Organizers discuss the upcoming second session of the Synod on Synodality at a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA)
Rome Newsroom, Sep 16, 2024 / 16:15 pm (CNA).
Before the second session of the Synod on Synodality kicks off in Rome at the beginning of October, participants will gather in retreat to pray together and ask forgiveness for sins in a penitential prayer vigil led by Pope Francis.
In addition, four new forums will be conducted on two dates alongside the monthlong assembly and will provide a public platform for reflection and debate on theological topics being discussed during the synod.
These and other changes to the second part of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 2–27 were highlighted by synod organizers on Monday.
Organizers discuss the upcoming second session of the Synod on Synodality at a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Penitential vigil
The day before the synod begins, a prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 1 will mark the conclusion of a two-day retreat at the Vatican for synod members. At the public vigil, “some of the sins that cause the most pain and shame will be called by name, invoking God’s mercy,” synod secretary Cardinal Mario Grech said at a press conference Sept. 16.
During the prayer service, three people will speak about their experiences of being harmed by sexual abuse, war, and indifference toward migrants, and there will be a “confession of various types of sins,” Grech said. “It will not be about denouncing the sin of others but about recognizing ourselves as part of those who, by action or at least omission, become the cause of the suffering suffered by the innocent and helpless.”
The event has been organized by the synod secretariat in collaboration with the Diocese of Rome, the Union of Major Superiors, and the International Union of Major Superiors.
According to a press release, attendees will request forgiveness “in the name of all the baptized” for “sin against peace, sin against creation, against Indigenous populations, against migrants; sin of abuse; sin against women, family, youth; sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled; sin against poverty; sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.”
The Synod on Synodality will then have its official start with an opening Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2.
Participants and methodology
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general for the Synod on Synodality, said Sept. 16 that there have been “no great changes” to the 368 voting members and 96 nonvoting participants in the second session of the assembly.
To date, only 25 changes have been recorded, mostly replacements for people who are no longer able to attend, he explained, including several for health reasons.
The number of fraternal delegates, representatives of non-Catholic Christian faiths, has increased from 12 to 16 at the request of Pope Francis. The new additions are representatives of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all of Africa, the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Mennonite Conference.
The overall format for the nearly monthlong meeting remains very similar to the prior year’s gathering — including daily prayer, theological reflections, and “conversation in the Spirit” in small working groups divided by language.
But organizers noted Monday that there will be fewer plenaries (when members have the opportunity to address the entire assembly) in 2024, and instead, representatives of each of the working groups will meet among themselves to share what emerged during conversations.
There will also be “more pauses for prayer and reflection,” according to Sheila Pires, who is on the synod’s communication team.
One of these pauses will be another retreat day on Oct. 21, according to Father Giacomo Costa, SJ, a synod special secretary. He explained that this retreat will allow members to spiritually prepare for the presentation of the draft of the synod’s final document, which they will be called to provide feedback for before voting on the document’s final content.
There will also be voting during the synod to determine what topics will be concretely discussed, he said.
Organizers discuss the upcoming second session of the Synod on Synodality at a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Theological-pastoral forums
Organizers insist that hot-button topics discussed during the first session will not be on the program in October, which will focus on “how the synodal Church is on mission.”
This year, however, the theological and pastoral underpinnings of the synodal discussions will be open to the public to learn about during four forums on Oct. 9 and Oct. 16 in Rome.
The forums will be on “The People of God, Subject of the Mission,” “The Role and Authority of the Bishop in a Synodal Church,” “The Mutual Relationship Between the Local Church and the Universal Church,” and “The Exercise of Primacy in the Synod of Bishops.”
In each forum, four or five theologians, canonists, and bishops will introduce “the principle questions, focusing on the different perspective from which these issues can be viewed,” Father Riccardo Battocchio, a special secretary of the synod, said Sept. 16.
Afterward, the floor will open up for questions and responses from those present.
