Synod

The Vatican and the Chinese government are renewing their agreement on the appointment of bishops and extending it from a two-year to a four-year term, both sides announced.

“Rushing” to open the diaconate to women in the Catholic Church would short-circuit a necessary reflection on the relationship between ordained ministry and charismatic leadership, particularly as it impacts the participation of women in the church, said the head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office.

Unlike last year’s meeting, hot-button topics are not expected to compete for participants’ attention. Instead, the focus is expected to be on synodality itself.

El crecimiento, las tensiones innegables y “un profundo deseo de reconstruir y fortalecer” el cuerpo de Cristo han surgido como temas clave en el último informe del sínodo de la Iglesia Católica en los Estados Unidos.

Competing notions of authority and giving certain Christian truths preeminence over others can not only derail the Synod assembly, but also, cripple the church’s ability to share Christ with the world.

At least three dozen women will be voting members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October, Pope Francis has decided.

A top court in the southern Indian state of Kerala has ordered police protection for the apostolic administrator of an archdiocese in the Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church, which is embroiled in a bitter liturgical dispute.

St. John’s School of Theology professor Kristin Colberg reflects on her experience of helping to craft the synod’s latest document.