Organizers of Pope Francis’ ongoing Synod of Bishops on Synodality announced March 14 that 10 different working groups had been formed in the Roman Curia to address specific topics that came out of last year’s session.
Synod on Synodality
Assembly Suggests Steps to Increase ‘Synodality’
While some of the issues discussed at the synod on synodality were judged to require further study, members came up with a list of things that can or should happen immediately and others that should be considered.
Synod Members Deny ‘Authentic Divisions,’ but Acknowledge Missing Voices
Participants in Pope Francis’ Synod of Bishops on Synodality have reiterated that there are no hostile divisions in the process despite differences of opinion, while also calling for a greater participation of women in leadership and for stronger ecumenical efforts to be made.
Synod Discussions Include Addressing Pain Church Has Caused People
The synodal way is not an invention of Pope Francis, but it is based on Jesus’ way of inclusivity and listening, and on divine revelation itself, said Redemptorist Father Vimal Tirimanna, a leading moral theologian from Sri Lanka.
Testimonies Give Insight into How Synod on Synodality Can Realize Pope’s Vision for Church
The global Synod on Synodality has been two years in the making, but even as the synod’s universal stage in Rome is underway, the synod’s public discussions are revealing how this process is starting to free the church to realize the vision of a missionary church Pope Francis advanced at the very beginning of his pontificate with the publication of “Evangelii Gaudium.”
As Synod on Synodality Opens, Pope Urges ‘Fasting’ From Publicity
Pope Francis opened his Synod on Synodality Oct. 4 by urging members to abstain from speaking to journalists in order to maintain what he said was the “priority of listening,” and lamented the influence of public opinion on past synod gatherings.
Pope Urges Synod of Bishops Not to ‘Barricade Itself Behind Preconceived Notions’
In his opening Mass for the keenly anticipated Synod of Bishops on Synodality, Pope Francis said modern global challenges require the Church to be a warm and welcoming presence, free of the politicking, ideology, and “rigidity” that he said have divided much of the world.
Synod on Synodality: ‘The Biggest Thing in the Catholic Church Since Vatican II’
Meetings today are common occurrences at work, in neighborhoods, schools, and churches, but an almost monthlong meeting — coming on the heels of a two-year consultation process at the parish, national, and continental levels, and then followed by another gathering a year later before submitting a final report, to the pope no less, is hardly an average meeting.
U.S. Diocesan Synod Reports Highlight ‘Enduring Wounds’ in Church
Throughout the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality, U.S. Catholics consistently highlighted several “enduring wounds” that plague the nation’s church, including the still-unfolding effects of the sexual abuse crisis, divisions over the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, and a perceived lack of unity among the nation’s bishops.
Synod Viewed as the ‘Biggest Consultation Exercise In Human History’
Though probably unbeknownst to most Catholics around the world, on Saturday Pope Francis officially opened a two-year global consultation process, all part of a Synod of Bishops on Synodality, which participants hope will help radically change the way the Catholic Church takes decisions.