According to a press release, the forums are intended for all participants in the Assembly (members, special guests, fraternal delegates, experts). Journalists accredited to the Holy See Press Office are also invited and members of the public may attend according to available space. Registration will be required for anyone who wants to participate, with details on how to register to be released at a later date.
These four forums, Battocchio said, “intend to offer a further contribution of reflections … to those who will participate in the second session … but also to other people interested in the themes of the synod.”
They will tackle, he continued, themes connected to several sections in the Instrumentum Laboris.
The forums’ speakers have not yet been published.
The October assembly of the Synod on Synodality will mark the end of the discernment phase of the Church’s synodal process, which Pope Francis opened in 2021.
The third phase of the synod — after “the consultation of the people of God” and “the discernment of the pastors” — will be “implementation,” according to organizers.
The Instrumentum Laboris for the final part of the Synod on Synodality, published July 9, focused on how to implement certain of the synod’s aims while laying aside some of the more hot-button topics from the October 2023 gathering, such as women deacons, priestly celibacy, and LGBTQ outreach.
These more controversial subjects and others have been delegated to the competency of 15 study groups formed starting late last year.
The 2024 guiding document instead offered concrete proposals for instituting a listening and accompaniment ministry, greater lay involvement in parish economics and finances, and more powerful parish councils.
“Without tangible changes, the vision of a synodal Church will not be credible,” the Instrumentum Laboris, or “working tool,” said.
The 15 study groups will continue to meet through June 2025 but will provide an update on their progress at the beginning of the second session in October.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Vatican City, Mar 30, 2020 / 11:16 am (CNA).- In a private letter to an Argentine judge, Pope Francis is reported to have warned that government decisions to prioritize the economy over people could result in a “viral genocide.”
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
CNA Staff, Mar 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
March 13 marks the 12th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 265th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23-28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato Si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19-22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22-27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Pope Francis speaks to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2015. . L’Osservatore Romano.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26-31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12-13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27-Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15-21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25-26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3-28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22-27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21-24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6-27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary “urbi et orbi” blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5-8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis Custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2-6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate Evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24-30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31-Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
Pope Francis greets a young boy a Mass in Juba, South Sudan on Feb. 5, 2023. Vatican Media
March 29-April 1 — Pope Francis is hospitalized for a respiratory infection. During his stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, he visits the pediatric cancer ward and baptizes a newborn baby.
April 5 — The pope appears in the Disney documentary “The Pope: Answers,” which is in Spanish, answering six “hot-button” issues from members of Gen Z from various backgrounds. The group discusses immigration, depression, abortion, clergy sexual and psychological abuse, transgenderism, pornography, and loss of faith.
April 28-30 — Pope Francis visits Hungary to meet with government officials, civil society members, bishops, priests, seminarians, Jesuits, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers. He celebrates Mass on the final day of the trip in Kossuth Lajos Square.
Pope Francis stands on an altar erected outside the Parliament Building in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos’ Square during a public outdoor Mass on April 30, 2023. Vatican Media
June 7 — The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will undergo abdominal surgery that afternoon under general anesthesia due to a hernia that is causing painful, recurring, and worsening symptoms. In his general audience that morning before the surgery, Francis says he intends to publish an apostolic letter on St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “patroness of the missions,” to mark the 150th anniversary of her birth.
June 15 — After successful surgery and a week of recovery, Pope Francis is released from Gemelli Hospital.
Aug. 2-6 — Pope Francis travels to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day 2023, taking place from Aug. 1-6. He meets with Church and civil leaders ahead of presiding at the welcoming Mass and Stations of the Cross. He also hears the confessions of several pilgrims. On Aug. 5, he visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, where he prays the rosary with young people with disabilities. That evening he presides over the vigil and on Sunday, Aug. 6, he celebrates the closing Mass, where he urges the 1.5 million young people present to “be not afraid,” echoing the words of the founder of World Youth Days, St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023. Vatican Media.
Aug. 31-Sept. 4 — Pope Francis travels to Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country. The trip makes Francis the first pope to visit the Asian country that shares a 2,880-mile border with China, its most significant economic partner. Mongolia has a population of about 1,300 Catholics in a country of more than 3 million people.
