24/10/2015 17:29 (Vatican Radio)
The Synod of Bishops on the Family completed its final working day on Saturday, as bishops voted on a final document and approved a statement on families affected by conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine. Continue reading Synod’s final document focuses on discernment in family life
“It is not black and white,” Cardinal Christoph Schonborn said on Saturday at the last of the daily briefings of the Synod on the Family.Also present with him at the briefing were Brazilian Cardinal, Raymundo Damasceno, and the Prior General of the Little Brothers of Jesus, Hervé Janson, – the only lay delegate at the Synod with the right to vote.
Listen to the report by Fr. Russell Pollitt, SJ: Continue reading Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 17
Vatican City, 24 October 2015 (VIS) – This morning Bishop Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa pronounced the final meditation before the Synod Fathers participating in the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, which will close tomorrow, Sunday 25 October, with a solemn Mass to be celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Basilica. Continue reading Synod: an experience of grace, communion, collegiality and service, says the bishop of Bilbao
Vatican City, 24 October 2015 (VIS) – During this morning’s General Congregation, during Vespers for the conclusion of the Synod, the Synod Fathers launched a new appeal for peace and the resolution of conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine, asking the international Community to act via diplomatic channels and to engage in dialogue to end the suffering of thousands of people. Continue reading Declaration of the Synod of Bishops on the situation in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine
Source: United Nations Photo
Ironically, while India is promoting “International Day of Non-Violence”, Israel-India’s arms supplier- continues to ignore the United Nations Security Council’s request Continue reading International Day of Non-Violence at UN organised by INDIA, who has ISRAEL as major arms supplier…the irony
23/10/2015 17:18 (Vatican Radio)
How far has the Irish Church come in responding to the challenges facing families today? What have its leaders learnt from the same-sex marriage referendum earlier this year? What response are they continuing to provide for families devastated by clerical abuse? Continue reading Irish Church must respond better to challenges of family life
23/10/2015 16:20 (Vatican Radio) With just two days to go until the end of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, participants on Friday gave their reactions to a draft of the final document which is now being fine-tuned and will be voted on by the bishops on Saturday. Continue reading Synod of bishops fine-tuning final document on family life
23/10/2015 13:42 (Vatican Radio)
Amongst the bishops participating in the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family is Bishop Joseph Antony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mitayana and Vice President of the Ugandan Episcopal Conference. Continue reading Synod: Ugandan bishops focus on vocation and mission of family
Vatican City, 23 October 2015 (VIS) – An appeal for mercy concluded the Czech bishop Jan Vokal’s brief reflection with which he opened the General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on the family this morning. Continue reading Bishop Jan Vokal reminds the Synod of St. John Paul II’s invitation to mercy
2015-10-23 (Vatican Radio)
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, on Thursday said it was the “grave duty” of the Vatican to remind the international community that “extremists are seeking to eradicate religions, ethnic groups and cultures” that have been in the Middle East “for millennia.” Continue reading Holy See: Extremists seek to eradicate religions and cultures
2015-10-22 (Vatican Radio)
The Under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku, has given a lecture at a conference at the Confucius Institute at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.
The full text of the lecture is below Continue reading Dialogue between religions: new challenges for the future
2015-10-22 (Vatican Radio)
The Church’s youngest Cardinal, Soane Mafi, was a guest at the daily press briefing for the Synod on the Family. He was joined by Cardinal Oswald Gracias from India (who is on the Synod’s drafting committee) and Archbishop José H.Gómez from the United States of America. Continue reading Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 15
by Christa Pongratz-Lippitt | Oct. 22, 2015
The group of German speaking prelates at the ongoing Synod of Bishops has presented a way that certain divorced and remarried Catholic persons might be allowed to take Communion in the church. Continue reading Text of German proposal for Communion for remarried at synod
2015-10-22 (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has announced he has established a new Dicastery dedicated to Laity, Family and Life. Continue reading Pope Francis announces the establishment of a new Dicastery
2015-10-22
The Synod Fathers have been working through a document[Instrumentum laboris] in small groups[Circoli Minori], based on language, in order to respond to the the challenges facing the family today. These sessions have now concluded and each of the three separate reports, with each of the different language contributions, are listed below. Continue reading SYNOD – Congregazione generale Relazioni dei Circoli minori sulla prima; seconda;terza parte dell’Instrumentum laboris -PDF documents [ALL] languages
Vatican City, 21 October 2015 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis held his usual Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square. In his catechesis, in which he revisited the theme of the family, he reflected on faithfulness and the promise of love between a man and a woman, on which the family is based, and which implies the promise to welcome and educate children, to care for elderly parents and the weakest members of the family, and to help each other to develop their own qualities and to accept their limitations. Continue reading Fidelity to the promise, a work of art
Vatican City, 21 October 2015 (VIS) – On Monday and Tuesday this week the Synod Fathers examined the third part of the Instrumentum Laboris, which deals with, among other themes, irregular family situations, admission of divorced and remarried faithful to communion, the pastoral care of homosexuals, and responsible parenthood. Continue reading The Circuli Minori conclude their examination of the Instrumentum Laboris
Vatican City, October 2015 (VIS) – The role of the woman in the family, in society and in the Church, cultural differences, concerns regarding ethics in medicine, the situation of persecuted Christian families and the testimonies of those engaged in family catechesis were main themes of the interventions by auditors in the Synod Hall during the general congregations of Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October, published today. Continue reading Listen to women, say auditors to Synod Fathers
The last big contribution of the German language group, their commentary on the third part of the Instrumentum laboris. There are several interesting elements in it, to begin with the first paragraph in which the Synod fathers strongly criticise the comments of some of their colleagues about what happens in the deliberations. They also criticise a too-strict application of the rules, and especially the language used in doing so.
