World News
The challenge of walking together: Letter raises concern at synod
From newspaper headlines and social media comments Oct. 12 it seemed there was a family feud going on inside the Synod of Bishops on the family.
Aid workers in Greece brace for more migrants, despite worsening weather
Greece is bracing for thousands more Syrians and other people to land on Lesbos and other key island crossings from Turkey, as those fleeing conflict remain undeterred by the worsening weather and colder autumn temperatures in their desperate search for safety in Europe.
Ways of teaching about family can alienate people, synod members say
Delegates at the Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome are grappling with how to "reach out to those families that do not fit into traditional categories" and how the church can use words that touch people's real experiences.
Communion for remarried would undermine doctrine, Polish bishop says
If civilly remarried divorcees are allowed to receive Communion it would open the sacrament "for all who live in mortal sin" and eliminate the need for the sacrament of penance, an archbishop said at the Synod of Bishops on the Family.
Synod surprises: Universal compassion, inaccurate coverage, couples say
Two couples attending the Synod of Bishops on the family said what surprised them most about their first synod in Rome was reading inaccurate media coverage of the closed-door proceedings, the diversity problems families face around the world and the synod fathers' great concern and compassion for the family.
‘Our families’ need friendship, cardinal says
New Zealand Cardinal John Dew said Oct. 12 that the church must "be friends to people who are struggling or are in difficulty in any way. It's not denying any doctrine, but saying, 'Look, we're here to help you, to work with you.'"
Visit to Africa listed among pope’s upcoming events
The pope's liturgical schedule, released at the Vatican Oct. 12, includes mention of the "apostolic visit to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic" at the end of November.
Citing new rules, India’s Missionaries of Charity to end adoption work
The Missionaries of Charity statement said the nuns "will continue to serve wholeheartedly and free of charge unwed mothers, children with malnutrition and differently abled children" in all their institutions "irrespective of caste, creed and religion."
Syrian priest released, celebrates Mass, news agency reports
Syrian Father Jacques Mourad was kidnapped by three masked men at the Syriac Catholic Mar Elian monastery in Qaryatain.
Hebrew-speaking Catholic community flourishes in Jerusalem
The community of Catholics, or kehilla, as it is known in Hebrew, is as diverse as they come: Israelis, foreign students, migrants and asylum seekers and religious from around the world, spanning several generations and cultures.