Key findings cited in the first U.S. diocesan synod report available for public consumption highlight a strong desire from parishioners for the Church to better reach out to the marginalized. There were calls for more transparency, more consistency in moral teaching, and a focus on the “critical” need to re-engage youth and young adults in the faith.
In October 2023, Pope Francis will convene the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops with the theme, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.”
The synodal process bridged an international border March 27 when the bishops of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico to celebrate Sunday Mass with the bishop of Matamoros.
A moment that stands out to Father Joseph Gibino from the Diocese of Brooklyn Synod on Synodality listening sessions came Jan. 6, when Msgr. David Cassato reminded priests of the need to embed themselves — become “street priests” — in their parish communities.
All Christians are invited to pray for unity and continue to journey together, said Cardinals Mario Grech, general secretary of the Synod of the Bishops, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
When Bishop Robert Brennan invited the Diocese of Columbus to an initiative to shape the diocese’s future in early 2021, two things hadn’t happened yet: His appointment to the Diocese of Brooklyn in the fall, and the start of the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality.
When 40 members of the diocese’s Hispanic community split into small groups Tuesday night at the St. Benedict Joseph Labre Church rectory to discuss their experiences and needs from the church, the conversations seemed to flow naturally.
Women religious have an essential role in the process of creating a more synodal church and in preparations for the Synod of Bishops, not just through their prayers and participation, but also by listening to people not usually part of such church activities, Pope Francis said.
As what’s come to be called the German “Synodal Path” begins forwarding its mid-term conclusions to Rome, many lay activists and bishops are describing the process as an historic and inspiring moment, a potential springtime of sweeping reform and renewal in Catholic life.
A German bishop says Pope Francis expressed a “dramatic concern” over the Catholic Church in Germany and its “synodal path” of reform that began last year, which could include reviewing “taboo” issues such as priestly celibacy and a female priesthood.
