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Rome Newsroom, Oct 26, 2024 / 16:48 pm (CNA).

In a significant departure from previous synods, Pope Francis adopted the final document of the Synod on Synodality on Saturday, foregoing the traditional apostolic exhortation in favor of direct implementation of the assembly's conclusions.

The 52-page document, approved by 355 synod members in attendance, outlines substantial proposals for Church renewal.

The proposals include expanded women's leadership roles, greater lay participation in decision-making, and significant structural reforms.

Key Developments

The document emerges from a two-year consultative process that began in 2021, incorporating 1,135 amendments from both collective and individual submissions.

Compared to its 2023 predecessor, the text presents more concrete recommendations and clearer structural guidelines.

The final document is organized into five main sections and calls for five forms of conversion: spiritual, relational, procedural, institutional, and missionary.

Structural Reforms

Among the most significant proposals is a call for strengthening pastoral councils at parish and diocesan levels.

The document advocates for regular ecclesiastical assemblies across all Church levels — including continental —and heightened ecumenical dialogue.

The text introduces the concept of synodal authority while acknowledging that in "a synodal Church, the authority of the Bishop, of the Episcopal College and of the Bishop of Rome in regard to decision-taking is inviolable."

"Such an exercise of authority, however, is not without limits," the document adds.

On this view, the text calls for a revision in canon law, "clarifying the distinction and relation between consultation and deliberation and shedding light on the responsibilities of those who play different roles in the decision-making process."

Women's Leadership

In a notable development, the document explicitly states there is "no reason or impediment" to prevent women from assuming leadership roles in the Church.

Furthermore, "the question of women's access to diaconal ministry remains open," and that discernment should continue.

The text advocates for increased female participation in clergy formation and broader involvement in Church decision-making processes.

Lay Participation

The document significantly expands the role of lay faithful in Church governance. It calls for their increased presence in synodal assemblies and all phases of ecclesiastical decision-making.

New procedures for selecting and evaluating bishops and expanded lay participation in diocesan leadership and canonical processes are proposed.

Implementation Phase

While Pope Francis has declared the synodal path "completed," the document emphasizes that a crucial implementation phase lies ahead. This next stage will focus on integrating synodality as a "constitutive dimension of the Church."

The text also addresses accountability measures, calling for enhanced financial transparency and protocols for abuse prevention, declaring: "The need within the Church for healing, reconciliation and the rebuilding of trust has resounded at every stage of the synodal process."

Background

The document represents the culmination of one of the most extensive consultative processes in Church history, building on both the 2023 assembly's work and the broader synodal journey initiated by Pope Francis in 2021.

The exercise aimed to balance traditional Church teaching with contemporary pastoral needs while promoting greater inclusivity and transparency in Church governance.

This article was originally published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted for CNA.

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Vatican City, Oct 26, 2024 / 11:00 am (CNA).

As the second session of the Synod on Synodality draws to a close, U.S. bishops serving as delegates to the synod shared their insights and experiences in a series of interviews this week with EWTN News hosts Catherine Hadro, Matthew Bunson, and Father Thomas Petri, OP.

"We walk together and, of course for us, we walk together with Christ," Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told EWTN News. "We're really all in charge; we all make up the Church, we're all the living stones."

Broglio, who is also the archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, stressed that this co-responsibility must begin at the parish level before it can effectively manifest at the diocesan level.

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, USCCB vice president, emphasized that synodality primarily concerns the Church's "interior culture" and how Catholics discern God's will together.

"It's more about ... listening to the Lord and to his word, and to the Church and to tradition; listening to one another [and] understanding what authentic aspirations are," Lori explained.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, described synodality as requiring a "conversion to a sense of the style and manner of Jesus." At the same time, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, emphasized that synodality serves the Church's fundamental mission of evangelization.

"The end is the mission — it's bringing the truth and beauty of the Gospel, this message of salvation in Christ — to the world," Rhoades said. "Synodality is not the end. It's a means towards the end."

Global perspective

The bishops highlighted how their interactions with delegates from around the world deepened their appreciation for the universal Church's challenges and vitality.

Broglio described enlightening discussions with a bishop from Nepal, where Christians face significant restrictions, including requirements for conversion affidavits.

During a break in the synod, Lori visited Ukraine, meeting with war widows and mothers who lost sons in the conflict. Despite tremendous suffering, he witnessed "tremendous faith and resiliency."

Looking ahead, the bishops emphasized practical applications of synodality in their dioceses. Lori noted that while cultural change doesn't happen overnight, many dioceses have already begun implementing more collaborative approaches to Church governance.

Rhoades pointed to existing structures like parish pastoral councils and presbyteral councils as vehicles for implementing a more synodal approach. "It's about really taking these councils seriously," he said.

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CNA Newsroom, Oct 26, 2024 / 14:03 pm (CNA).

In a striking departure from usual practice, Pope Francis announces he will not issue a postsynodal apostolic exhortation, choosing instead to directly implement the Synod on Synodality's final document.

"What we have approved in the document is enough," the pope declares, marking a historic shift in how synodal reforms will be implemented in the Catholic Church.

As the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops concludes its second and final session, this step signals a new phase in the Church's synodal journey.

Today's key events:

• Pope adopts synod document without traditional papal exhortation

• Final document published today

• Pope announces continued listening process with bishops and local Churches

• Ten study groups to continue work on specific reform proposals

The story so far

Oct. 26: 'We walk together': U.S. bishops reflect on last global session of Synod on Synodality

As the second session of the Synod on Synodality draws to a close, U.S. bishops serving as delegates to the synod share their insights and experiences in a series of interviews this week with EWTN News hosts Catherine Hadro, Matthew Bunson, and Father Thomas Petri, OP.

The bishops highlighted how their interactions with delegates from around the world deepened their appreciation for the universal Church's challenges and vitality, reports Kristina Millare.

Oct. 25: 'Not over the hump yet': Synod delegates anxiously await the final document

For those concerned about making sure the Synod on Synodality doesn't open the way to contested changes in Church teaching and practice, the draft version of its final document appears to be good enough.

But it might not stay that way: 1,000 amendments to the text are currently being incorporated into the final document by a small writing team overseen by a commission of synod members.

That text, in turn, will be read to delegates tomorrow, Saturday, who will then vote on it that evening, paragraph by paragraph, before its final approval, writes Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 25: Cardinal Fernández: Female diaconate will be studied 'more intensively'

The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announces more in-depth study into the differences between holy orders and authority in order to be able to entrust laywomen with leadership functions in the Church.