Pope Francis meets with local priests and religious of Mongolia, which includes only 25 priests (19 religious and six diocesan), 33 women religious, and one bishop — Cardinal Giorgio Marengo — in Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sept. 2, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Sept. 22-23 — On a two-day trip to Marseille, France, Pope Francis meets with local civil and religious leaders and participates in the Mediterranean Encounter, a gathering of some 120 young people of various creeds with bishops from 30 countries.
Pope Francis asks for a moment of silence at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille, France, Sept. 22, 2023. A Camargue cross, which comes from the Camargue area of France, represents the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The three tridents represent faith, the anchor represents hope, and the heart represents charity. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Oct. 4-29 — The Vatican hosts the first of two monthlong global assemblies of the Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in 2021 to enhance the communion, participation, and mission of the Church. Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of the synod at St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29. The second and final global assembly will take place at the Vatican in October 2024.
Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality’s closing Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29, 2023. Vatican Media
Nov. 25 — Pope Francis visits the hospital briefly for precautionary testing after coming down with the flu earlier in the day. Although he still participates in scheduled activities, other officials read his prepared remarks. The Vatican on Nov. 28 cancels the pope’s planned Dec. 1–3 trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech, due to his illness.
Dec. 18 — The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which authorizes nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations.” Various bishops from around the world voice both support for and criticism of the document.
2024
Jan. 14 — Pope Francis for the first time responds publicly to questions about Fiducia Supplicans in an interview on an Italian television show. The pope underlines that “the Lord blesses everyone” and that a blessing is an invitation to enter into a conversation “to see what the road is that the Lord proposes to them.”
Feb. 11 — In a ceremony attended by Argentine president Javier Milei, Pope Francis canonizes María Antonia of St. Joseph — known affectionately in the pope’s home country as “Mama Antula” — in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The president and the former archbishop of Buenos Aires embrace after the ceremony. Pope Francis, who has not returned to his homeland since becoming pope in 2013, has said he wants to visit Argentina in the second half of this year.
Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
March 13 — Pope Francis celebrates 11 years as supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
April 8 — The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith releases Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”), a document that reaffirms the Church’s perennial opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and gender ideology.
May 19 — Pope Francis appears on CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview with Norah O’Donnell, where he states categorically that women’s ordination to the priesthood and the diaconate is off the table.
In an interview with 60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell, Pope Francis took aim at his “conservative critics” in the United States. Credit: CBS News/Adam Verdugo
June 14 — Pope Francis becomes the first pope to address the G7 Summit in the southern Italian region of Puglia. In his remarks, he stresses that human dignity requires that the decisions of artificial intelligence (AI) be under the control of human beings. During the three-day event, the pope also meets with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Sept. 2-13 — Pope Francis embarks on a 12-day trip of more than 20,000 miles over seven flights through Asia and Oceania. The trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore is his most ambitious international trip yet and the longest of his 11-year pontificate. In East Timor, 600,000 Catholics attend Mass with the Holy Father.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu in Dili, Timor-Leste, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Oct. 2-27 — The three-year Synod on Synodality concludes with the final session in Rome and the adoption of the final report, which in a surprise move Pope Francis signs immediately, stating he will not issue a separate postsynodal document.
Dec. 7 — Pope Francis holds a consistory at the Vatican in which he creates 21 new cardinals, including Archbishop Frank Leo of Toronto; Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu of Tehran-Isfahan, Iran; and Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, reflecting the pope’s emphasis on the Church’s global mission.
Pope Francis places the red biretta on Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, archbishop of Naples, during the consistory for the creation of 21 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica, Dec. 7, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Dec. 24 — On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opens the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica to officially launch the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2024, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025. Credit: Vatican Media
2025
Jan. 14 — “Hope,” Pope Francis’ autobiography, is released. The book marks the first time a pope has provided a first-person narration of the episodes that have marked his entire life, in this case from his childhood in Argentina in a family of Italian immigrants to becoming the successor of St. Peter.
