The three week Synod on the family is finally over, but the homestretch did not come without some drama: an Italian newspaper, Quotiando Nazione, reported that Pope Francis has a small, benign brain tumour. Cue the denials and conspiracy theories. Pope Francis provided his own plot twist, taking the floor on Thursday afternoon to announce ...read more

Cardinal Wilfred Napier and Archbishop Mark Coleridge speak about the issues being discussed at the Synod, we hear from the representative of the Anglican Communion on his experience at the Synod, we sit down with Fr. Thomas Rosica to discuss media coverage of the Synod and lastly we talk to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. ...read more

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Mass of the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Canonization of Four Saints Sunday October 18, 2015 On Sunday, October 18, 2015, Pope Francis celebrated the Canonization Mass of four Saints: Saint Vincent Grossi, Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception and Saints Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin. Read the full text of his ...read more

Pope Francis’ Address at Commemorative Ceremony for the 50th Anniversary of the Synod of Bishops – FINAL TEXT October 17, 2015 Paul VI Audience Hall – Vatican City Your Beatitudes, Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters, As the Ordinary General Assembly is in full session, this commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of ...read more

As discussion inside the Synod hall turned to issues that brought out personal stories and anecdotes from many participants, there was, according to the Vatican press office, an in-depth discussion around around divorced and civilly remarried Catholics and various calls for a better approach to marriage preparation. At least one member proposed that there should ...read more

The Synod of Bishops continues with more meetings of small language groups and three members share their experiences. Plus Sebastian Gomes has more on “letter-gate”. ...read more

The Synod of Bishops on the Family started this week. For a run down of what has been discussed so far, watch this week’s edition of Vatican Connections, or Salt and Light’s special synod coverage, Inside the Synod. There were a few non-synod items of interest over the past week. The pope’s message for World ...read more

Pope Francis addressed the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Monday morning – the morning of their first full day of sessions. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s full English translation of the Holy Father’s remarks. Dear Beatitudes, Eminences, Excellencies, brothers and sisters, The Church today takes up once again the dialogue begun with ...read more

VATICAN: On October 6, 2015, Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, led a press conference outlining discussions arising from recent sessions of the Synod on the Family. Father Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., Vatican appointed English-language spokesperson at the Synod on the Family, gave an overview of note worthy topics of discussion. “Poverty, ...read more

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Opening of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops “If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 Jn 4:12). This Sunday’s Scripture readings seem to have been chosen precisely for this moment of ...read more