Vatican puts the brakes on Synod on Synodality, pushes ‘controversial’ topics to 2025
Vatican City RNS A three-year process aimed at putting the most pressing concerns of lay Catholics front and centre in the church was reshuffled on Thursday, as the Vatican announced that it plans to push discussion of “doctrinal, ethical and pastoral issues that are controversial” to June, 2025. The controversial issues include allowing women to […]
Church of England: “Profound disagreement” remains on homosexuality
London, UK Reuters The Church of England’s governing body will debate adopting fresh commitments on homosexuality and same-sex couples when it meets later this month, it said on Friday, acknowledging that there remained “profound disagreement” on the matter. A general view of Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, on 6th October, 2020. PICTURE: Reuters/Hannah McKay/File photo […]
Pope says Africans are “special case” when it comes to LGBT blessings
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis said in an interview published on Monday that Africans were a “special case” in the opposition of bishops and many other people in the continent to homosexuality. But he said he was confident that, except for Africans, critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would eventually understand […]
In the US, the United Methodist Church has lost a quarter of its churches – most in the South
United States RNS Americans looking to understand the ways political polarization has defined US voting patterns need look no further than the divisions in the United Methodist Church. Five years after allowing churches to leave with their properties if they disagreed with the direction the denomination was heading on human sexuality, the results of the […]
Pope says LGBT blessings are for individuals, not approval of unions
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis on Friday defended a Vatican document on blessings for same-sex couples but said they were not an approval of a lifestyle the church sees as potentially sinful but of individuals seeking to get closer to God. It was the second time in as many weeks that Francis sought to clarify […]
Next steps: Pope Francis’ synod made few waves, but organisers say it’s already changing the church
The controversy over blessing gay couples is just another example of synodality at work, according to Sr. Nathalie Becquart. CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, reports….
Greek Orthodox Church: Marriage bill for LGBTQ couples tests church’s historic influence
The Greek Orthodox Church opposition to legalising marriage for anyone but traditional heterosexual couples is testing the church’s influence over Greek life. DAVID I KLEIN, of Religion News Service, reports…
Greek Church blasts proposed same-sex civil marriages, will present its views to congregations
Athens, Greece AP Greece’s influential Orthodox Church on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to the center-right government’s plans to legalise same-sex civil marriages, and said it would present its views to lawmakers and congregations nationwide. A statement by the church’s governing body, the Holy Synod, said that while legislation is parliament’s job, “that doesn’t relieve the Church of […]
Catholic Church: The most important stories from the Vatican in 2023
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, takes a look at a year in which Pope Francis has continued to push for changes in the church, braving daunting opposition and several medical scares…
United Methodist Church: One fourth of churches in US have left in schism over LGBTQ ban. What happens now?
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on the growing number of congregations leaving the denomination…