The next 12 months will be an enriching and challenging period for local churches.

Pope Francis was given a five-minute standing ovation after he delivered an awesome address to the 253 participants at the closing session of the synod of bishops on October 18 in which he identified five temptations that he had seen at the synod and told them ldquo we have one year to mature rd

The Final Report of the synod on the family revealed that the synod has closed no doors all the main questions are still on the table and an absolute majority of the synod fathers are with Pope Francis in favor of a Church that like the Good Samaritan reaches out to care for all her ldquo wounde

The atmosphere is tense around the Vatican on the eve of the vote on the Final Report of the extraordinary synod on the family nbsp It has revived memories of what happened in the early days of the Second Vatican Council those who were here at that time tell me nbsp A number of synod fathers ha

Vietnam rsquo s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday October 18 ldquo will present an opportunity for both sides to enhance mutual understanding thus strengthening the relationship between Viet Nam and the Holy See rdquo The meeting he sa

Right now a lot of work is being done behind the scenes at the synod of bishops in the Vatican as a team of eleven synod fathers assisted by expert staff sift through the hundreds of amendments and additions to the synod rsquo s interim-Report on the family and begin drafting its Final Report Giv

The synod is on the home stretch The drafting of the Final Report begins tomorrow Oct 16 The finished text will be presented to the plenary assembly on Saturday morning Oct 18 and voted on that afternoon There is a sense of great expectation even some anxiety as participants wait to read t

Pope Francis is concerned about the formation candidates for the priesthood are receiving.

One of the Vatican’s top canon lawyers at the Synod of Bishops on the Family says the current process for the annulment of marriages in the Catholic Church could be streamlined and expanded to the benefit of many people whose marriages have broken down.Cardinal Francis Coccopalmerio of Italy s

While very many synod fathers warmly welcomed and appreciated the midway report presented by the Relator General Cardinal Peter Erdo on Oct 13 a significant number expressed serious objections to parts of that interim text both in terms of content and style That text sought to summarize the ri