Vatican City, Oct 16, 2015 / 09:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As the second week of the synod draws to a close, it remains to be seen what the final product from the global meeting of bishops will be. The Synod on the Family, which gathers bishops from ar... Read more

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2015 / 05:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After years of both direct and indirect remarks on the subject, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx issued his most direct statement yet in favor of offering Communion to the divorced-and-remarried. ... Read more

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2015 / 11:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Violence, incest and sexual abuse within the family were among the issues addressed by synod fathers in their most recent talks, as well as the Church's role in bringing light to difficult situations. One of the synod bishops specifically referred to “the martyrdom of silence in many families where incest has taken place.” He said that in the midst of the horror of such situations, the Church “has to become the voice and give voice to the martyrs, those who have suffered the terrible evil of incest.” The contributions of synod fathers during both yesterday’s evening session as well as today’s morning session were summarized in an Oct. 16 press briefing, led by Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi. Both the English and Spanish language assistants to the Holy See press office – Fr. Thomas Rosica and Fr. Manuel Dorantes – were there to summarize the interventions in their respective languages as well as Fr. Bernard Hagenkord S.J. in Italian, and Mrs. Romilda Ferrauto in French. After 30 of the synod participants spoke yesterday evening, three auditors also gave their interventions, all of whom were couples. This morning all of the fraternal delegates and the rest of the synods’ 27 auditors, addressed the gathering. Violence has been a consistent theme over the past few days of discussion, with various synod fathers discussing either violence against women or domestic abuse. Today, however, was the first time that incest and sexual abuse in the family came up during the briefing. Human sexuality in general was a topic which seemed to be widely discussed, with several synod fathers expressing the need to refer to it in a more positive light. Participants highlighted “the disastrous effects and results of very poor sex education programs in many countries, which are then transmitted through books, and then manuals and media,” Fr. Rosica said. The Church is therefore “a mother and teacher of love who really has to be involved in the passing on of information on human sexuality.” Fr. Dorantes said that the Spanish interventions echoed the need, and said that the Church must place a greater emphasis on sexual education, weighing in on the topic in a very clear way since the current sex education is often “negative and distorted.” “Many parents of families don't speak about the beauty of sexuality with their own children, leaving this responsibility to public entities,” he said. “The Church still hasn’t entered this area, presenting the Good News of human sexuality as a path of love, and not as a path of sin.” It was noted that married couples play a special role in educating on human sexuality, and that their perspective is enriching to the synod discussion. Emphasis was also placed on the need to deepen in the teachings of Bl. Pope Paul VI’s historic encyclical Humanae Vitae and the strength of the marriage bond, with synod fathers stressing the link between God’s love and that of man. Children were also a big topic of discussion coming from the African continent, with one participant specifically noting that children are frequently viewed as the recipients of pastoral care, but ought to also be considered “as subjects of promoting family relationships and family life.” “They are not just the recipients, but they are the protagonists,” the synod father who spoke maintained. Another point that came up was how in some Third World countries children are viewed more as liabilities rather than as a blessing. In these countries the perspective must change, so that children are seen as “as a real sign of hope for the future of that country and also a sign of vitality for the culture of that country,” Fr. Rosica mentioned. Many bishops also shared their experience of being moved and formed by the individuals whom they serve when, after setting out as pastor and teacher, they themselves were catechized by the couples they sought to form. One particular synod participant observed that “it's easy for us as priests and bishops to be drawn into ways of power and control as if we are the only ones who have to impart the knowledge, whereas working with couples and families is a mutual process of growth and holiness.” Care of the elderly and their contribution to society were also brought up numerous times, particularly the feelings of isolation and uselessness which often accompany the ageing, and are frequently followed by despair and suicide. Among the other topics synod participants touched on were globalization; social media; extractive industries; climate change; migration; parents who work multiple jobs; youth ministry; infertility; orphans; the role of family in creating peace and the need for a new, more modern pastoral adapted to the times, even in terms of the Church’s canonical rite. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2015 / 04:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After last night’s synod session Pope Francis didn’t go back to his residence at the St. Martha house as usual, but instead decided to pop by the Vatican’s new dormitory for homeless men. According to an Oct. 16 communique from the Vatican, the Pope left for the dormitory shortly after the synod’s evening session yesterday closed at 7 p.m., taking off in his Fiat. Located around the corner from the Vatican on Via dei Penitenzieri, the new shelter is called the “Gift of Mercy” house, and was inaugurated during a private Oct. 7 ceremony with a blessing and Mass with the dorm’s first guests and volunteers in attendance, celebrated by Papal Almoner Archbishop Krajewski. Furnished by the Papal Office of Charities and donations, the dorm is run by sisters from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, and was established with the help of the Jesuits. Upon his arrival, Pope Francis was greeted by Archbishop Krajewski; the head of the Office of Papal Charities Msgr. Diego Ravelli; the Superior General of the Jesuits Fr. Adolfo Nicolás; Fr. Joachin Barrero, superior of The General Curia Community; three of Mother Theresa's sisters and some volunteers who manage the new structure. Francis greeted each of the shelter’s 30 guests individually in the common area before following them to the dormitory, visiting both their beds and other service areas, including, apparently, the laundry room, according to photos from the event. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));After last night’s synod session Pope Francis didn’t go back to his residence at the St. Martha house as usual, but...Posted by Catholic News Agency on Friday, October 16, 2015 The Vatican’s communique noted that as the Pope greeted them for roughly 20 minutes, the guests were “visibly moved and happy with his visit.” With enough space to house 34 men, the shelter brings the Vatican’s total capacity for housing the homeless up to 84. Besides the “Gift of Mercy” house, the Missionaries of Charity also run the “Gift of Mary” home in the Vatican, a homeless shelter for women established by Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa in the late 1980s. As part of their stay at the “Gift of Mercy” house, the men are invited to enjoy dinner every night at the “Gift of Mary” shelter, which houses 50 beds for women. The sisters register each guest as they arrive between 6-7 p.m. Soon after, it’s lights out, with a wake-up call at 6:15 a.m. After time for bed-making and personal hygiene, the dorm closes at 8 a.m. to give the sisters a chance to clean before the next night. The new dorm is the latest in a string of charitable initiatives launched through the Papal Charities. Earlier this year, Pope Francis established showers, bathrooms and a barber shop inside the Vatican to serve the homeless population. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2015 / 04:36 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic teaching on marriage and the family is universal, not something local bishops’ conferences can decide for themselves, an Irish archbishop said Thursday. Archbishop Eamon Martin o... Read more

