The Dioceses of Essen and Rottenburg-Stuttgart say priest shortage and concern to promote equality between men and women are behind the move
Carolin Winkler said she was "pleasantly surprised" to learn that it would be a woman who would baptize her 5-month-old daughter, Mara. The celebration took place last Sunday at St. Hedwig's Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Essen, in the Ruhr region of Western Germany. "Prior to this, I had no particular expectations on this issue, but the fact that a lay person, especially a woman, can baptize my daughter has excited my whole family," said the young mother.
Meeting with the Presidents and Coordinators of the Continental Assemblies of the Synod.
Vatican City, 28-29 November 2022
The meeting of the Presidents and Coordinators of the Continental Assemblies gathered in Rome on 28-29 November to prepare together the Continental Assemblies, which are the culminating moment of the second stage of the Synod process 2021-2024, concludes this morning. The meeting took place at the offices of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
"I feel gratitude and wonder. I have heard the testimony of a living Church!" was what Cardinal Mario Grech expressed at the end of the meeting, "The sharing of these days shows that the journey is already well underway and that we have much to learn from each other. I have great hope for our task, which is and remains first and foremost evangelisation: the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. This is the synodal path. In this journey we must not be afraid of tensions, which can also be healthy. We must not exclude anyone and listen to everyone! Even those outside the Church's formal enclosure, because sometimes the Church is present where we did not think we would find it'.
On the afternoon of Monday 28 November 2022, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants. After the initial greeting by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg and General Rapporteur of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Presidents or Coordinators of the Continental Assemblies presented the fruits of the process underway in their respective continents or regions, followed by a time of dialogue. The meeting, held in an atmosphere of great fraternity, lasted two hours.
Below is Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich's address of greeting.
Your Holiness, thank you for taking the time to receive us and to give us your advice for the synodal process.
With the continental phase of the process we begin our missionary discernment. With this stage of the Synod we are, in fact, already experiencing a first universal dimension of the process. This stage says, in fact, that the different Churches must not be isolated in their journey and the circular dialogue of the continental assemblies will benefit the Churches of all continents.
Your Holiness, a synodality that wants to be Catholic needs the care and advice of Peter. We need you, because we need a healthy indifference that bears witness to freedom in the Spirit, but then because we also notice some temptations on this road.
And I would like to talk about a temptation we sometimes see in the media: it is the temptation of 'politicisation' in and of the Church, that is, living and thinking the Church with the logic of politics. Some have an agenda for the reform of the Church; they know very well what needs to be done and they want to use the synod for that purpose: this is instrumentalising the synod. This is politicising. On the opposite side are - to borrow your word - the 'indietrists' who do not understand that a true Catholic tradition evolves while remaining a tradition in its time. They too would like to put the brakes on the synod process. We, on the other hand - and we heard this morning in our work - we want to be able to enter into a true discernment, an apostolic, missionary discernment, so that the synodal Church can carry out its mission in the world. We want to walk together, with you and above all with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus, in order to mend our Church.
Yesterday, America Magazine published an interview with Pope Francis where he upheld the Catholic church’s unequal treatment of women by exploiting misogynistic metaphors to dismiss the sincerely discerned vocations of women.
When asked what he might say to a woman who serves her church and experiences a call to priesthood, Francis responded with sexist smoke and mirrors theology, an indefensible attempt to obscure women’s capacity to act in persona Christi.
To make his point, Francis repeats the phrase: “The church is woman. The church is a spouse. Therefore, the dignity of women is mirrored in this way.” This “spousal metaphor” claims a male-female relationship between Christ and the church: By extension, only men can truly represent Christ, and therefore only men can be priests. The simplistic gendering and sexualization of one’s relationship with God and discipleship are not just a disservice to the Catholic imagination, but a tool of oppression.
Funny how it is only when women claim their authentic call to priesthood that the spousal metaphor becomes the central ecclesiology of the church.
Francis went on to claim that the exclusion of women from ministerial life is “not a deprivation,” revealing a man who does not know the depth of pain that women in his own church carry. He shows willful ignorance to the treasures that have been lost by denying the sacramental gifts of more than half its members.
His words are infuriating - particularly when just one month ago the Vatican's synod office published an encouraging document acknowledging calls for women's ordination around the world, and the near universal cries for women in ministry.