Cardinal Victor Fernández makes the statement during a meeting with about 100 members, guests, and experts participating in the synod to hear their questions and proposals regarding the work of group 5, reports Almudena Martínez-Bordiú.

Oct. 24: Election of Vatican council charged with implementing synodality

Why are these members of a Vatican council poised to play an important role in implementing the results of the Synod on Synodality? Jonathan Liedl explains for the National Catholic Register what the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod is.

Oct. 24: From Rome to Ukraine: Archbishop Broglio discusses synod and global Church challenges

Archbishop Timothy Broglio explains the importance of balancing collaborative Church governance while maintaining the essential role of bishops in their dioceses. He also shares moving experiences of meeting bishops from regions like Nepal, where Christians are a small minority, and addresses current challenges facing military chaplains in Ukraine and Israel.

Reflecting on the synod, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and archbishop for the Military Services, USA, shares insights with EWTN News hosts Catherine Hadro and Matthew Bunson about this year's Synod on Synodality in Rome.

Oct. 24: Cardinal Czerny: Legacy of synod will be a 'refreshed' missionary Church

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, hopes the legacy of the Synod on Synodality launched by Pope Francis will be the renewal of the Catholic Church as the people of God who walks together to "better carry out the mission that Christ entrusted us" in modern-day society.

The Canadian cardinal tells EWTN News hosts Catherine Hadro and Matthew Bunson: "The central insight of Vatican II is that we are all enjoying equal dignity as Christians by our baptism." Kristina Millare has more.

Oct. 23: As synod's end nears, progressives brace for disappointment

With hot-button issues sidelined and major changes seemingly off the table, progressive Catholics feel led astray by synod organizers' grand promises, writes Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register.

Those who have advocated for things like women deacons and the acceptance of same-sex relations are bracing for a "final cold shower."

Oct. 22: In EWTN interview, Bishop Rhoades reflects on synod progress

In a wide-ranging conversation with EWTN News hosts Catherine Hadro and Matthew Bunson, Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades reflects on the synod's evolving dialogue, the role of women in the Church — and shares expectations as the assembly flows toward its culminating document this week.

Oct. 22: African bishops speak: How has the Synod on Synodality impacted the Church in Africa?

Father Don Bosco Onyalla, editor-in-chief of ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, tells CNA in an interview that the theological concept of synodality "where people come together" is a reality and tradition that is already lived among Catholics across the continent. And what are African prelates saying about the gathering in Rome? Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 21: Fernández: Diaconate 'is not today' the answer for promoting women in Church leadership

Cardinal Víctor Fernández reaffirms Pope Francis' position against women's access to the diaconate, an issue that will continue to be evaluated by a specialized commission while the Synod on Synodality continues to reflect on the role of women in the Church outside of ordained ministry. Almudena Martínez-Bordiú has more.

Oct. 21: Special coverage LIVE from the Vatican

Watch the EWTN News special from the Vatican covering the last week of the Synod on Synodality. Hosts Catherine Hadro; Father Thomas Petri, OP; and Matthew Bunson analyze the latest developments from the synod with special guests.

Oct. 20: Pope Francis presides at canonization Mass for 14 new saints

Pope Francis canonizes 14 new saints, including a father of eight and Franciscan friars killed in Syria for refusing to renounce their faith and convert to Islam.

Presiding over a Mass in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, the pope declares three 19th-century founders of religious orders and the 11 "Martyrs of Damascus" as saints to be venerated by the global Catholic Church, commending their lives of sacrifice, missionary zeal, and service to the Church. Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 20: Cardinal Fernández promises follow-up meeting after controversial absence

Sources confirm to CNA over the weekend that there is significant frustration among synod delegates over Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández's absence from the Friday meeting about the study group on women's roles in the Church. This includes questions surrounding the possibility of female deacons, notes AC Wimmer.

How the meeting was conducted caused outrage, too, as paper slips with an email address were reportedly distributed.

Oct. 19: Synod, Zen, and Sinicization: Vatican's China deal sparks tensions 

Two prominent Catholics — Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and American author George Weigel — level sharp criticisms at the Synod on Synodality, focusing particularly on the Vatican's approach to China.

The synod takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the diplomatic relationship between the Holy See and Beijing, particularly the Sino-Vatican deal on bishop appointments, AC Wimmer writes.

Oct. 19: Here's what's happening during the last week of the Synod on Synodality

After two and a half weeks, the last of two assemblies for the Synod on Synodality is now in its final stretch before officially concluding on Oct. 27.

As conversations on the agenda set by the Instrumentum Laboris, or working document, wrapped up last week, the focus going forward is on the writing and editing of the Synod on Synodality's final document. Hannah Brockhaus has more.

Oct. 18: Synod delegates urge young Catholics to learn how to listen to others in a polarized world

More than 30 students — most of whom were from the U.S. — from over 10 universities attend "The University Students in Dialogue with Synod Leaders," an event organized by the General Secretariat of the Synod held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall. 

The event was moderated by four young staff members of the Synod on Synodality's communications team who presented questions to four guest panelists participating in the second global synodal session at the Vatican. Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 17: Cardinal Bo calls for diocesan synods around the world

The head of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC), Cardinal Charles Bo of the Archdiocese of Yangon, Myanmar, said diocesan synods are an effective means to "build a vision and mission" for local Churches.

The high-ranking prelate from the country also known as Burma tells journalists that synodality on a diocesan level is not a new concept for the Catholic Church, reports Kristina Millare.

Meet the 14 people who will be canonized saints this weekend

The Catholic Church's newest saints will include a priest whose intercession led to the miraculous healing of a man mauled by a jaguar, a woman who convinced a pope to call for a worldwide novena to the Holy Spirit, and 11 men killed in Syria for refusing to renounce their faith and convert to Islam. Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 16: Synod proposal to 'decentralize' doctrinal authority met with major pushback

Decentralizing doctrinal authority, or deciding certain doctrinal questions at local levels rather than universally, has been seen as a pivotal step for those aiming to make dramatic changes to Catholic teaching, writes Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 16: Dutch cardinal advocates Christ-centered reform over controversial issues

A Dutch cardinal cautions against misguided reform efforts within the Catholic Church, warning that regional solutions to contentious issues could undermine the Church's credibility.

Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, archbishop of Utrecht, emphasizes the importance of maintaining unity with the universal Church: "We must walk a common path and not deviate from the world Church," he said, reflecting Pope Francis' 2019 letter to German Catholics. "If unity in proclamation is lost, the Church loses its credibility," Eijk says.

