An African bishop was unable to attend the synod on the family in Rome because Ebola-related restrictions meant he couldn’t leave his country. Bishop Anthony Borwah of GBarnga diocese in Liberia has sent a written intervention to the synod instead. In August, Bishop Borwah discovered that neighbouring Ivory Coast had restricted airline travel and closed Read more
A Vatican document released at the halfway point of the synod on the family shows a dramatic shift in the Church’s language about homosexual people. The relatio post disceptationem is a summary of the discussions held at the synod so far. It was read out in the presence of Pope Francis and the synod delegates Read more
The Vatican’s financial situation was not well understood for years by the committee that was supposed to oversee it. That was what the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal George Pell, said at a function in Rome last week. Cardinal Pell recalled how he sat for several years on a 15-member committee of Read more
An Australian married couple has told Pope Francis and bishops at the synod on the family that Catholic parishes should welcome gay couples. Ron and Mavis Pirola, who have been married for more than 50 years, told the synod how friends of theirs welcomed their gay son and his partner one Christmas. “The Church constantly Read more
Pope Francis is tipped to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, according to some of the world’s leading bookmakers. The Religion News Service reported that Francis is currently the 5-2 favourite with British bookmaker William Hill to win the award, which will be announced by the Nobel Institute in Norway on October 10. Irish bookmaker Read more
The appointment of the new Archbishop of Chicago, Blase Cupich, signals where Pope Francis wants to take the American Catholic Church. That’s what New York magazine writer Lisa Miller wrote of Archbishop Cupich, who has, she said, a “heart for the poor”. “People who know Cupich say he has a particular genius for bridging gaps Read more
A papal commission to protect children is to have another survivor of clerical sexual abuse join its membership. The Commission for the Protection of Minors, which Pope Francis established in December, will also have more representatives from other countries and disciplines. Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins is already a member of the commission, headed by Read more
Pope Francis has stated that the Church “must not withdraw into dogma” and should recognise that “the world has changed”. In an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Francis indicated that he wanted clergy to be less judgmental and more understanding of those living outside Catholic norms. He told the newspaper: “The world has changed Read more
On the eve of the opening of the synod on the family, Pope Francis said the secret to solving situations of difficulty lies in gazing on the face of Christ. “Every time we return to the source of Christian experience, new paths and un-thought of possibilities open up,” the Pope said at a prayer vigil Read more
On Sunday, Pope Francis convenes a special type of meeting of bishops — one held only two other times — meant to start a frank debate about the church’s teachings and practices with which Catholics seem to most disagree, struggle with and ignore: family, marriage and sexuality. The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Read more