The general relator of this special synod, emphasized several themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate: the church must “throw open her doors”; “true tradition” is “the church’s living history”; and “God always brings newness,” so “one must not fear what is new.”
Vatican Dispatch
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
As Amazon Synod begins, Pope Francis looks to proceed with a ‘pastoral heart’
Pope Francis said the synod’s way is to “bring us close to consider the Amazon reality with this pastoral heart, with the eyes of disciples and missionaries.”
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis opens Amazon synod, says to ‘light the fire of the Gospel’ in the region
At an opening Mass for the synod on the Amazon, Pope Francis urged participants to exercise “daring prudence” and called for evangelism without “colonialism.” Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell reports.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis creates 13 new cardinals, emphasizes the need for ‘compassion’ and ‘loyalty’
In his homily as he created 13 new cardinals, Pope Francis emphasized the intimate link between being compassionate and “the ability to be loyal in one’s ministry.”
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
A migrant’s cross for a new Jesuit cardinal
The cross is made from a piece of a wooden boat used by migrants to cross the Mediterranean to land on the island of Lampedusa.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Scolding China, Pompeo proposes U.S./Vatican alliance on religious freedom
Pompeo: “More than 80 percent of mankind lives in places where religious freedom is threatened or entirely denied and it’s no coincidence that it has happened as unfree societies have proliferated.”
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Cardinals Hummes and Baldisseri respond to critics of the working document for the Amazon synod
“It is the voice of the local church, the voice of the church in the Amazon—of the church, of the people, of the history and of the very earth, the voice of the earth…. And this has value, it is not fake news,” Cardinal Hummes said.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
A Jesuit cardinal-designate says Pope Francis is making Vatican II real
“Our vocation is to help men and women to live their human lives and to live them to the full,” said Father Czerny. “This is the big mission. This is what it means to preach the Gospel and to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth.”
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Vatican employees suspended as finance investigation continues
The Vatican gendarmerie has sent an order to all personnel within the Vatican City State and the Swiss Guards that control the security and all access to the Vatican, saying the five have been “suspended from service as a precautionary measure.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Vatican police raid Secretariat of State and finance watchdog offices
“A senior Vatican source said he believed the operation, which the statement said had been authorized by Vatican prosecutors, had to do with real estate transactions.”