Oct. 16: Australian archbishop: Synod on Synodality cannot 'reinvent the Catholic faith'

We cannot "reinvent the Catholic faith" or "teach a different Catholicism in different countries," Australian Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney and a delegate at the Synod on Synodality tells EWTN News.

Should bishops' conferences "have the authority to teach a different Catholicism in different countries or to decide a different liturgy in different countries or different Mass for different countries? Do they bring their own local culture to questions in the area of morals, for instance?" Fisher says in his interview with "EWTN News Nightly" Associate Producer Bénédicte Cedergren.

Oct. 15: Cardinal from Amazon: 'Many of our women are true deaconesses'

Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, the archbishop of Manaus in Brazil who is participating in the Synod on Synodality, said during a daily press briefing at the synod on Tuesday that "many of our women are true 'deaconesses'" and pointed out that Pope Francis "has not closed the question" of the ordination of married men. Almudena Martínez-Bordiú has more.

The cardinal is known for being a defender of the poor, Indigenous people and is also considered "pro-LGBTQ." In the past he has stated that "there will be a way" to end mandatory priestly celibacy.

Oct. 15: Warning against fatigue from Church leader at Synod on Synodality

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich asks participants to maintain energy levels at the gathering, reports EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser for "EWTN News Nightly," as participants delve into the theme of "places," exploring relationships between cultures and diverse Church needs worldwide.

Meanwhile, Bishop Robert Barron, in an exclusive interview with EWTN's Colm Flynn, defined synodality as encompassing wider consultation, greater accountability, and transparency.

The synod's universal nature is highlighted by the presence of Eastern Catholic Churches, with Archbishop Fülöp Kocsis sharing insights on the richness of diverse experiences. Jonathan Liedl, senior editor for the National Catholic Register, points to a significant discussion on decentralization: The proposal under consideration could potentially grant national bishops' conferences more authority in doctrinal decision-making, marking a potential shift in the Church's governance structure.

Oct. 15: How 'special interest advocacy' works at the Synod on Synodality

Don't be surprised to see a fresh round of news stories about support for ordaining women at the Synod on Synodality. It's a reasonable expectation — writes Jonathan Liedl in his analysis for the National Catholic Register — given an advocacy group blasted out an email, obtained by the Register, inviting synod delegates to join them at an event promoting the cause.

In so doing, they are following a familiar script that's being used to influence the Synod on Synodality — or at least perceptions of it, he explains.

Oct. 15: 'Synodality Tent': A place to reflect on the presence of Latin America in the Church

"The Synodality Tent" is the title of an initiative promoted by the Amerindia Network and the Latin American Observatory on Synodality whose objective is to reflect on the presence of Latin America in the Catholic Church as well as to continue promoting the synodal process.

This place for encounter and dialogue, which also aims to offer an experience of faith, opened in Rome in the context of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, writes Almudena Martínez-Bordiú.

Oct. 12: Catholics invited to 'adopt' Synod on Synodality members

Prayer groups are sponsoring an online platform through which you can "adopt" a Synod on Synodality member to pray for during the month of October.

After submitting an email address on the webpage oremusprosynodo.org, the name of one of the 368 voting members of the 2024 meeting of the Synod on Synodality appears with the exhortation to pray for them. Hannah Brockhaus has more.

Should the Church be governed by gender-balanced synods?

At a theological forum held at the Jesuits' world headquarters in Rome this week, an influential canon lawyer argues that the Catholic Church should be governed by synods balanced according to gender, among other factors, and empowered to make decisions, not merely recommendations. Jonathan Liedl reports for the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 11: Pope Francis, synod pray where first Christian martyrs of Rome were killed

Pope Francis and Synod on Synodality participants pray together at the site of the first Christian martyrdoms in Rome on Friday evening.

As attendees hold candles with drip protectors imprinted with an image of the 15th-century painting "Mater Ecclesiae" ("Mother of the Church"), Pope Francis leads those present in praying the Our Father but does not give the meditation prepared for the event, Hannah Brockhaus reports.

Oct. 11: What happens when a Chinese bishop takes the floor for the first time at the synod?

Synod sources tell EWTN News that Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of the Diocese of Hangzhou spoke to synod participants about the history of Chinese Catholicism, China's agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops, and cultural exchange. Andrea Gagliarducci has more.

Oct. 10: Pope Francis' Brazilian pick for cardinal calls for ordaining married priests

Archbishop Jaime Spengler, OFM, at a briefing for the Synod on Synodality confirms plans for a trial run of an Amazonian rite of the Mass and urges "openness" to the idea of married priests to serve certain communities.

The 64-year-old prelate, a descendant of German immigrants, is a prominent figure in the Church in his home country and throughout South America, heading both the Catholic bishops' conference of Brazil and the Latin American bishops' conference (CELAM), writes Hannah Brockhaus.

Oct. 10: Why is 'women's ordination' still dominating media coverage of the synod?

News media has a built-in tendency to downplay nuance and highlight novelty, and this is arguably accentuated at the Synod on Synodality, writes Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register. Two synod members say synod communications head Paolo Ruffini overstated the strength of calls for "women's ordination." Read the full analysis here.

Oct. 10: Non-Catholic delegates put Christian unity in focus at Synod on Synodality

Three fraternal delegates — non-Catholic representatives of Christian churches participating in this year's session of the Synod on Synodality — take center stage at Thursday's Synod on Synodality press briefing held at the Vatican's Holy See Press Office.

Speaking about "the great importance of relationality" among Christian churches, Anglican Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester — co-chair of the English-Welsh Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee — speaks about the "sense of family" that has developed between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, particularly during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 9: Synod debates on bishops, laypeople opened to public at theology forums

Synod on Synodality events open to the public give a glimpse Wednesday evening into the private debates happening among delegates and theological experts on the issues of a bishop's authority and his relationship to the laity in light of synodality.

Thomas Söding, vice president of the lay organization promoting the German Synodal Way, argued that bishops shouldn't control or dictate discipleship but should encourage diverse expressions of faith.

Italian canonist Donata Horak criticized the Roman Catholic Church's current structure as "monarchical" and out of step with democratic sensibilities. She suggested that the Latin Church adopt deliberative synods, as seen in Eastern Catholic churches, although she did not note that these do not allow lay voting, notes Hannah Brockhaus.

