Today, a couple from the United States, Alice and Jeff Heinzen, addressed the bishops. The text is below: My husband and I have asked ourselves this question: “How did our parents live their lives as a married couple that has led us to where we are today as faith-filled married Catholics?” In our reflection we realized that the witness of our parents, revealed in their daily actions God’s plan for marriage and family life.I have fond memories of participating in... Read more
From Reuters: A parish priest and a number of Christians have been kidnapped from a Syrian village near the border with Turkey, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Tuesday. The Latin Patriarchate, which oversees Latin Church Catholics in Israel and neighbouring countries, said Father Hanna Jallouf had been kidnapped on the night of Oct. 5 in Knayeh, a small Christian village. It said his kidnappers were brigades linked to the Islamist Nusra Front. The statement said there had been... Read more
This morning, the bishops heard from a husband and wife from the Philippines who are involved in the leadership of “Couples for Christ.” Here’s the published testimony of George and Cynthia Campos: Our Call to Vocation: Cynthia and I were married in 1987, blessed with four children. In 1990, we became members of Couples for Christ, a Private Lay Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right. We have committed ourselves to be a living catechesis of our vision to live as “Families... Read more
From The Williston Herald newspaper: An influx of Hispanic workers in the western North Dakota oil patch is transforming the Roman Catholic Church. Father Russell Kovash, of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, said the Catholic church has the largest denomination in the country, and he has a hunch it does in the state as well. St. Joseph’s Parish is in the Diocese of Bismarck, which has a population of 66,000 in western North Dakota, and that figure will certainly increase as... Read more
This may have gone largely unnoticed, but it seems significant to me: an intervention at the synod by a married couple, Ron and Mavis Pirola from Australia. I can’t imagine this kind of commentary being welcomed, or even heard, at the Vatican just a few years ago. It may give us a taste of things to come: As the Instrumentum laboris suggests, the domestic church has much to offer the wider Church in its evangelizing role. For example, the Church constantly faces the... Read more
One of the pope’s close advisors offers his views on the reception of communion in light of the synod, in this video from CNS. Read more
Details: During the opening session for the extraordinary synod on the family, Pope Francis told participants not to be afraid of saying what they truly think, and that only by doing this can they reach real conclusions.“You have to say all that which in the Lord you feel you have to say: without human respect, without timidity,” the Pope told synod participants in his Oct. 6 opening remarks.“And, at the same time, you must listen with humility and accept with... Read more
A priest friend alerted me to this. It happened Sunday and was done by my bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn, at the chapel of St. John’s Cemetery in Queens. Yes, there was slapping. Read more
From CNS: Alice and Jeff Heinzen will not only be serving as auditors for the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 5-19, they also will make a presentation before the general assembly.In their main role as one of 14 married couples from around the world selected to serve as auditors for the synod, the Heinzens will observe general assembly sessions and participate in group discussions with the English-speaking delegates.“During the general assemblies, we will be... Read more
The legendary friar and popular writer and TV personality has gone home. My blog neighbor Kathy Schiffer reports: We’d heard reports of his recent fall, which injured the same arm that had been injured ten years ago in an auto accident. Doctors who treated him for this most recent injury chose not to repair the damage, fearing that he could not survive surgery in his weakened state; so he was sent home in a great deal of pain. At 11:00 p.m.... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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