Despite the expectations of some, the group also comes out strong in defence of the family and magisterial documents sich as Humanae vitae and Familiaris consortio.
The most difficult topic is left until last: the question of allowing divorced and civilly remarried faithful access to the sacraments? The German language group seems to be in favour of it, but also emphasises that this is a decision that needs to be made in the internal forum, in conversation between the…
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2015-10-21 (Vatican Radio) “It is my hope that the Synod will be one that leaves us with open doors, not closed ones,” said Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Germany at the daily press briefing for the Synod on the Family. Marx was present with Cardinal Daniel Sturla Berhouet of Uruguay, and Archbishop Eamon Martin of Ireland. The prelates spoke about their experience of the Synod and then answered questions. Continue reading Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 14
21/10/2015 12:46 (Vatican Radio)
Participants at the Synod on the Family have concluded their small group work and presented the results of their discussions on the third and final part of the working document, dedicated to ‘The Mission of the Family today’. On Wednesday members of a special committee are drawing together the recommendations of all the small groups into a final document which will be presented and voted on by Synod Fathers on Saturday. Continue reading Synod’s small groups seek consensus amid diverging visions
21/10/2015 12:10 (Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience this Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square. In his remarks to the faithful gathered in the Square, Pope Francis returned to the theme of the family, and specifically to the promises a man and a woman make to each other when they form a family in marriage. Continue reading Pope Francis: keep our word, heal our families, save the world
2015-10-20 (Vatican Radio) Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of South Africa cautioned against using “politically correct language” at the daily press briefing for the Synod on the Family on Tuesday. Napier was a guest together with Cardinals Luis Martinez Sistach of Spain and Alberto Suarez Inda of Mexico. Continue reading Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 13
20/10/2015 10:59 (Vatican Radio)
The Synod of Bishops on the family winds up its small language group work on Tuesday, with participants discussing further changes they’d like to see reflected in the concluding document. Continue reading Synod: long term effects of sexual abuse on family life
Vatican City, 19 October 2015 (VIS) – On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, the Holy Father addressed the Synod Fathers in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. An introduction was given by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, and the president of the Episcopal Conference of Austria and cardinal archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schonborn pronounced a commemorative discourse.
Continue reading The Synod: walking together
Bishops arriving for the morning session of the Synod on the Family – AFP
19/10/2015 16:40 (Vatican Radio)
Archbishops Enrico Solmi of Italy, Mark Coleridge of Australia and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Beatitude Fouad Twal, answered questions from the media at the daily press briefing on the Synod of the Family. Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, explained that the delegates were meeting in small groups on Monday and Tuesday so there will be no report until Wednesday of the discussions that were underway. The three prelates answered a number of questions – mainly focussed on the admission of the divorced and civilly remarried to Communion. Continue reading Synod on the Family: Press Briefing Day 12
Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton – RV
19/10/2015 12:46 (Vatican Radio)
The Synod of Bishops on the family moves into its third and final week on Monday with participants meeting in small language groups to discuss further changes they’d like to see in the concluding document. Continue reading Synod Bishops building bridges between truth and mercy
Vatican City, 18 October 2015 (VIS) – This Sunday in St. Peter’s Square the Pope celebrated Holy Mass for the canonisation of Blesseds Vincenzo Grossi (1845-1917), diocesan priest and founder of the Institute of the Daughters of the Oratory; Maria Isabel Salvat Romero (Mary of the Immaculate Conception), (1926-1998), superior general of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross; and the spouses Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Zelie Guerin (1831-1877). Continue reading The Pope canonises four new saints and appeals for peace in the Holy Land
16 October 2015
SC/12083 7536th Meeting (AM) Security Council Meetings Coverage
DINA KAWAR (Jordan) said her Government had called for today’s meeting to urgently address the latest developments in the Palestinian territory, especially occupied East Jerusalem, including Israel’s incursion into Al-Aqsa mosque and imposition of a reality that would change the status quo there, as well as provocations by Israeli extremists that had “crossed all possible lines”. Continue reading Security Council -Statement from JORDAN
16 October 2015
SC/12083 7536th Meeting (AM) Security Council Meetings Coverage
The crisis sparked by fresh violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza could not be stopped by security measures alone, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told the Security Council today, urging Palestinians and Israelis to respect decades-old status quo arrangements around holy sites, and for political leaders on all sides to calm their language in a joint effort to de-escalate the situation. Continue reading Security Council Urge Palestinians, Israelis De-escalate Situation, Respect Status Quo around Holy Sites
The Loud Cry 
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