Oct. 9: Synod delegates look to St. John Henry Newman as theological guide

Australian Bishop Anthony Randazzo, a synod delegate and president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania, says St. John Henry Newman famously showed "that the Church would look foolish without the laity" and should help ease fears that collaboration with the laity is heterodoxical.

"I think that this way of thinking should liberate us in the Church from believing that any one group or vocation alone drives the bus," the bishop of the Diocese of Broken Bay, Australia, emphasizes. Randazzo made a powerful statement against pushes for so-called "women's ordination," explains Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register.

Oct.

Oct. 8: Catholic bishops from mainland China and Taiwan in dialogue at Synod on Synodality

In an interview with CNA, the first Indigenous bishop of Taiwan says he met with the two bishops from mainland China taking part in the synod and plans to meet with them again. "It's very important to dialogue with them, to respect each other. I think it's good … not only for the Chinese, for the whole Church," Bishop Norbert Pu of Taiwan tells Courtney Mares.

Oct. 8: Who is in charge of drafting the final document of the Synod of Synodality?

Paolo Ruffini, the synod's communications head, announces the 14 members of the Final Document Commission. The seven continental delegates are:

• Catherine Clifford, a theologian from St. Paul University in Ottawa, for North America

• Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, for Africa

• Father Clarence Davedassan of Malaysia is the pick from Asia

• Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst, Australia, for Oceania

• Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, Colombia, for Central and South America

• Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France, for Europe

• Bishop Mounir Khairallah, a Maronite prelate, for the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Middle East

The other members include three direct picks from Pope Francis and four automatic appointments, writes Jonathan Liedl.

Oct. 8: Synod participants donate for Gaza parish

In a video played for journalists at the Holy See Press Office on Oct. 8, Gaza parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli thanks synod participants for both prayers and financial help, because in Gaza, "everyone is in need of everything."

The pope's charity office announces that synod participants donated 32,000 euros (about $35,000) for the Catholic parish in Gaza from synod participants on Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

The synod donations were combined with another 30,000 euros (about $33,000) from Pope Francis' charity coffers and sent to Holy Family Parish, the only Roman Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, which is sheltering hundreds of Palestinian Catholics.

Oct. 7: Pope invites prayer for the Middle East as participants from that region begin week 2 of the synod

Since the beginning of the Synod on Synodality, synod delegates and participants have echoed Pope Francis' pleas for prayers and solidarity with communities across the war-ravaged region. As the second week of the synod gets underway, on the World Day of Prayer and Fasting held on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Francis addressed Catholics in the Middle East on the one-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel. Kristina Millare has more.

Oct. 7: Women deacons off the table? Synod delegate claims 'some women sense a call to priesthood'

While the topic of "women deacons" is not formally up for discussion at the Synod on Synodality assembly this month, the official Vatican press conference for the synod showcases a female delegate who spoke about women experiencing "a call to priesthood," Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 6: Pope Francis and synod participants pray rosary for peace

Invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Francis presides over a rosary prayer in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday evening, Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 5: A call for peace and an announcement of dialogue

A Lebanese bishop makes an impassioned plea for peace and forgiveness at the Synod on Synodality's daily press briefing on Saturday as the assembly's first week draws to a close.

Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batroun shares his personal experience of violence and forgiveness, recounting how his parents were murdered when he was just 5 years old.

Meanwhile, a dialogue with study groups is announced for Oct. 18 after synod delegates vote for more interaction with the groups established by Pope Francis.

Oct. 4: What's behind the viral photo of Pope Francis venerating a chair?

Pope Francis sits before the historic relic of St. Peter's chair in the Ottoboni sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica after celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Square ahead of the second session of the Synod on Synodality. What is behind this viral image? Madalaine Elhabbal explains.

Oct. 4: Participants put spotlight on world's poor

Closing the first week of meetings, participants from different continents put a spotlight on the plight of the world's poor and vulnerable on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Kristina Millare reports. 

The first week at the Synod on Synodality — revolution or much ado about nothing? 

Vaticanist Andrea Gagliarducci analyzes the first days of the gathering in Rome. He writes: "It seems clear that while the delegates may discuss many things over the next three weeks, nothing will be decided. There will be no doctrinal changes. No diminution of the role of the bishop. No rush to resolve the question of opening the diaconate to women." 

Oct. 3: Many voices to be heard 

Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the synod, says at a press conference that "every believer, man or woman, and every group, association, movement, or community will be able to participate with their own contribution" via the synod's 10 study groups.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, tells journalists the work of participants in the second session of the Synod on Synodality is to find the "cohesive voice" that expresses the life of the Church.

Oct. 3: Cardinal Fernández rules out women deacons

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on Oct. 3 shuts down speculation regarding further theological study into the possibility of women being ordained as deacons. Father Giacomo Costa, special secretary of the synod, says this month's discussions held in the Vatican should serve as "laboratories of synodal life," Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 3: Solving sexuality questions with 'contextual fidelity'?

A study group appointed by Pope Francis to explore a synodal approach to the Church's most debated issues — including sexual morality and life matters — proposes "contextual fidelity" and a "new paradigm" that downplays long-standing Church teaching, Jonathan Liedl notes. 

Oct. 2: Pope Francis calls for new ways for bishops to be 'synodal'

At the first meeting of the full assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Wednesday, Pope Francis says a bishop's ministry should include cooperation with laypeople and that the synod will need to identify "differing forms" of the exercise of this ministry.

Oct. 2: Pope Francis opens synod, warns against personal 'agendas'

Pope Francis opens the second and final session of the Synod on Synodality, which is meant to deepen the missionary perspective of the Church, explains EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser.

"Let us be careful not to see our contributions as points to defend at all costs or agendas to be imposed," the pope says at the synod's opening Mass on Oct. 2, Courtney Mares reports. The pontiff warns: "Ours is not a parliamentary assembly but rather a place of listening in communion."

Oct. 2: Looming questions about role of German 'synodality' 

"More candor about the motivations of the German Synodal Path and its vision of the Catholic future would be helpful in determining what, if anything, it has to offer the world Church at Synod 2024," comments George Weigel in the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 1: Penitential liturgy is held in St. Peter's Basilica; more than 500 people attend

On the eve of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis says the Catholic Church must first acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness before it can be credible in carrying out the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to his Church, Kristina Millare reports. 

Nine years ago, this papal speech set the 'synodality' machine in motion

Since Pope Francis' 2015 speech, synodality has grown from a theological concept into a guiding principle of Church governance. Analysis from Jonathan Liedl in the National Catholic Register.

