Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

Among the many dynamics at the synod, one could note the difference of perceptions between bishops from different cultures. Some Western prelates seem to be of the view that synod fathers from Africa are impeding progress on questions that are important in their region—for example, the church’s outreach to gay and lesbian people or those who are divorced and civilly remarried. Some African bishops, on the other hand, say that the synod’s working document reflects a too-European perspective. Asked about this alleged tension on Oct. 8, Archbishop Gabriel Palmer-Buckle of Ghana said, “[African bishops] are not here to block anybody. We are here to share what we have as a value to the greater good of the universal church.” He noted that the working document speaks mostly of “the nuclear family,” but in Africa there is also the reality of “the extended family.” He said that whenever a church in one part of the world has a problem, it is also a concern for the whole universal church, since the church is a family.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Trauma-informed spirituality knows better than to promise that prayer will take away all the pain. But it can offer the hope that, even in the midst of pain, there can be moments of feeling whole.
Nicole KirpalaniJuly 18, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Pope Leo XIV, who urged Israel’s leader to revive negotiations and enact a ceasefire.
Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella, a former Vatican diplomat who was convicted of distributing and possessing child pornography, was reinstated at the Vatican, a Spanish report says.
After an early morning attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire, dialogue and peace in the region.