Kerry Weber: Holy Father, as you know, women have contributed and can contribute much to the life of the church. You have appointed many women at the Vatican, which is great. Nevertheless, many women feel pain because they cannot be ordained priests. What would you say to a woman who is already serving in the life of the church, but who still feels called to be a priest?
It is a theological problem. I think that we amputate the being of the church if we consider only the way ofthe ministerial dimension (ministerialidad) of the life of the church. The way is not only [ordained] ministry. The church is woman. The church is a spouse. We have not developed a theology of women that reflects this. The ministerial dimension, we can say, is that of the Petrine church. I am using a category of theologians. The Petrine principle is that of ministry. But there is another principle that is still more important, about which we do not speak, that is the Marian principle, which is the principle of femininity (femineidad) in the church, of the woman in the church, where the church sees a mirror of herself because she is a woman and a spouse. A church with only the Petrine principle would be a church that one would think is reduced to its ministerial dimension, nothing else. But the church is more than a ministry. It is the whole people of God. The church is woman. The church is a spouse. Therefore, the dignity of women is mirrored in this way.
There is a third way: the administrative way. The ministerial way, the ecclesial way, let us say, Marian, and the administrative way, which is not a theological thing, it is something of normal administration. And, in this aspect, I believe we have to give more space to women. Here in the Vatican, the places where we have put women are functioning better. For example, in the Council for the Economy, where there are six cardinals and six laypersons. Two years ago, I appointed five women among the six laypersons, and that was a revolution. The deputy governor of the Vatican is a woman. When a woman enters politics or manages things, generally she does better. Many economists are women, and they are renewing the economy in a constructive way.
So there are three principles, two theological and one administrative. The Petrine principle, which is the ministerial dimension, but the church cannot function only with that one. The Marian principle, which is that of the spousal church, the church as spouse, the church as woman. And the administrative principle, which is not theological, but is rather that of administration, about what one does.
And why can a woman not enter ordained ministry? It is because the Petrine principle has no place for that. Yes, one has to be in the Marian principle, which is more important. Woman is more, she looks more like the church, which is mother and spouse. I believe that we have too often failed in our catechesis when explaining these things. We have relied too much on the administrative principle to explain it, which in the long term does not work.
This is an abbreviated explanation, but I wanted to highlight the two theological principles; the Petrine principle and the Marian principle that make up the church. Therefore, that the woman does not enter into the ministerial life is not a deprivation. No. Your place is that which is much more important and which we have yet to develop, the catechesis about women in the way of the Marian principle.
And on this, about the charism of women, allow me [to share] a personal experience. To ordain a priest one asks for information from persons who know the candidate. The best information that I have received, the right information, was either from my brother coadjutor [bishops], or brother laypersons who are not priests, or from women. They have a nose (olfato), an ecclesial sense to see if this man is or is not suitable for the priesthood.
Another anecdote: once I asked for information about a very bright candidate for the priesthood. I asked his professors, companions and also the people in the parish where he went. And [the latter] gave me a very negative report, written by a woman, saying, “He is a danger, this young man won’t work out.” So, I phoned her and said, “Why do you say that?” And she said: “I don’t know why, but if he were my son, I would not let him be ordained; he is lacking something.” So I followed her advice and said to the candidate, “Look, this year you won’t be ordained. Let’s wait.” Three months later this man had a crisis and left. The woman is a mother and sees the mystery of the church more clearly than we men. For this reason, the advice of a woman is very important, and the decision of a woman is better.
It's all Pope Francis' fault (or merit). Those who fiercely criticize the Synodal Path that the Catholic Church in Germany embarked upon in 2019 -- and even those who enthusiastically support it -- cannot deny that the Jesuit pope is responsible.
The only reason the Germans have been able to spend the past three years discussing carefully-argued proposals for major Church reforms -- hardly any that are deemed acceptable by the vast majority of officials in the Vatican — is because Francis has allowed them to do so. It's something Benedict XVI and John Paul II would have never even considered or tolerated. That should be clear to everyone.
It doesn't matter if one agrees with what the Germans are proposing — which include the option for priests to marry; the inclusion of women at all levels ecclesial governance and ministry; and a comprehensive review and reformulation of the Church's teaching on human sexuality, to name just the most salient points.
