Catholic dioceses around the world are preparing for a journey as they approach the diocesan phase of the next Synod of Bishops, whose theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.” Pope Francis will open the process Oct. 8 at
The second Synodal Assembly of German Catholics ended Oct. 2 with overwhelming support for a range of proposals that, if adopted, would bring widespread reform to the church.
The assembly -- 230 members including laity, academics, clergy and bishops -- wrestled for three
The German bishops' plenary assembly began with urgent appeals for church reform and a reminder to heed admonitions from Pope Francis.
Bishop Georg Bätzing, conference president, called on all bishops to embrace radical change, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA. He said
Ireland's Catholic bishops plan to hold a synod within the next five years to -- among other things -- hear from people who were raised Catholic but have walked away from the church.
A March 10 statement released after the bishops' conference virtual
Recognizing the pandemic has taken its toll on discipleship and could lead to the faithful in the Diocese of Dallas becoming complacent, Bishop Edward J. Burns announced he will convene a synod in the diocese Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady
The first synodal assembly on the future the Catholic Church in Germany drew both praise and some criticism, with many of the 230 participants lauding what they called a special atmosphere in the debates on key reforms. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of
FRANKFURT, Germany (CNS) — Catholic leaders in Germany have compiled responses from lay Catholics in areas related to who holds power in the church, sexual morals, the role of priests and the place of women in church offices in preparation for an
The German bishops' plans for a two-year process of consultation and deliberation on key issues facing the Catholic Church must conform to universal church law and must be approved by the pope, said the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
The upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Amazon is an "urgent" gathering, not of scientists and politicians, but for the church whose main focus in discussions will be evangelization, Pope Francis said in a new interview.
The Catholic Church must find ways to reach indigenous Catholics deprived of the sacraments in the most remote areas of the Amazon rainforest, and that may include ordaining married elders, said the working document for the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon.