Synod of Bishops Archives - Page 31 of 44

Pope and prelates get crash course in joys of sex
- Oct 7, 2014
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, cardinals, and bishops from around the world have gotten an unexpected lecture on the joys of sex, from a Catholic couple brought in to talk about what makes a marriage last. Ron and Mavis Pirola, parents of four from Sydney, Australia, told a Vatican gathering

By Associated Press
At synod, bishops discuss changes to style, not substance
- Oct 7, 2014
ROME — As Catholic bishops in the US lament another court victory for same-sex marriage, some cardinals and bishops gathered in Rome are debating how to soften Church rhetoric around homosexuality and other topics affecting families. Dubbing same-sex marriage “a grave concern to our entire nation,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of

By Michael O'Loughlin
Synod Notebook: A boost to American pride, and a plug for Kasper
- Oct 7, 2014
ROME — In Rome, a Synod of Bishops is a bit like the circus coming to town. There’s too much happening to fold all of it into brief news summaries, especially when the marginalia isn’t directly related to whatever the day’s main narrative turns out to be. Here are two

By John L. Allen Jr.

Bishops hear plea from lay couple to reach out to gays
- Oct 7, 2014
ROME — During the opening day of the Synod of Bishops on the family, Catholic prelates from around the world listened to one of the 13 lay couples invited to join them in Rome, who used the occasion to plea for greater inclusion of gays and lesbians in the Church.

By Inés San Martín

Married couples are stealing the show at synod

Oct 7, 2014

ROME – Although the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family may be primarily a gathering of prelates, during the opening two days of the meeting it’s largely been the laity who have stolen the show. Since this is a summit on family issues, the synod invited 12 married

By John L. Allen Jr.

Filipino cardinal hopes synod discusses poverty, goes beyond Communion

Oct 6, 2014

VATICAN CITY — The separation of married couples is a huge issue in the Philippines and other parts of Asia, not because of divorce, but because poverty pushes couples to separate in search of jobs abroad, said Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila. While he hopes the pastoral care

By Catholic News Service

Pope urges bishops to be bold, but synod’s opening day stresses limits

Oct 6, 2014

ROME — Pope Francis opened the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the Family today by urging the bishops and other participants to “speak boldly,” yet the main speaker on the summit’s opening day struck a cautious note, insisting that what’s at stake isn’t church doctrine, but rather its practical

By Inés San Martín

Hungarian cardinal a prime mover in Synod of Bishops

Oct 6, 2014

ROME — Theoretically, in a Synod of Bishops, all of the 200-plus prelates taking part from around the world are equal. Politically, however, some are clearly more equal than others, and this time around, few are more equal than Cardinal Péter Erdo of Hungary. Erdo is serving as the relator

By John L. Allen Jr.