Whether one supports such changes or not, makes little difference. The horse has already bolted.
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This was part of a letter sent from the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops on 31 October 2022. Of particular note is the third paragraph, which begins "It is also up to you to take the initiative, always communally and always informing the diocesan ordinary, e.g. trying to verify whether and to what extent the discernment previously carried out is recognised in the Document".
The week just gone was marked by the publication of the Working Document for the Continental Stage. In order for "this stage to be organic to the synodal process, it is necessary" as Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, emphasised at its presentation during the press conference (27 October 2022) "that the Continental Assemblies also be bound to the circular dynamic of prophecy-discernment. This can only happen by returning the Document to the subject of prophecy, that is, to the People of God living in the particular Churches." It is now up to each one of us to enlarge the space of the Tent, that is, to continue the work of listening, dialogue and discernment in this Continental Stage.
The document, available on our website in various languages, was sent to all the bishops of the world so that they could organise synodal moments of reading and discussion. "The choice does not respond to an organisational criterion, but to a synodal principle: by sending the Document to the Bishops in the particular Churches, we return to the People of God the fruits of the process begun by the consultation in the particular Churches," said the Secretary General of the Synod. "If, in fact, we can recognise what the Spirit is speaking to the Church by listening to the People of God, to that People living in the Churches we must return this Document. The Bishops will be asked to listen "at least" to the synodal commissions and participation bodies. But it would be nice for each Church to read the Document with a broad involvement of the People of God".
It is also up to you to take the initiative, always communally and always informing the diocesan ordinary, e.g. trying to verify whether and to what extent the discernment previously carried out is recognised in the Document. According to the indications given by Cardinal Grech, "possible observations on the Document can be sent by the individual Churches to the Bishops' Conferences, which can in turn produce a more organic synthesis for the continental stage, which will contribute to the discernment of the continental Assembly". It is therefore important that those who wish to contribute to the synodal conversion of the Church, do so through their own bishop, as "the principle and foundation of unity in their Churches" (LG 23).
Also at the international level, there is no shortage of synodal initiatives, such as the one tomorrow, 1 November, during which Pope Francis will dialogue with a group of students from African universities broadcast live online; the international symposium on synodality in the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches that will take place at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) on 2-5 and 23-26 November 2022, at the initiative of the Pro Oriente Foundation (Vienna) and the Angelicum Institute for Ecumenical Studies; the one promoted by the UISG-USG (the respective Unions of Superiors General and Superiors General) to present the Continental Stage on 2 November; or the webinars organised by the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC) with the theologian Gilles Routhier, a member of the Theological Commission of the General Secretariat of the Synod starting on 3 November.
Press Communiqué from the General Secretariat of the Synod
This morning, at the end of the Sunday Angelus, the Holy Father announced that the upcoming 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held in two moments, that is, in two sessions, spaced one year apart: the first from October 4 to 29, 2023, the second in October 2024. Pope Francis referred to the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio, which contemplates this possibility (cf. Article 3).
This decision stems from the desire that the theme of a Synodal Church, because of its breadth and importance, might be the subject of prolonged discernment not only by the members of the Synodal Assembly, but by the whole Church.
Moreover, this choice is in continuity with the ongoing synodal journey, to which the Pope himself referred this morning. The Synod is not an event but a process in which the whole People of God is called to walk together toward what the Holy Spirit helps it to discern as being the Lord's will for his Church.
Therefore, the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will also take on a processual dimension, configuring itself as "a journey within the journey" to foster more mature reflection for the greater good of the Church.
From the very beginning, the General Secretariat of the Synod has chosen the path of listening and discernment, even in the planning and implementation phase of the synodal process. In the coming weeks, we will continue our discernment to better define the celebration of the two sessions of (and the time in-between) the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. We will communicate about this in due time.
This listening process began in 2021 by the local Churches, that is, by the People of God gathered around their Pastors; it has challenged the Bishops' Conferences and Synods of the Eastern Catholic Churches. As many as 112 out of 114 Episcopal Conferences all the Eastern Catholic Churches carried out a discernment regarding what emerged in the particular Churches. Now, it continues with a Continental Stage that will culminate with the celebration of Continental Synodal Assemblies, between January and March 2023. These Continental Synodal Assemblies will be convened to reread the journey made and to continue the listening and discernment, having as their point of departure the Document for the Continental Stage, and proceeding in accord with the socio-cultural specificities of their respective regions. Their aim will be to carry out one more step in this spiritual journey.
Tina Beattie says that dialogue with a far more diverse range of voices is needed if those who speak for women in the Vatican truly represent what it means to be a Catholic woman in the modern world.
A survey of female voices from across the Catholic world reveals both a deep love for the Church and a deep yearning for change.
In late 2021, I suggested to the Catholic Women Speak (CWS) network – an online forum for dialogue – that we might circulate a questionnaire among our members to prepare a report for submission to the synod: 17,200 Catholic women from 104 countries responded.
The findings give a fascinating insight into the hopes and struggles of thousands of women in the worldwide Church. They challenge the homogenised view of Catholic women presented by both those dismissive of reformers and those who want radical change in the Church. In church teachings, women are romanticised for their maternal qualities and “feminine genius”, while our sex bars us from ordination.
By contrast, Catholic women are often represented as united in wanting radical reform across all institutional and doctrinal frontiers. The survey shows that neither perspective truly respects the many ways in which women identify as Catholic. Most come from somewhere along the spectrum of Catholic faith and practice, with at one end a minority resisting any reform, and at the other a minority impatient for revolutionary change.
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Thierry Bonaventura taking receipt of the proposed constitution at the Synodal Office – August 26th, 2022
The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research (more here) has submitted revolutionary proposals to the Synod on Synodality, a worldwide consultation of Catholics kick-started by Pope Francis on the theme of a more participatory church. The Institute proposes that the Catholic Church adopt a Constitution that would underlie its ecclesiastical laws. The Constitution would revolutionise the present structure of the Church.
According to Prof. Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland, now Chancellor, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland: “This proposed Constitution is the best idea the Catholic Church has had in centuries. It gives due respect to the God given dignity of every member, puts Christ front and centre, loosens the strangling, controlling grip of imperialism and clericalism and lets the Church breathe again, love again, include again. We need this Constitution. It is our bridge to the future”.
The constitutional text is the result of a year’s work by an international, interdisciplinary working group of 25 academics, coordinated by the Wijngaards Institute. The draft text was further scrutinised by a wider group of scholars resulting in the final text being signed by over 60 international experts.
The Catholic Church is currently structured around an unelected, self-selecting male-only priestly caste, which alone wields all legislative, executive, and judicial power. It inherited this structure from the centralised authority of the Roman Empire and feudal society in the Middle Ages. Laypeople, who account for more than 99% of church members, are excluded from church governance, and women and LGBTQ people doubly so on account of their gender and sexual orientation.
The new ground-breaking Constitution for the Catholic Church proposes to radically overturn that structure. It codifies democratic features which are consistent with precedents in the bible and church history, and the fundamental human rights which successive popes have encouraged states to respect, but which current church law is far from integrating.
· To kick-start discussion of the need and possible shape of a church constitution;
· To build on the official Vatican precedent, the so-called “Lex ecclesiae fundamentalis” (“Fundamental law of the church”), whose final, finished draft was shelved in 1981;
· To establish a legal framework for agreed legal rights, principles, and standards which all church laws must abide by, and against which they must be assessed;
· To shows how proposals for church reform can be brought together into a legal framework that is coherent, pragmatic, as well as compatible with biblical studies, theological research, and ecumenical dialogues.
The constitution was submitted to both the national episcopal conferences of all the countries the co-signatories come from, and to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. On August 26th, we met with and hand delivered a copy to Thierry Bonaventura, the communications manager of the Synodal office in Rome (see photo below) who stressed that he, Sister Becquart and all the Synodal committee would review the document in detail. We have also heard from a Bishop and member of the committee to decide which of the contributions from Western European Catholics will be submitted to the next phase of the synod, who said he will bring the constitution to the attention of his colleagues at that committee.
Key features and proposals:
Universal right to participate in church governance. All Catholics have a right to participate in the government of the church, as required both by their fundamental human rights (UDHR Art. 21) and by their baptismal rights.
Non-discrimination. The selection of candidates for any church office, including sacramental ministry, must be done without discrimination based on race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, and economic or social condition.
Subsidiarity, federalism and decentralisation. “Every church and decisional level in the church has an inalienable right and responsibility to determine both what decisions and actions falls within their competence, and what instead should be decided by delegation to, or accomplished better in cooperation with, the higher level. Conversely, each higher decisional level may only undertake those decisions and actions which the lower level freely delegates to them, and may not impose restrictions on the lower levels as to matters for decision or action without their consent” (Art. 34, see Art. 30).
Leaders must be elected and representative of their constituents. Church officials exercising legislative or executive functions must be representative of the church community they serve. Accordingly, at each level of church governance, candidates to those ministries should be elected through direct or indirect universal suffrage.
Consent. “Official church laws and doctrines passed by church representatives must reflect the consent of the churches to which they apply, and they are to be regarded as valid for as long as they enjoy that consent” (Art. 31).
Separation of powers. The power of governance shall be divided between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch is separated from the others, as well as from the so-called “sacramental power”, so that “A person or body holding one of those powers […] shall not concomitantly hold any of the others”. In other words: priests and bishops can only exercise the sacramental power, and they can no longer exercise any of the powers of governance (legislative, executive, or judicial), and much less do so exclusively.
Leaders are legally required to take into account specialist knowledge whenever required by the matter at hand: “Should a decision require specialist knowledge – e.g., in biblical studies, theology, canon law, medicine, psychology, economics, sociology, etc. – church representatives and leaders, both individually or in groups, have a legal duty to seek and take into account relevant and independent expert advice” (Art. 68). “Membership of […] independent expert advisory bodies shall be selected via an open and transparent peer review process, whose criteria for selection must include relevant expertise, lack of conflict of interests, independence from church representatives and church leaders, and good standing within the relevant scientific community” (Art. 70).
Leaders must be accountable. Church officials exercising legislative or executive power must only serve for a limited term of office, recommended to be five years. They should report at least annually on their actions, including their financial management.
There must be full freedom to Join and Leave the Church. “By virtue of the universal freedom of conscience and religion, acquiring as well as relinquishing juridical membership of the Catholic Church entailing the acceptance of ecclesiastical rights and responsibilities must be the result of a free choice. (Art. 5).
A full list of contributing scholars, endorsements and supporting organisations is here: Scholars and Signatories
Contact :
Miriam Duignan : T +44 7970 926910 E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Dr Luca Badini Confalonieri: T: + 44 7446 283699 E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the Vatican’s synod office, says he sees “a different church” emerging from the worldwide synodal process. In the second part of this exclusive interview with America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell for the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, Cardinal Grech reveals in new depth the plans for the continental and Roman phases of the global synodal process.
He also comments on past synod proposals, including those to ordain mature married men (viri probati) to the priesthood and to promote wider ministries for women.
The Holy Spirit (Female in the Old Testament) is getting impatient with those in charge. She has blown through the Church; she is showing you how your intransigence to change has weakened the institutional Church and has diminished the number of those who follow. Just visit local parishes. The shortage of priests has led the United States to recruit among the poorest of countries, robbing Peter to pay Paul. More time? We don't have the luxury of more time. We in the pews are gasping for reform while those in power rebuff the Spirit's warnings.
The Trumpet of Jericho is a prize for special services to the reform of the Catholic Church. The award goes to people who stand up against outdated church rules. Especially people who have been punished for this by the church leadership are worthy of the award, for example by losing their job or limiting their career.
After the successful first presentation of the trumpet by Jericho to Doris Reisinger in October 2021, this year’s winner is Josef Pampalk, political scientist and Afrikanist. As a former missionary of the White Fathers in Mozambique, he witnessed how the bishops there submitted to the colonial power of Portugal. A 1940 concordat between Salazar and the Vatican decreed that the missions were considered an agency in the service of the Portuguese Empire, that the colonial government selected and paid the bishops, They expected clear support in maintaining colonialism. Those who criticized or stood up for the rights of the locals were punished or expelled from the country. When the White Fathers decided to protest, they were expelled from Mozambique in 1971. The Vatican’s support for colonialism led to the resignation of Pampalk and other "White Fathers".
