synodality

International Women’s Day presented the findings of two surveys on women in the church, which will help inform the Synod on synodality.

Pope Francis urged the seminarians to listen to God by making room for him in their lives every day and praying in silence before the tabernacle.

The final document for the continental stage from North America, along with the contributions of the six other continental assemblies, will form the basis of the “instrumentum laboris,” or working document, to be released by the general secretariat in June 2023.

The Gospel calls to conversion and to peacemaking, including in one’s relationship with family members and co-workers, were at the center of the pope’s remarks to the Curia.

The document especially emphasizes the formation of parish Synod Evangelization Teams that in successive years will help establish parish-based small groups, find ways to teach about the Mass while enhancing liturgies and focusing on the Eucharist and assist parents in forming their children in the faith.

The German bishops’ meeting with officials of the Roman Curia was not a “showdown,” but it did make clear the Vatican’s strong concerns about Germany’s Synodal Path, especially regarding its support for official ministries for women and for a change in church teaching about homosexuality, said the president of the bishops’ conference.

One of the many challenges in communication is to be prepared for the intense effort required to effectively communicate in a world that often misunderstands or is reluctant to understand.

“There is no way to be certain of the outcome of a process like a worldwide synod. Participants must be willing to be surprised, disappointed or even chastened by some of the feedback that comes out of local and regional deliberations.”