Ireland’s newest bishop has said that the synodal path inaugurated by Pope Francis is an opportunity for the Church to become more participatory. Speaking after his ordination in St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford on Sunday, Bishop Paul Connell, new Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, said: “Placing our faith and trust in God involves, above all,…
The Vatican announced on April 26 that there will be laypeople participating as voting members in the Synod on Synodality’s October assembly, a break with past custom, which allowed laypeople to participate without the right to vote. Pope Francis will also approve every member in advance. The general assembly of the Synod on Synodality will…
Catholics gathered at the continental level say the Church must be united, not uniform, and embrace its many forms of expression throughout the world, said members of the synod preparatory commission after a weeklong meeting at the Vatican. “I think one of the most important things we have experienced during these ecclesial, continental assemblies, is…
Family Solidarity criticises ‘disappointing’ synodal pathway The Irish national synodal synthesis “does not represent us and it does not represent what we have heard at the meetings in our parishes”, Irish family advocacy group Family Solidarity has written in an open letter to Ireland’s bishops. “After a year, we must admit that both the process…
Vatican II equipped the Church for mission in a world that’s increasingly missionary territory, Jason Osborne hears The Church has since its inception been trying to figure out how best to obey Jesus’ command to go out into the world and “preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). Times change, and each era…
Editor’s Comment Advent is so often a missed season. In the rush to Christmas, we can forget the centrality of anticipation as well as patient and attentive waiting. In the marketplace, Christmas lights are erected from early November and there is talk of Christmas everywhere. It means that Advent gets lost, but it is an…
Staff Reporter The Church in Ireland must “put synodality into practice” and call a synodal assembly on the future of Catholic education, a prominent Irish theologian has said. Church divestment of Catholic education premises is an “obvious area of concern” for the future of the Church, Prof. Eamonn Conway has written in The Synodal Times,…
Editor’s Comment Sr Josephine Enenmo OLA is a missionary sister from Nigeria now living in Dublin. She has shared fascinating reflections on her experiences of the Church in Ireland and the profound feeling of parishioners still remaining strangers to one another, rather than as part of the same community journeying together. “Coming from Nigeria –…
Faith Development Synodal cries for faith development must not go unanswered, writes Jason Osborne One of the key themes to emerge from the Church’s synodal journey so far is the need for comprehensive, ambitious faith formation. Many of those who’ve turned out have expressed a deep desire to better know and understand their faith. At…
The expansion of the synod by Pope Francis makes it “a kind of Vatican III”, building on the legacy of the Second Vatican Council, the Archbishop of Dublin said on November 14. The inclusion of the “whole Church”, not just those in ministry or leadership positions, are called to “come to grips” with what the…
Ruadhán Jones
Michael Kelly