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Washington D.C., Oct 26, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Leaders in Catholic health care are rallying behind critical policy initiatives to protect religious freedom in medical care, expressing concerns for the future of their industry should Vice President Kamala Harris be elected.

"The Biden administration, particularly through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many state governments are engaged in an unprecedented assault on the civil rights of religious freedom and medical conscience rights," stated Louis Brown, executive director for Christ Medicus Foundation, at an event hosted by the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

According to Brown, if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election and enacts the policy initiatives that her administration has campaigned on, there would be "a massive rollback in health care access nationwide," directly impacting the health and well-being of underserved communities in the U.S.

"Just days ago," he said, referring to comments made by the Democratic Party candidate during an NBC interview on Tuesday, "we heard Vice President Harris say that she does not believe in religious exemptions for abortion procedures."

"I don't think we should be making concessions when we're talking about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body," Harris said when asked whether she would consider religious exemptions with respect to federal laws on abortion. 

"If these religious freedom violations are ultimately successful," Brown continued, "they would effectively destroy Catholic health care in the United States by making the practice of faithfully Catholic health care unlawful and illegal."

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) reports on its website that there are currently 645 hospitals, 438 health care centers, 1,389 specialized homes, 105 orphanages, 853 day care centers, and 3,449 social services centers in the U.S. Catholic health care network, which assists more than 118 million patients per year.

In his remarks at the RFI gathering, Brown outlined seven key policy initiatives for safeguarding religious freedom and Catholic health care in the U.S. These include allowing faith-based providers equal opportunities to serve patients, enacting protections for human life and dignity, ensuring patients can access life-affirming care, rescinding harmful HHS mandates, and protecting the conscience and religious freedom rights of health care workers.

"When the God-given dignity and love for the human person and the love of God is at the center of health care, all Americans, especially the most vulnerable, are best positioned to live longer, happier, healthier, more joyful lives," Brown stated.

When asked how Catholics should consider potential concerns with a second Trump administration — such as his proposal for universal IVF coverage and its impact on Catholic providers — Brown highlighted the importance of voting "to do more good and limit evil." 

"I think for us as Catholics and as Catholic health care leaders, we have to be Catholic first," Brown said. "Whether it's law, whether it's medicine, health care, all these things, it's Catholic first, and any political support has to be secondary."

However, he continued, "at the same time, I think when it comes to these the plethora of human dignity issues, particularly in health care, I think the policies of Vice President Harris, they're absolutely abhorrent on human dignity across the board." 

"When it comes to the policies of the Trump administration, while very imperfect, [they are] superior on issues of human dignity in health care," he added. "Absolutely superior."

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Vatican City, Oct 25, 2024 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Victor Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that the female diaconate will be the subject of a more in-depth study under the impetus of the proposals sent to the commission assigned to this task. He also stated that this question, although Pope Francis considers it not "mature," is not a "closed issue."

To delve deeper into the differences between holy orders and authority in order to be able to entrust laywomen with leadership functions in the Church is, according to Fernández, the objective of the work of the group he leads at the Synod on Synodality to reflect on the role of women in the Church at the request of the Holy Father.

Fernández made the statement during a meeting on Thursday afternoon with about 100 members, guests, and experts participating in the synod to hear their questions and proposals regarding the work of group 5.

This meeting was called at the initiative of the cardinal in response to some members being frustrated by his absence from a meeting scheduled for last week.

According to reports and the audio shared after the meeting, Fernández emphasized that the majority of women want to "be heard and valued," are asking to "have authority" and to be able to develop their charisms without specifically requesting the female diaconate, since they do not want to be "clericalized."

"I am thinking of women theologians who in some parts of the world have no opportunity for development or real freedom for theological work ... of women who have gifts for leading communities ... or of women who have great capacity to advise like the best of consultants or spiritual directors but who are not accepted because they don't have holy orders," he added.

The cardinal was also asked about the possibility of this matter being the main theme of the next synod. "I don't know what the procedures are for proposing the next themes, it's not my job, but perhaps it will be one of the themes proposed" at the end of this synod, he replied.

Fernández also noted that "the experience of the Amazon" is "very important" for this study because of the existence, he said, "of an experience of communities led by women without any priests."

"This experience is very important for us and we have already consulted some women" who belong "to groups of laypeople who constantly visit the communities."

The idea of ??the ministries, he continued, "is not a decision of the bishop who chooses a woman friend for an important position, but there is a need in the community and that there is in some persons a gift that responds to that need."

"We must be careful with this so as not to create a structure that ultimately remains dependent on [having] authority," he said. 

In this regard, the DDF prefect said it is possible to "have a significant consensus" regarding the leadership roles of women in the Church while noting that "very concrete steps will be taken in this regard."

"If it turns out that in the past women preached during the celebration of the Eucharist or exercised authority without having been ordained deacons, does this count for less?" the cardinal asked the members of the synod.

With the aim of carrying out a more open consultation following a "synodal style," the Argentine cardinal renewed his invitation to send contributions and proposals to the Vatican dicastery.

"Honestly, we need to receive ideas and proposals because we try to interpret the needs and possibilities that women see, but not being a woman I don't have their experience. So we need to understand where we can go on these concrete paths for women's empowerment."

To do this, the cardinal said that "the help of concrete proposals with which we can take real steps forward is really needed. What I've heard today seemed very, very interesting to me and it has opened my mind a little to other ideas."

"I'm not known in the Church for being a closed-minded medieval, am I? So you can be sure that I have an open heart to see where the Holy Spirit leads us and we move forward," he added.

The female diaconate will be studied 'more intensively'

Although the female diaconate has been removed from the central debates of the synod, the cardinal insisted that those who "are convinced that it is necessary to go deeper" into this question can also send their considerations to the commission chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi to further explore the subject.

He said that this body, established by the Holy Father in 2020, will resume its work with even "more effort" under the impetus of the proposals sent by the members of the synodal assembly and from other parts of the world.

Also, regarding Pope Francis' position on the question of the diaconate, which he said was "not mature," Fernández pointed out that this does not mean that Francis wants to "close the issue."

This reflection will also continue, according to the cardinal, because "the conclusions of the commission's work are not without ambiguity and there are historians who say that in the past there were cases of women being ordained as deaconesses," while other historians claim that it was "a blessing and not a true ordination."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Oct 25, 2024 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

The so-called Satanic Temple on Thursday denied that it intends to use a consecrated host during a sacrilegious "black mass" event scheduled for this evening.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta has since confirmed that "a representative for The Satanic Temple of Atlanta has now provided us with their assurances that they do not have, and will not be using at their event tonight, a consecrated host."