Feb. 14 — Pope Francis is hospitalized with bronchitis and later develops double pneumonia.
March 13 — While still in Gemelli Hosptial in Rome for treatment for respiratory illnesses, Pope Francis celebrates the 12th anniversay of his election to the papacy.
The statue of the Blessed Mother pictured before the incident on its pedestal in front of the headquarters of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. / Credit: Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
I was briefly enthusiastic when I heard about the communal penance that will begin the new Synodal round. “That sounds like a good baseline from which to start,” I thought. Starting off by recognizing that we are all sinners, and asking for God’s forgiveness may remind participants of the truth of the Gospel. Then I read the list of sins to be repented, includng these new “sins.”
The “sin against women” (I am a woman and don’t know what this sin consists of. Sounds like it is wide open for interpretation.”
The “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”. (Usually a matter of perception.)
The “sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” (No idea.)
Given my general comments about the Synod of Synodality, if there’s a “sin against synodality” I am probably guilty as charged in the eyes of those who have discerned the existence of this sin. Only I don’t know what the charges consist of. Ai some point, one should draw a distinction about dislikeable attitudes and behavior, versus sins in the eyes of God. Drifting off while someone else is talking during a roundtable discussion is annoying and perhaps rude, but it is not ordinarily a sin that needs to be confessed. Unless “listening” is now a moral obligation.
I want to say that now I’ve heard it all. But I’m sure I haven’t.
Starting to read this, I was pleasantly shocked to discover that today’s Vatican actually recognizes the concept of sin requiring remorse. It’s been a long time. Then it came: “It will not be about denouncing the sin of others….” Clearly we can expect the Ten Commandments not to show up.
Then we find the predictable catalog of leftist, suitably undefined, ideas of sins. “sin against peace, sin against creation, against Indigenous populations, against migrants; sin of abuse; sin against women, family, youth; sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled; sin against poverty; sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” Actually some of these are coverned within the implications of a mature understanding of the seven deadly sins. To this day, I wonder if the Vatican considers me sinful for believing that the Indigenous practice of burying children alive is a rather evil thing to do.
And they have to resort to their own sins of Bergoglian strawman characterizations that coherent, dare I say traditional, expressions of God given moral principles, fortified by the Sermon on the Mount no less, constitutes “stones to be hurled.”
“According to a press release, attendees will request forgiveness “in the name of all the baptized” for “sin against peace, sin against creation, against Indigenous populations, against migrants; sin of abuse; sin against women, family, youth; sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled; sin against poverty; sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.”
I thought sin requires personal participation. One cannot repent “sin against women”; one can repent his sin against a particular human being (which happened to be a woman).
Psychologically, it is very easy to confess such impersonal generalizations – and feel very good about themselves.
“sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.”
No dudes, you should confess the sin of enabling the abuse in the Church instead.
We read: “In addition, four new forums will be conducted on two dates alongside the monthlong assembly and will provide a public platform for reflection and debate on theological topics being discussed during the synod.”
Since one of the synodal reflections is on “sins against women,” how about a forum for Julian of Norwich, the first woman to write/dictate a book in Old English? Here’s a “baseline” reflection closely related to Eucharistic Adoration, as “walking together”—or maybe kneeling (!)—on the periphery of the navel-gazing Synodality.
Something about the mystery uncreated love and created love:
“This it is necessary to speak of uncreated Love paradoxically, as both hidden and known. Julian therefore describes two kinds of truths, or ‘secrets’, so to speak, in God. One of these is the being of God himself, the indwelling Love of the Trinity which is really beyond our idea of ‘being’ or of ‘love’ (the apophatic Trinity [above + talk about]). The other ‘secret’ is the being of God toward man—the Love which is the Son of God made man, making known the Trinity to us. One is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so living in one another that they are perfectly one; the other is the Son of God born into creation, yet still living in the Father, in the Holy Spirit, that they are perfectly one. The latter is the ‘created charity’ which we can embrace, because it is the embracement of man by God [….]