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2015 / 11:31 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis discussed in a new interview topics ranging from his reasons for canonizing the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, to his thoughts on whether there could be life on other planets. The interview with French journalist Caroline Pigozzi of Paris Match was conducted in Italian, and published in both Italian and French Oct. 15. Pigozzi is known for making the Pope's eyes light up in January when on board his flight to the Philippines she gifted him a silver bas-relief, or carving, of St. Therese of Lisieux, to whom he has a strong devotion. In the interview, the Pope said that he is doing “well,” but confessed that he is tired due to his recent Sept. 23-27 visit to the United States, as well as the demands of the current synod of bishops on the family. He then responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics, including climate change, as well as his thoughts on whether or not extraterrestrials exist. The journalist brought up NASA’s discovery last July of a new planet, Kepler 452 B, which resembles Earth in its dimensions and characteristics, asking whether there could be thinking beings elsewhere in the universe. “Honestly I wouldn't know how to answer,” the Pope replied, explaining that while scientific knowledge has until now excluded the possibility of other thinking beings in the universe, “until America was discovered we thought it didn't exist, and instead it existed.” “But in every case I think that we should stick to what the scientists tell us, still aware that the Creator is infinitely greater than our knowledge.” Francis said that the one thing he is sure about in the universe and the world in which we live is that it “is not the result of chance or chaos,” but rather of divine intelligence. It is the result “of the love of God who loves us, who created us, who desired us and never leaves us alone,” he said. Pope Francis also spoke about the reasons behind his decision to canonize the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Louis and Zélie Martin. They will officially be declared saints by the Pope this Sunday, Oct. 18, and are the first married couple to be canonized together. The Martins, he said, “are an evangelistic couple who throughout their whole life gave witness to the beauty of faith in Jesus, both inside and outside of their home.” At a time when “a certain bourgeois ethics” despised the poor with the excuse of maintaining a certain decorum, the Martins instead opened their hearts and doors to them, he said. “Those two, with their five children, devoted their energy, time and money to help the needy. Certainly they are a model of holiness and of married life.” St. Therese, the youngest of the Martin’s five children, is someone the Pope frequently goes to with special intentions, and to ask for favors. He said that the reason for his strong devotion to the young Carmelite nun is that “she is one of the saints that speaks to us most about the grace of God.” “The little Therese understood in her existence what love is, the reconciling love of Jesus, which impels the children of his Church. This is what Therese of Lisieux has taught me,” he said. Francis said he also appreciates the saint’s reflections on the dangers of gossip and “the spirit of curiosity,” both of which he has spoken of often since his election as Bishop of Rome. On the topic of climate change, the Pope was asked if he had a message for the upcoming climate summit in Paris. He responded by saying that “the Christian is a realist, not catastrophic.” “Because of this, we cannot hide the evidence: the current world system in unsustainable,” he said, and expressed his hope that the summit “can contribute to a concrete choice, shared and farsighted, for the common good.” He said there must be an end to the “indiscriminate exploitation” of the planet and the deterioration of our common home, and that we must “protect man from auto-destruction.” To do this, humanity has to renounce the idolatry of money and again place the human being, their dignity and the common good at the center. Otherwise, “out descendants will be forced to live on heaps of rubble and dirt.” Pope Francis, who is a known pizza-lover, was also asked if he has ever considered hopping on a bus dressed as a simple priest and going to a Roman pizzeria. In response, the Pope said that “I haven't completely abandoned my black clerics under the white cassock!” “I would certainly like to be able to wander the streets still, the streets of Rome, which is a beautiful city.” He said he has always been “a priest of the streets,” and that some of Jesus’ most important encounters happened there. However, he also recognized that while he would love to go out and eat a good pizza with friends, it’s not easy. In fact, he said that to do so is “almost impossible” for him. Yet Francis did say that he has no lack of contact with people, and that as Pope he meets “many, much more than when I was in Buenos Aires, and this gives me great joy!” “When I embrace the people I meet, I know that Jesus is keeping me in his arms,” he said. Francis also touched on his reasons for never visiting the U.S. until this year.   He explained   that the trips he made were all for meetings related to his duties either bishop or as master of novices, provincial and rector of philosophy and theology for the Jesuits, and that none of them were held in the U.S. “None of those meetings, congresses or synods took place in the United States. This is the reason I never had the occasion to visit this country before.” Other topics addressed in the interview were migration, the refugee crisis, global conflicts and his reasons for calling the Jubilee of Mercy, which he said was the result of deep reflection and prayer. Read more