A direct mockery of the Catholic Mass, a so-called "black mass" has sometimes in the past involved the desecration of the Eucharist, stolen from a Catholic church.

Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer of Atlanta in a Friday statement said that archdiocesan legal representatives reached out to the venue and organizers of the event to "demand that, if they had any consecrated hosts in their possession, they return them and not use them in their black mass." 

"We were prepared to seek a court order if such a host was determined to be in the hands of the satanic group. The Satanic Temple of Atlanta, through their attorney, responded saying they had no such consecrated host and no such consecrated host would be used in their black mass," Hartmayer reported.

"While their letter continued to mock the Eucharist and our beliefs, it also demonstrated an understanding of how seriously we have taken this threat to our core belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They called their event entertainment and defended their right to express their beliefs by mocking ours."

The Satanic Temple is a provocative Salem, Massachusetts-based political organization that openly and unequivocally denies belief in God, Satan, or the supernatural. The group is known for protesting religious symbolism in public spaces.

"The Satanic Temple Atlanta has not engaged in theft or illicit activity of any kind. Specifically, we have not stolen a consecrated host, nor do we promote illegal behavior," the group said in an Oct. 24 Instagram post. 

The group said its statement was made in direct response to Hartmayer, who in an Oct. 8 memo urged all Catholics to counter the Satanic Temple's "attack on the faith" through prayers of reparation and penance.

"The Satanic Temple does not believe in, nor advocate for a belief in, the supernatural, nor is it the place of another religious organization to define for us how our rituals must be conducted to conform with their assumptions," the Atlanta Satanic Temple continued in its Instagram post.

The group asserted that the so-called "black mass," set to take place Friday evening at an event space in Atlanta, is "intended as a theatrical performance for entertainment, religious practice, and empowerment within our community" and is intended as a "personal declaration of independence from superstition."

Hartmayer, in his earlier memo, said that Catholics should respond to "this attack to our faith through prayer, penance, and prayers of reparation."

In his updated statement Oct. 25, the archbishop said the chancery office has been "overwhelmed with calls, emails, and messages of all kinds offering support" since news broke about the black mass. He urged Catholics to respond to the planned event with "love stronger than hate or violence."

"[R]emember that 'they will know we are Christians by our love.' I continue to ask for prayer. I wholeheartedly condemn any threats, violence, or dangerous behavior against anyone involved with this event or the location where it is set to be held. We must respond as Jesus would," Hartmayer said. 

"While there will always be people who mock and blaspheme Our Lord in the public square, we know too that he will be defended by all of us who love him."

In recent years, the Satanic Temple has engaged in pro-abortion advocacy, losing the various lawsuits it filed against state pro-life laws in Missouri and Indiana. It also announced last year the creation of an "After School Satan Club" at a Connecticut elementary school.

In 2014, a planned "black mass" at Harvard University sparked considerable outcry from Catholics, as did another one later that year in Oklahoma City.

This article has been updated.

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Vatican City, Oct 25, 2024 / 15:20 pm (CNA).

In his newly released encyclical, Dilexit Nos ("He Loved Us"), Pope Francis calls on Catholics worldwide to rediscover the love and compassion found in the heart of Jesus Christ.

The encyclical, issued on Oct. 24, examines the transformative power of Jesus' heart as a font of healing for a divided world. The theologically expansive text draws from the Catholic Church's traditional devotion to the Sacred Heart as a source of inspiration for centuries of saints, popes,  and theologians.

Here are seven takeaways from Dilexit Nos on the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ:

1. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ

The title of the encyclical, Dilexit Nos, comes from the end of chapter 8 of St. Paul's Letter to the Romans:

"What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? … No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:35, 37-39).

2. The power of the heart in a fragmented world

The pope critiques what he calls the "liquid" nature of contemporary life marked by superficiality and consumerism. He says "we find ourselves immersed in societies of serial consumers who live from day to day, dominated by the hectic pace and bombarded by technology, lacking in the patience needed to engage in the processes that an interior life by its very nature requires." 

"Amid the frenetic pace of today's world and our obsession with free time, consumption, and diversion, cellphones and social media, we forget to nourish our lives with the strength of the Eucharist," he adds.

In contrast, he writes, the heart represents the "profound unifying center" for each person and for society. The encyclical quotes Pope Benedict XVI, who said:

"Every person needs a 'center' for his or her own life, a source of truth and goodness to draw upon in the events, situations, and struggles of daily existence. All of us, when we pause in silence, need to feel not only the beating of our own heart, but deeper still, the beating of a trustworthy presence, perceptible with faith's senses and yet much more real: the presence of Christ, the heart of the world" (Angelus, June 1, 2008).

 3. The cross as the ultimate expression of Christ's love

The encyclical states that "the pierced heart of Christ embodies all God's declarations of love present in the Scriptures."

Pope Francis writes about how great consolation can be found in contemplating the heart of Christ in his suffering and self-surrender even to death for our salvation.

"Our sufferings are joined to the suffering of Christ on the cross. If we believe that grace can bridge every distance, this means that Christ by his sufferings united himself to the sufferings of his disciples in every time and place. In this way, whenever we endure suffering, we can also experience the interior consolation of knowing that Christ suffers with us," he says.

The pope adds: "As we contemplate the heart of Christ, the incarnate synthesis of the Gospel, we can, following the example of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 'place heartfelt trust not in ourselves but in the infinite mercy of a God who loves us unconditionally and has already given us everything in the cross of Jesus Christ.'"

4. Love as a missionary impulse

Pope Francis also writes about "the communitarian, social, and missionary dimension of all authentic devotion to the heart of Christ," adding that Christ's heart not only leads us to the Father but also "sends us forth to our brothers and sisters."

"Jesus is calling you and sending you forth to spread goodness in our world," he writes. "His call is one of service, a summons to do good, perhaps as a physician, a mother, a teacher, or a priest. Wherever you may be, you can hear his call and realize that he is sending you forth to carry out that mission."

Pope Francis also encourages parishes to focus less on structures and bureaucracies as means of evangelizing, warning against "communities and pastors excessively caught up in external activities, structural reforms that have little to do with the Gospel, obsessive reorganization plans, worldly projects, secular ways of thinking, and mandatory programs."

The encyclical points to the missionary examples of saints like St. Thérèse and St. Charles de Foucauld. By returning to this Sacred Heart, he writes, Catholics can find a renewed energy to address social and spiritual challenges through love.