“It is important here to grasp the full implications of what Julian is saying about the revelation of God to man in Christ: To know God is not to know ‘about’ the Trinity, but to know the Trinity personally—that is, to experience uncreated love. The Love of God towards us is the same Love as that within the Trinity, according to God’s desire for us to know it. Therefore to experience God’s Love is to experience God himself.
“Humanity is created for the Son of God: we share in that humanity in our own creation; and the moment of our own creation is to be understood as the moment of the Incarnation—the same moment in which humanity itself is created. All these events take place at the same time and are, for God, a single act of divine love.”
(Brad Pelphrey, “The Theology and Mysticism of Julian of Norwich: Love was his Meaning,” Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik, University of Salzburg, Austria, 1982, pp. 122, 124, 165).
SUMMARY: Instead of “time is greater than space,” or vice versa, the true God is both above and indwells time and space. NOT the so-called “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled.”
But they could attain to “full virtue” in the eyes of their colleagues in the EU and the World Council of Churches if they ate insects throughout the “performance.”
If they do, the crickets will likely be imported from Japan. I remember having them some 30 years ago. Not bad actually. Had some kind of BBQ-tasting sauce on them. Not sure if they are best served with Espresso or green tea, however.
This strikes me as nothing more than virtue-signaling at the very highest level, and that is so sad, because it is just what we DON’T need, and at the worst possible time.
Maybe it’s just me, but I detect a hint of resentment at the lack of widespread enthusiasm for the Synod on Synodality. E.g. the “sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” If that is supposed to make people feel guilty for being uninterested in the Synod and synodality, I doubt it will work.
Your comment brought to my mind some kind of sophisticated abuse ex cathedra (or is it pulpit?) which I witnessed. A priest (who later was prohibited to serve) could not accept that a couple of people in the parish refused to deal with him i.e. to speak to him outside of Mass because of his emotional abuse. The priest then began speaking about those two people during his homilies, not naming them but describing so it was quite clear who they were. He called them “the ugly people in our midst” and so on. I knew that a person with a narcissistic personality cannot stand it when the other refused to have anything to do with him. Inevitably he will start acting out in a gross way and this is what I witnessed.
And so, the proclamation of the synodal organizers, the lack of interest in their activity to be a sin is very much in line with the reaction of a described priest. He was offended because others said “no, we do not want to deal with you because you are an abuser” and so he lashed, condemning that people – just the same, the organizers are offended and now lashing those who do not wish to participate. The organizers do not say “we regret many are not interested”, they do to try (it is very important) to consider why it is so but instead they remove the results of the survey re: interest in ‘Synod of Synodality’ and use very heavy cannon, defining it as “SIN (against synodality)”.
It is not theological at all, it is psychological. It is all about “how dare you to reject ME” covered by “us”.
Everyone commenting is appalled, all of us likely guilty of at least one of the new sins cataloged by the new Synodal Church of Christ without Christ.
All the newly created sins address negative attitudes toward New Age social justice concerns. They’re encapsulated by “the sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”. The suggested solution is to bracket doctrine and ‘move on’ [the now famous epithet of the VP presidential candidate].
Further, what would the Synod on Synodality be if it didn’t accent the horrible sin against synodality/lack of listening. That sin cuts an enormously large swath through the population since most pay little attention. Which means an expected long range effort at inculturation of the masses to the ideology of the enlightened few. Although there’s no urgency here since most Catholics – except for the recalcitrants, today are amenable to the list of sins of the Gospel according to Francis I.
For those of us who question the motivation of the major tenet of the Church of Make Nice, Don’t throw stones, “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”, the tenet goes back ages [the current 11 years seem remarkably longer] to the first council on the family 2014. That’s when Francis I in his best messianic form chastised the body of bishops for throwing stones at the faithful living in sin.
I was briefly enthusiastic when I heard about the communal penance that will begin the new Synodal round. “That sounds like a good baseline from which to start,” I thought. Starting off by recognizing that we are all sinners, and asking for God’s forgiveness may remind participants of the truth of the Gospel. Then I read the list of sins to be repented, includng these new “sins.”