This award cerenibt will take place on Friday 7 October 2022, 18:00-20:30 at 1010 Vienna, ÖJAB-Haus Johannesgasse 8, Vivaldi-Saal
Ewald Benes: Why this award was created Margit Hauft: The decision of the prize committee Paul Zulehner: Mission today - learning from mistakes - Tasks of the Church Eric Morier-Genoud: History of the Roman Catholic Church in Mozambique Rudolf Mayerhofer-Sebera: Laudation: Meaning and purpose of this nomination Presentation of the prize Josef Pampalk: Thanksgiving and message from the recipient
Press contact: Ewald Benes,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +43 664 125 0001
Ashiknaz Khokhar, We Are Church (Pakistan), sends this report:
Pakistan is facing massive flood due to moonsoon catastrophe since mid of June. More than 70% of Pakistan is affected with flood. Approximately 40 million of our population are affected and according to the data of National Disaster Management Authority Pakistan more than 1500 people have died due to flood disaster. Among this number it is mostly women, children, senior citizens and disabled people who have lost their lives. Huge number of livestock have died and hundreds of bridges destroyed. 2 million houses, hundreds of hotels and more than 12735 Kms of roads have been destroyed. Four provinces of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan) are badly damaged.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan declared an emergency in the country and called upon the international community for help for Pakistan during this hard time. General Secretary of UN visited Pakistan and told the international community that Pakistan is facing a humanitarian crisis and called upon all agencies to help Pakistan. He also said that this is just a start of destruction due to climate change. If the world does not take proper measures, this will expand on a much bigger level.
Pope Francis also appealed in His sermon that Pakistan is in need so we all should come forward to help brothers and sisters in Pakistan.
Many NGOs and organizations are helping the flood victims, rescuing them from the water and giving them safe place to stay. Unfortunately this destruction is on so big a scale that people are not getting any shelter.
In some of the areas water is going down but there are now diseases taking place like diaheria, maleria and skin diseases. There is also shortage of medicine and medical staff.
In recent weeks there are hundred of people suffering snake bites and this mostly happening to kids.
More than 47000 women's are pregnant about to give birth in few days but there are no proper hospitals for them.
Fr. Zahid Augustine, parish priest of Sacred Heart church and In charge of Active Youth Group said that He never saw this kind of natural disaster before and he call upon parishioners to help the flood victims.
Ashiknaz Khokhar, the Executive Secretary of Active Youth Group holds fund raising camps in several areas and reaches out to affected areas with cooked food, medicines and ration bags.
One of the most significant aspects of the 2021-2023 Synod is the recognition that it is informed and shaped by a spirituality. In developing a ‘spirituality for synodality’, we find that it assists us in integrating our theological reflection and expanding our experience of the Church as we engage more deeply in the synodal process. Indeed, as the features of a synodal spirituality unfold for us, we can come to see in it the ways in which the Holy Spirit graces the life of the Church, drawing each one into a deeper love of Christ and moving us to desire an ever greater communion, participation, and mission.
The purpose of this paper is not to give a detailed analysis of the spirituality for synodality and its theological foundations. This important work needs to be done, but it will require more extensive treatment than is possible here. Rather, it is hoped that the foundations, nature and significance of a spirituality for synodality can be developed in the light of the synodal process itself, drawing on the experience of the whole Church.
This was part of a 
Vatican truly represent what it means to be a Catholic woman in the modern world.
Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the Vatican’s synod office, says he sees “a different church” emerging from the worldwide synodal process. In the second part of this exclusive interview with America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell for the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, Cardinal Grech reveals in new depth the plans for the continental and Roman phases of the global synodal process.
The Trumpet of Jericho is a prize for special services to the reform of the Catholic Church. The award goes to people who stand up against outdated church rules. Especially people who have been punished for this by the church leadership are worthy of the award, for example by losing their job or limiting their career.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan declared an emergency in the country and called upon the international community for help for Pakistan during this hard time. General Secretary of UN visited Pakistan and told the international community that Pakistan is facing a humanitarian crisis and called upon all agencies to help Pakistan. He also said that this is just a start of destruction due to climate change. If the world does not take proper measures, this will expand on a much bigger level.
In some of the areas water is going down but there are now diseases taking place like diaheria, maleria and skin diseases. There is also shortage of medicine and medical staff.