The pope writes about how the fire of the Holy Spirit fills the heart of Christ, quoting St. John Paul II's letter on the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's consecration of the human race to the divine heart of Jesus: "The heart of Christ is alive with the action of the Holy Spirit, to whom Jesus attributed the inspiration of his mission."

5. Acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

In the encyclical, Pope Francis discusses the Catholic tradition of making acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, writing that "reparation entails the desire to render compensation" for the injuries inflicted on the Lord who is love."

"The reparation that we offer is a freely accepted participation in his redeeming love and his one sacrifice," he explains. "Acts of love of neighbor, with the renunciation, self-denial, suffering, and effort that they entail, can only be such when they are nourished by Christ's own love. He enables us to love as he loved, and in this way he loves and serves others through us."

"Sisters and brothers, I propose that we develop this means of reparation, which is, in a word, to offer the heart of Christ a new possibility of spreading in this world the flames of his ardent and gracious love," Pope Francis said.

6. Saints and the Sacred Heart

In Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis shares insights from the saints and frequently cites the magisterium of his papal predecessors. He describes how St. Charles de Foucauld "consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart, in which he found a love without limits" inspiring his austere life in imitation of Christ, and how St. Thérèse placed her trust in the Sacred Heart's infinite mercy. 

He also points the reader to the spiritual experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who experienced a remarkable series of apparitions of Christ between the end of December 1673 and June 1675. 

In the first apparition, Jesus told Alacoque: "My divine heart is so inflamed with love for men, and for you in particular, that, no longer able to contain in itself the flames of its ardent charity, it must pour them out through you and be manifested to them, in order to enrich them with its precious treasures which I now reveal to you."

Francis notes how Pope Leo XIII called for the world's consecration to the Sacred Heart in response to the secular challenges of his time and Pius XI regarded the Sacred Heart as a "summa" of the experience of Christian faith. He also describes how St. John Paul II presented the growth of this devotion in recent centuries as "a response to the rise of rigorist and disembodied forms of spirituality that neglected the richness of the Lord's mercy" and "as a timely summons to resist attempts to create a world that leaves no room for God."

The encyclical also draws on thinkers like novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky and German philosopher Martin Heidegger to highlight the heart's wider human relevance.

7. The wounded heart of Christ as a wellspring of peace and unity

As modern society faces what Francis calls a "wave of secularization" and division, he sees "the heart" as a source of unity.

"It is only by starting from the heart that our communities will succeed in uniting and reconciling differing minds and wills, so that the Spirit can guide us in unity as brothers and sisters. Reconciliation and peace are also born of the heart. The heart of Christ is 'ecstasy,' openness, gift, and encounter. In that heart, we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God's kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle," he writes.

The pope affirms that "the wounded side of Christ continues to pour forth that stream which is never exhausted, never passes away, but offers itself time and time again to all those who wish to love as he did."

Pope Francis offers a prayer in the encyclical that the wounded world may regain its heart, writing: "In the presence of the heart of Christ, I once more ask the Lord to have mercy on this suffering world in which he chose to dwell as one of us. May he pour out the treasures of his light and love, so that our world, which presses forward despite wars, socioeconomic disparities, and uses of technology that threaten our humanity, may regain the most important and necessary thing of all: its heart."

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CNA Staff, Oct 25, 2024 / 11:00 am (CNA).

A legal education group centered on religious freedom released on Friday its 2024 "Faith and Freedom Index," which found that many states "overburden and are even hostile" toward faith-based nonprofits in the U.S.

The Napa Legal Institute's report found that some states, including Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington, ranked low for religious freedom, while other states such as Alabama and Indiana had "robust protections" for faith-based nonprofits, according to a Napa Legal press release.

Napa Legal's vice president and executive director, Mary Margaret Beecher, said the index "shows that states must actively engage in the battle for religious freedom and a flourishing civil society."

"The work of faith-based nonprofits is especially crucial this election year, in which many Americans are uncertain about the future of our nation and are seeing escalating attacks on religious freedom and conscience rights across the country," Beecher said.

The Faith and Freedom Index evaluates 14 types of state laws and scores states based on the rating of these laws.

Alabama and Indiana scored high thanks to their "straightforward corporate, tax, and fundraising regimes," while Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington scored low due to "complicated regulatory regimes" and "minimal protections" for faith-based nonprofits, according to the release.

States were evaluated based on regulatory freedom and religious freedom. In the overall ranking, which factors in both, more than half of the states earned 50% or less. Most states (38) received a mid-range score between 40% and 59%, but Michigan, Washington, Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Illinois ranked lowest, between 32% and 39%.

Eight states — Utah, New Hampshire, Iowa, Mississippi, Texas, Kansas, Indiana, and Alabama — scored higher on the scale, between 60% and 79%.

Alabama had the highest score in the religious freedom category (86%), while Indiana had the highest in the regulatory freedom category (81%).

"It's encouraging to see states like Alabama and Texas staunchly protecting these crucial rights; however, these rights belong to Americans regardless of the state they inhabit," Beecher said. "Now is the time for states that do not have robust protections of these rights to move towards doing so."

Napa Legal Counsel Frank DeVito noted that the index "is a natural and important extension of Napa Legal's work."

"By analyzing the laws that affect faith-based nonprofits and publishing the results, Napa Legal can better educate nonprofits, lawyers, and state policymakers on the state laws that affect religious organizations," he explained.

DeVito noted that this education "leads to better awareness and compliance for faith-based nonprofits, better legal training for the lawyers who serve those organizations, and the possibility of state lawmakers passing better laws to help faith-based nonprofits thrive." 

Napa Legal launched the index in 2023 to address religious freedom issues in the U.S. The group reported that there has been progress in several states since, with Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah launching state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts.

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Vatican City, Oct 25, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Jesuit priest and apostolic prefect of Battambang in Cambodia Father Enrique "Kike" Figaredo this week presented Pope Francis with a wheelchair made by land mine survivors in Cambodia.

The Spanish missionary traveled to Rome from the Southeast Asian country with a special gift for the Holy Father: a Mekong wheelchair, characterized by having three wheels and made of wood.

Figaredo, who is in the Eternal City to participate in the Synod on Synodality, had the opportunity to meet with the pontiff early in the morning of Oct. 23.

"It was a wonderful encounter; Pope Francis amazes me. When he saw me, he asked me: 'Kike, what did you bring me?'" the priest shared with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner.