The “sin against women” (I am a woman and don’t know what this sin consists of. Sounds like it is wide open for interpretation.”
The “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”. (Usually a matter of perception.)
The “sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” (No idea.)
Given my general comments about the Synod of Synodality, if there’s a “sin against synodality” I am probably guilty as charged in the eyes of those who have discerned the existence of this sin. Only I don’t know what the charges consist of. Ai some point, one should draw a distinction about dislikeable attitudes and behavior, versus sins in the eyes of God. Drifting off while someone else is talking during a roundtable discussion is annoying and perhaps rude, but it is not ordinarily a sin that needs to be confessed. Unless “listening” is now a moral obligation.
I want to say that now I’ve heard it all. But I’m sure I haven’t.
I’m sure we haven’t heard it all. Much more synodal bullfeathers to come.
“Bullfeathers”?
Freemason synodality = tumblebug theology.
The synod “will focus on how the Church is on mission.”
“How the Church is on Mission.” That’s planning babble, it doesn’t even pretend to be a question.
Are readers expected to “appreciate” that “Mission” means “what matters to Jesuit apostates such as relator-general “Eminence” Hollerich?
I certainly “appreciate that” about “the syn-oodle.” That’s all there is really, for the “cult-for-a-decapitated-church.”
Starting to read this, I was pleasantly shocked to discover that today’s Vatican actually recognizes the concept of sin requiring remorse. It’s been a long time. Then it came: “It will not be about denouncing the sin of others….” Clearly we can expect the Ten Commandments not to show up.
Then we find the predictable catalog of leftist, suitably undefined, ideas of sins. “sin against peace, sin against creation, against Indigenous populations, against migrants; sin of abuse; sin against women, family, youth; sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled; sin against poverty; sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” Actually some of these are coverned within the implications of a mature understanding of the seven deadly sins. To this day, I wonder if the Vatican considers me sinful for believing that the Indigenous practice of burying children alive is a rather evil thing to do.
And they have to resort to their own sins of Bergoglian strawman characterizations that coherent, dare I say traditional, expressions of God given moral principles, fortified by the Sermon on the Mount no less, constitutes “stones to be hurled.”
“According to a press release, attendees will request forgiveness “in the name of all the baptized” for “sin against peace, sin against creation, against Indigenous populations, against migrants; sin of abuse; sin against women, family, youth; sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled; sin against poverty; sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.”
I thought sin requires personal participation. One cannot repent “sin against women”; one can repent his sin against a particular human being (which happened to be a woman).
Psychologically, it is very easy to confess such impersonal generalizations – and feel very good about themselves.
“sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.”
No dudes, you should confess the sin of enabling the abuse in the Church instead.
Touché Anna.
Lord, spare us from the sin of Church leaders who deny your salvific redemption on the cross.
We read: “In addition, four new forums will be conducted on two dates alongside the monthlong assembly and will provide a public platform for reflection and debate on theological topics being discussed during the synod.”
Since one of the synodal reflections is on “sins against women,” how about a forum for Julian of Norwich, the first woman to write/dictate a book in Old English? Here’s a “baseline” reflection closely related to Eucharistic Adoration, as “walking together”—or maybe kneeling (!)—on the periphery of the navel-gazing Synodality.
Something about the mystery uncreated love and created love:
“This it is necessary to speak of uncreated Love paradoxically, as both hidden and known. Julian therefore describes two kinds of truths, or ‘secrets’, so to speak, in God. One of these is the being of God himself, the indwelling Love of the Trinity which is really beyond our idea of ‘being’ or of ‘love’ (the apophatic Trinity [above + talk about]). The other ‘secret’ is the being of God toward man—the Love which is the Son of God made man, making known the Trinity to us. One is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so living in one another that they are perfectly one; the other is the Son of God born into creation, yet still living in the Father, in the Holy Spirit, that they are perfectly one. The latter is the ‘created charity’ which we can embrace, because it is the embracement of man by God [….]
