Pope Francis lays out vision of synodal Church, a “church of listening”

Last updated on: October 17, 2015 at 12:41 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

[getty src=”493038252?et=HBLd1o4ZTitlQGHIqdusDQ&viewMoreLink=off&sig=CpEGLG9Eoi4A50PUc7mW7KKfVguCGM0kwWWAu2OW2_c=&caption=true” width=”594″ height=”395″] View image | gettyimages.com From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis on Saturday morning marked the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops as a permanent body. Gathered with the Fathers of the XIV Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops – who are currently meeting in Rome to discuss the vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in contemporary society – Pope Francis spoke of both the process and the substance of... Read more

In new interview, Pope Francis declares “I have always been a priest of the street”

Last updated on: October 17, 2015 at 12:38 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Zenit: The Argentine Pope is on this week’s cover of the famous magazine “Paris Match,” generally reserved for sports and stage celebrities. The magazine published a long interview with the Pope by Vatican expert Caroline Pigozzi, where such topics appear as poverty, human dignity, criticisms of capitalism and the environment. In sum, there is nothing new (there was thought of some revelation on an eventual trip to France, greatly desired by the country’s Catholics), or “scandalous,” (not even a... Read more

“Deacons are the waiters at the table of the Lord…”

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 9:47 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A diaconal bow to my Byzantine brother, Deacon Daniel Dozier, who posted this on Facebook. Some great insight into the meaning and purpose of deacons in the Orthodox Church: “Deacon” literally means server. Deacons are the waiters (servants, slaves) at the table of the Lord (e.g., Luke 14:16-24; John 2:1-11). Therefore they are usually found during Liturgy around the altar helping the priest. Deacons are also the earthly equivalent of the angels who are intermediaries between God and man (Hebrews... Read more

Baltimore’s Catholic Review newspaper to become a monthly magazine

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 8:15 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A trend continues. From The Baltimore Sun: The Catholic Review, which has chronicled Catholic life in Baltimore for nearly two centuries, will stop publishing in its traditional newspaper format and become a glossy monthly magazine. The Oct. 29 issue will be its last as a biweekly newspaper, editor and associate publisher Chris Gunty said Wednesday. The first issue of the magazine is to arrive in the mailboxes of about 170,000 Maryland households shortly before Thanksgiving. The changes come as most... Read more

From the Synod: On birth control, lay auditor says, “This ‘paralyzed status quo’ cannot continue”

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 2:54 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

John Thavis reports: The question of birth control, sometimes described as the “elephant in the room” at the Synod of Bishops on the Family, was the focus of a bluntly worded talk by a lay auditor at the Vatican assembly. The auditor, Sharron Cole from New Zealand, told the synod that the teaching of the encyclical Humanae Vitae has been largely ignored by Catholic couples. This has led to a “paralyzed” pastoral situation that requires a fresh discussion — not by clergy... Read more

From the Synod: Chicago’s Cupich on divorce, conscience, reconciliation

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 12:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

One archbishop’s take, via NCR: The Catholic church has to respect decisions divorced and remarried people make about their spiritual lives after they examine what their conscience is telling them to do, Chicago’s Archbishop Blase Cupich said during a press briefing. Cupich — one of nine Americans attending the ongoing Oct. 4-25 Synod of Bishops and one of four personally appointed by Pope Francis — said that when he counsels divorced and remarried persons he always tries “in some way to understand them.”... Read more

Meet the Muslim who became a Catholic bishop—and later baptized his father

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 9:46 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Who knew? A surprising interview from Diane Montagna in Aleteia, about Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of the Blantyre archdiocese in Malawi. He is one of the Synod fathers and he has a remarkable story to tell: You were raised Muslim? At the age of 7, I left home and went to the parish because I wanted to go to school. Nobody from our village would help me. So I stayed at the parish. At the age of 12, I asked for baptism... Read more

Pope makes surprise visit to homeless shelter—UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 3:42 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Vatican Radio: On Thursday, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to the new Jesuit homeless shelter, ‘Gift of Mercy’, just around the corner from the Vatican. All 30 guests at ‘Gift of Mercy’ (Dono di Misericordia), most of whom are Italian, were overjoyed to see the Holy Father and were eager to tell him their life stories and ask for his blessing. In his inimitably personal way, the Pope spoke to the men one by one and then asked... Read more

Baltimore’s Catholic Review newspaper to become a monthly magazine

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 12:35 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the Synod: On birth control, lay auditor says, “This ‘paralyzed status quo’ cannot continue”

Last updated on: October 16, 2015 at 12:33 am By Deacon Greg Kandra