According to the missionary, the Holy Father "was surprised to see the wheelchair and said it looked great." Later, Figaredo showed the pope some of its features "and he listened very attentively." The priest made the point that the craftsmen are not "disabled" but rather have "special abilities."

"I invited him to sit down in it, he got up from his chair and sat on the Cambodian chair and said: 'how beautiful.'" He also expressed his desire to use it, which for Figaredo would be "a symbol for the people injured by war."

The apostolic prefect also stressed that this gesture holds great meaning: "That Pope Francis has a wheelchair made by the people for whom he prays and advocates, so that they might have peace."

"The people who are victims of war are the ones who are giving [the wheelchair] to him through me. They give the pope a wheelchair, who is now disabled, so that he can continue to be the leader of the Church and the world for peace," he added.

Figaredo has spent more than 40 years giving his life to the service of those most in need in Cambodia, especially to people maimed by anti-personnel mine explosions.

Over the years, Figaredo has promoted various action projects for the disabled. In 1991, he founded a school for disabled children in Phnom Penh, where they also build wooden wheelchairs known as the Mekong, in reference to the river that crosses Cambodia and five other Asian countries.

There they take in vulnerable street children, orphans, and disabled people. In Battambang there is also the Arrupe Center, where different projects for children's education and adult training are carried out.

They also have an agricultural and livestock area, a restaurant called the Lonely Tree Café, a cafeteria, a hotel, a textile center where they make Kromas — the traditional Cambodian scarf — and the Mutitaa clothing brand, where they sell garments that can be purchased online from Spain. All of these, according to the Spanish priest, are "small models of social integration."

Volunteers from different countries come to the mission every year. Many come to help during the summer and the adults usually stay longer, around a year. There are others who initially plan to come for only a few months but end up staying, because these people have something that "captivates you."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 24, 2024 / 17:45 pm (CNA).

A doctor who runs the "transgender" clinic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles blocked the publication of a $6 million federal study on puberty blockers because the results failed to show any mental health benefits for children who were given the gender transition drugs, according to a New York Times report.

Johanna Olson-Kennedy, the leading researcher on the study and the medical director of the Center for Transyouth Health and Development, is a staunch proponent of allowing doctors to provide transgender puberty-blocking drugs to children who suffer from gender dysphoria.

The researchers, who received nearly $6 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), gave puberty blockers to 95 children who suffered from gender dysphoria to analyze whether the drugs improved their mental health. The average age of the children enrolled in the study was less than 11 and a half years old.

Olson-Kennedy and her fellow researchers began the study in 2015 and planned to follow the mental health developments of the children over a two-year period. When a Times reporter asked her why she had not published any results nine years later, Olson-Kennedy expressed concerns that the findings could bolster criticism of the use of puberty-blocking drugs on minors.

The pediatrician admitted to the Times that the researchers could not find any evidence that the puberty-blocking drugs improved the children's mental health. Instead of publishing the results, she concealed the findings due to the potential political ramifications. 

"I do not want our work to be weaponized," Olson-Kennedy said, according to the Times. "It has to be exactly on point, clear and concise. And that takes time."

According to the Times, Olson-Kennedy specifically said she was concerned about states that prohibit or restrict doctors from providing puberty-blocking drugs to children — an issue that will be in front of the United States Supreme Court in December.

Olson-Kennedy did not respond to questions from CNA sent by email about whether withholding the evidence could jeopardize the public's faith in research on these subjects or about what she would say to parents who want to access this information before making medical decisions for children who suffer from gender dysphoria.

The NIH also did not respond to a request for comment from CNA.

According to the Times, Olson-Kennedy tried to explain the lack of mental health improvements by saying the children were "in really good shape [regarding mental health] when they come in, and they're in really good shape after two years [of receiving the puberty blockers]." 

However, the researchers had previously reported that nearly 30% of the children suffered from depression going into the study, nearly one-fourth of them had suicidal thoughts, and about 8% had attempted suicide. When the Times pressed Olson-Kennedy on that fact, she told them she was referring to data averages but was still analyzing the data.

Olson-Kennedy is also working on a study with other researchers to analyze whether puberty-blocking drugs and other transgender hormone therapies impact bone development. Although they had planned to publish these results in 2019, those findings have also not been revealed as of late 2024.

Critics of puberty blockers for children are questioning the ethics and integrity of the research following this revelation from the Times.

"Scientific and financial integrity requires the release of taxpayer-funded research whether or not the researchers or others like the outcomes," Jane Anderson, the vice president of the American College of Pediatricians, told CNA.

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, a senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told CNA that "individuals facing serious gender distress deserve better than the dissembling of researchers and the blocking of access to vitally important health information."

"Negative results are oftentimes even more important than positive results when it comes to choosing appropriate patient care and treatments," Pacholczyk added.

NCBC senior ethicist Joseph Meaney added that "it is highly unethical to conceal the results of a scientific study for personal or political reasons." 

"Scientific research must be as objective as possible to increase our knowledge of medicine," Meaney said. "Unfortunately, some scientists are motivated by other objectives than discovering the truth. Intuitively, one would expect that puberty blockers would not yield benefits because they artificially prevent the natural and health maturation of the human body."

This is not the first time health care professionals have suppressed information that raised questions about the efficacy of gender transitions for children.

In 2021, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) altered proposed age-based guidelines for transgender drugs and surgeries for minors after facing pressure from the Biden-Harris administration. The association removed its recommended age minimums for every procedure based on concerns that the suggestions would fuel criticism of the use of puberty blockers for children.

An internal document showed WPATH officials knew that after reviewing "the evidence" they were "painfully aware of the gaps in the literature and the kinds of research" needed to justify their final recommendations. Yet the WPATH Guideline Development Group suggested that the group remove phrases like "insufficient evidence" and "limited data" so lawmakers could not use their document to justify restrictions on transgender drugs or surgeries for children.

More than 20 states have banned or restricted doctors from transitioning children's genders, as have several countries in Europe. 

Earlier this year, doctors in the United Kingdom halted the use of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria after an independent review found that there was no comprehensive evidence to support the routine prescription of transgender drugs for minors with gender dysphoria.

Some studies have also unveiled major concerns about puberty blockers, including a Mayo Clinic study published earlier this year that found that boys might suffer irreversible harm from the drugs, such as fertility problems and atrophied testes.

A 15-year study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands found that two-thirds of children who wished they belonged to the opposite sex as adolescents ultimately became comfortable with their biological sex in early adulthood.

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