“It is important here to grasp the full implications of what Julian is saying about the revelation of God to man in Christ: To know God is not to know ‘about’ the Trinity, but to know the Trinity personally—that is, to experience uncreated love. The Love of God towards us is the same Love as that within the Trinity, according to God’s desire for us to know it. Therefore to experience God’s Love is to experience God himself.
“Humanity is created for the Son of God: we share in that humanity in our own creation; and the moment of our own creation is to be understood as the moment of the Incarnation—the same moment in which humanity itself is created. All these events take place at the same time and are, for God, a single act of divine love.”
(Brad Pelphrey, “The Theology and Mysticism of Julian of Norwich: Love was his Meaning,” Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik, University of Salzburg, Austria, 1982, pp. 122, 124, 165).
SUMMARY: Instead of “time is greater than space,” or vice versa, the true God is both above and indwells time and space. NOT the so-called “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled.”
Wonder if they will serve Wagyu beef and Dungeness crab?
Hilarious.
But they could attain to “full virtue” in the eyes of their colleagues in the EU and the World Council of Churches if they ate insects throughout the “performance.”
If they do, the crickets will likely be imported from Japan. I remember having them some 30 years ago. Not bad actually. Had some kind of BBQ-tasting sauce on them. Not sure if they are best served with Espresso or green tea, however.
This strikes me as nothing more than virtue-signaling at the very highest level, and that is so sad, because it is just what we DON’T need, and at the worst possible time.
Maybe it’s just me, but I detect a hint of resentment at the lack of widespread enthusiasm for the Synod on Synodality. E.g. the “sin against synodality/lack of listening, communion, and participation of all.” If that is supposed to make people feel guilty for being uninterested in the Synod and synodality, I doubt it will work.
Your comment brought to my mind some kind of sophisticated abuse ex cathedra (or is it pulpit?) which I witnessed. A priest (who later was prohibited to serve) could not accept that a couple of people in the parish refused to deal with him i.e. to speak to him outside of Mass because of his emotional abuse. The priest then began speaking about those two people during his homilies, not naming them but describing so it was quite clear who they were. He called them “the ugly people in our midst” and so on. I knew that a person with a narcissistic personality cannot stand it when the other refused to have anything to do with him. Inevitably he will start acting out in a gross way and this is what I witnessed.
And so, the proclamation of the synodal organizers, the lack of interest in their activity to be a sin is very much in line with the reaction of a described priest. He was offended because others said “no, we do not want to deal with you because you are an abuser” and so he lashed, condemning that people – just the same, the organizers are offended and now lashing those who do not wish to participate. The organizers do not say “we regret many are not interested”, they do to try (it is very important) to consider why it is so but instead they remove the results of the survey re: interest in ‘Synod of Synodality’ and use very heavy cannon, defining it as “SIN (against synodality)”.
It is not theological at all, it is psychological. It is all about “how dare you to reject ME” covered by “us”.
Everyone commenting is appalled, all of us likely guilty of at least one of the new sins cataloged by the new Synodal Church of Christ without Christ.
All the newly created sins address negative attitudes toward New Age social justice concerns. They’re encapsulated by “the sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”. The suggested solution is to bracket doctrine and ‘move on’ [the now famous epithet of the VP presidential candidate].
Further, what would the Synod on Synodality be if it didn’t accent the horrible sin against synodality/lack of listening. That sin cuts an enormously large swath through the population since most pay little attention. Which means an expected long range effort at inculturation of the masses to the ideology of the enlightened few. Although there’s no urgency here since most Catholics – except for the recalcitrants, today are amenable to the list of sins of the Gospel according to Francis I.
For those of us who question the motivation of the major tenet of the Church of Make Nice, Don’t throw stones, “sin of using doctrine as stones to be hurled”, the tenet goes back ages [the current 11 years seem remarkably longer] to the first council on the family 2014. That’s when Francis I in his best messianic form chastised the body of bishops for throwing stones at the faithful living in sin.