Two Syrian archbishops expressed approval for Russian airstrikes against rebel groups in their country. Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo said that the bombing of rebel positions by Russian jets was “a source of hope” for Syria.
Just like a family, the Catholic Church should challenge members to grow and behave better, but also like a family, it should not exclude those who still have some growing to do, said synod member Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio.
“Gift of Mercy,” a shelter for homeless men, is just a few hundred yards away from St. Peter’s Square.
Two couples attending the Synod of Bishops on the family said what surprised them most about their first synod in Rome was reading inaccurate media coverage of the closed-door proceedings, the diversity of problems families face around the world and the synod fathers’ great concern and compassion for the family.
Austen Ivereigh writes about the reporting of the Synod of Bishops on the family, the openness of the proceedings and the letter leaked to the press during the synod’s first week.
Several women participating in the Synod of Bishops on the family said they are encouraged that their views are not only respected but included.
By the time the pontiff flew out of Philadelphia late Sept. 27, China’s national broadcaster CCTV had made no mention of his trip.
It’s a situation reaching biblical proportions: Thousands of refugees fleeing religious persecution, leaving behind their homes and their lives.
As the discussion began at the world Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis urged members not to act as if the only question that mattered was the pastoral care of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, his spokesman said.
In a world filled with challenges to marriage and family life, the Catholic Church is called “to carry out her mission in fidelity, truth and love,” Pope Francis said at the Mass opening the world Synod of Bishops on the family.
