This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley bring listener questions about the synod to America’s veteran Vatican correspondent, Gerard O’Connell.

An inauspicious first day in Rome was also a chance for me to hit pause and and try to shed some of my own fears about the synod process.

In “Laudate Deum,” Pope Francis revisits the themes of “Laudato Si’” after eight years—a clear sign of urgency for a Catholic Church that thinks in centuries.

Pope Francis sees secrecy as paramount for ensuring that synod participants can speak freely. But what if people start talking anyway?

As delegates prepare to gather in Rome for the Synod on Synodality, is clear that in the present moment, Pope Francis is calling us to be a truly listening church—a church of discernment.

In this episode, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the “dubia” and what Pope Francis’ responses, sent earlier this summer, reveal about the pope’s approach to these closely-watched topics as the synod begins.