attending the final session, which ended just a few minutes ago. The press conference to sum up the final document and the 94 propositions that were approved is [...]
October 23, 2015, Friday — From Russia to Rome "The word mother can be traced back cleanly to Proto-Indo-European, as can father, brother and sister -- it appears in cognate form in languages like Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and so forth, and it may go back further." —Discussion of the origin of the word "mother" on an [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! This is our final reflection on the subject of marriage and the family. We are on the eve of beautiful and demanding events, which are directly connected with this great subject: the World Meeting of Families at Philadelphia and the Synod of Bishops here in Rome. Both have a worldwide [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! Today I would like to focus our attention on the bond between the family and the Christian community. It is, so to speak, a “natural” bond, because the Church is a spiritual family and the family is a small Church (cf. Lumen gentium, 9). The Christian community is the home [...]
A special “Dossier” of reflections on some of the issues facing the Synod. The key point: we must support the family in every possible way. The hall that will host the Synod of Bishops on the Family, October 5-19. German Cardinal Walter Kasper, whose reflections have sparked controversy. Cardinal Walter Kasper’s address [...]
“Do Not Fear to Take Permanent Steps” Square in front of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, Assisi — Friday, October 4, 2013 Pope Francis with the young people of Umbria. Nicola and Chiara Volpi (Perugia-Città della Pieve): “We young people live in a society where feeling good, having fun and thinking [...]
The family and its position in changing times such as ours will be at the center of the upcoming Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, to be held in the Vatican from October 5 through 19, at the specific and strongly-felt request of Pope Francis. Approximately 180 people will attend, mostly representatives of Bishops’ Conferences from around the [...]
In St. Peter’s Square on October 26, 2013, Pope Francis met representatives of families from around the world who had gathered to celebrate the closing the “Year of Faith”. The thing that is most striking when one reads the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document that will be used at the upcoming bishops’ Synod on [...]
Pope Francis' Address to the Extraordinary Consistory of the College of Cardinals Vatican City, February 20, 2014 Dear brothers, I extend a warm greeting to you all and, with you, I thank the Lord who has given us these days of meeting and working together. We welcome especially our brothers who will be created Cardinals on [...]