Vatican News

How an incorrect translation of the synod report created chaos

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2014 / 11:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- An incorrect translation into English of the original midterm report of the Synod on the Family may have spurred controversial interpretations of the document itself.

The document's original version was written in Italian, which Pope Francis directed to be used as the official language of the synod. In prior synods the official language had been Latin, esteemed for its precision and lack of ambiguity.

Christian hope is no mere optimism – it’s a light for the world

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2014 / 05:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Wednesday general audience address Pope Francis spoke on the meaning of Christian hope, saying that it consists in our joyful expectation of the return of its source, Jesus Christ.

“Christian hope encompasses the whole person, so it is not a mere desire or an optimism, but the full realization of the mystery of divine love, in which we have been born and in which we already live,” the Pope told those gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 15.

Controversy prompts Vatican to clarify synod midterm

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 03:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After a media frenzy and lively internal debate were both raised by the publication of the midterm relatio of the Synod of Bishops, its secretariat issued a statement clarifying its merely provisional nature.

Polish bishops join voices of concern over synod midterm

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 01:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Polish bishops' conference voiced concerns Monday over the interim report released by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family.

The relatio post disceptationem, or “report after debate,” caused controversy and confusion yesterday after its release. Particularly under scrutiny have been passages about cohabitation before marriage and persons with same-sex attraction, as well as unclear language in the document.

For synod auditors, God's plan for marriage best taught by living it out

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 12:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The American married couple who addressed the Synod of Bishops said daily life is where they first saw God’s plan for families revealed and that they hope to equip parents to be primary educators of the faith.

Why isn't St Joseph patron of families yet? asks synod father

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 11:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The archbishop of El Salvador's capital city, who is in Rome for the Oct. 5-19 Synod on the Family, has proposed that St. Joseph be officially named patron saint of the family.

“May God grant us this grace, as he is a model spouse, father, and teacher of young people,” Archbishop Jose Escobar Alas of San Salvador told Vatican Radio in a recent interview.

Extending an invitation: Synod prompts revamp in Church language

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 10:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The need to develop a new way of communicating Church teaching in contemporary society emerged in synod discussions last week, with specific emphasis given to expressions regarding life and moral issues.

“The question of language has been a biggie,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York told journalists at an Oct. 8 event in Rome.

Is your faith wearing cosmetics? Take them off, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 08:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his daily mass on Tuesday Pope Francis warned about the hypocrisy of those who do good in order to be seen, saying that true faith is practiced through acts of charity that go beyond outward rituals.

“Jesus condemns this cosmetic spirituality, (which attempts to) look good, beautiful – but the truth inside is something else,” the Pope said to those present in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for his Oct. 14 daily Mass.

What kinds of family issues are important to a Nicaraguan bishop?

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2014 / 02:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Gang violence, family separation and a “chauvinistic culture” that strains marriages are among the challenges facing families in parts of Latin America, said a bishop from Nicaragua.

“Violence in families has actually intensified and increased” in the country due to poorly formulated laws, Bishop Socrates Rene Sandigo Jiron of Juigalpa, Nicaragua said. The bishop spoke to CNA from Rome, where he is taking part in the Synod on the Family.

Here's why Church teaching on 'gay marriage' did not change today

Vatican City, Oct 13, 2014 / 04:59 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Catholic blogosphere exploded Monday after the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops released a document summarizing last week’s discussion.

But while the relatio post disceptationem, which means “Report After Debate,” has been fodder for sensational headlines claiming a major shift in doctrine, the report is only a beginning, working document of the Church.

Retreat House Bandra