Synod on the Youth 2018

The global Catholic Church must listen more to the critiques of its younger members and acknowledge that "some things concretely need to change," Pope Francis says in a new teaching document. But the pontiff offers few insights for what exactly must change.

Signing his document dedicated to young people, faith and discernment, Pope Francis said Mary, the mother of God, is a source of inspiration and strength for everyone who seeks to understand their vocation.

Pope Francis will issue a document on "young people, faith and vocational discernment" five months after the world Synod of Bishops gathered to discuss the topic.

Faith Seeking Understanding: So far, we have no apostolic exhortation to follow the Synod of Bishops on youth, just the final synod document. And that compromise document is not enough.

Distinctly Catholic: Synodality is a different approach to untying knots, building consensus, being church. As Pope Francis indicated in this splendid sermon, we must leave room for God to act, and be less interested in advancing our own agendas.

For those looking for Pope Francis' synod of bishops on young people to settle the current divides in the Catholic Church between bishops and laity, conservatives and reformers, LGBT Catholics and those who regard that group as an oxymoron, the synod's final report is bound to disappoint.

"Forgive us if often we have not listened to you; if, instead of opening our hearts, we have filled your ears. As Christ's church, we want to listen to you with love" because young people's lives are precious in God's eyes and "in our eyes, too," the pope said in his homily Oct. 28.

A worldwide gathering of hundreds of the Catholic Church's prelates ended Oct. 27 with the issuing of some of the global institution's strongest language yet for the inclusion of women in its all-male decision-making structures, calling the matter a "duty of justice" that requires a "courageous cultural conversion."

The more than 30 young adults taking part in a global meeting of Catholic leaders to discuss how to engage today's youth have been dismissed by critics of the summit as irrelevant, or insufficiently orthodox, or worse.

The more than 250 Catholic bishops from around the world meeting at the Vatican in October missed an opportunity to confront the global sex abuse crisis, said Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.

We say: Sidelined for too long, women aren't going away. Perhaps the utter scandal to which an all-male clerical culture has subjected the church will finally force a change.

Francis, the comic strip: It seems Francis himself has recognized the humor inherent in being pope. "Francis," the comic strip, picks up on that cue.

Signs of the Times: These bishops see young people as empty vessels into which they will pour content. Or worse, vessels filled with garbage that must be removed to make room for the church's content.

The synod's final document will seek to address issues concerning all young people and not just those issues facing young men and women living in Western countries, said members participating in the Synod of Bishops.

Just Catholic: The current kerfuffle about laywomen voting at the Synod of Bishops both gives evidence to and deflects the real discussion. 

While the clerical sexual abuse crisis did not dominate discussions at the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said it was discussed, and everyone in the room clearly believed the crisis has to be dealt with.

No one is excluded from the love of God or from being welcomed into the Catholic Church, but God's love and the church's welcome also come with a call to conversion, said the English-language groups at the Synod of Bishops.

Listen: Joshua J. McElwee and Heidi Schlumpf talk about their recent reporting from Rome on the Synod of Bishops.

The church needs to further integrate women into ecclesial life to confront the problems of clericalism and an exaggerated sense of masculinity, a Vatican official told the Synod of Bishops.

The importance of helping young people become ethical, active citizens who are unafraid of taking part in politics was a topic brought up by two members of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 16.

Francis, the comic strip: It seems Francis himself has recognized the humor inherent in being pope. "Francis," the comic strip, picks up on that cue.

Improved religious education and a stronger sense of belonging to a community were some of the topics touched upon as the Synod of Bishops moved into its final round of speeches.

Distinctly Catholic: The potential for genuine synodality makes me hope that those who want change, even those who want change I would applaud, will give Pope Francis some wiggle room.

Young people crave spiritual mentorship, but such guides must to be trained to accompany younger Catholics today, according to the second round of reports from the synod's English-speaking working groups.

Vatican City - The two umbrella groups representing male and female religious orders are planning to present Pope Francis with a proposal to give women a larger role in future synods.

As the Catholic church's monthlong synod on young people reaches its halfway point here, there has been more excitement outside the synodal hall than inside.

Vatican City: Ethiopian Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, who is taking part in the Catholic Synod of Bishops on young people, says he hopes the gathering will address the stark realities of poverty, migration, and conflict being experienced by youth on his continent.

One U.S. observer warned Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops that the current immigration system in the United States "blatantly threatens" and disrespects the lives and dignity of migrants.

Although women's voices are welcome and included at the ongoing Catholic Synod of Bishops in Rome, women should not be allowed to vote during its deliberations, a Dutch bishop said.

Young people can discover Jesus and find guidance more easily in small faith-based communities and networks, several observers said at the Synod of Bishops Oct. 10.

Even in far-off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, a bishop said a young person asked him what the church is doing to prevent clerical sexual abuse.

Speaking to the Synod of Bishops on behalf of Belgium's bishops' conference, a bishop said he was sure some young married men would become priests if they were asked.

Vatican City — A possible papal trip to North Korea would be “a gigantic step,” but North Korea must first “do the groundwork” before Pope Francis could go, a South Korean bishop said, adding that the pope “brings much fruit” wherever he goes.

At a Synod of Bishops where "cultural shift," "epochal change" and "massive challenge" are almost buzz phrases, Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg said, "I'm very optimistic."

The second of the English groups to address the abuse crisis said the scandal "has undermined the work of the Church in practically every way, precisely because it has compromised our credibility."

VATICAN CITY -- "We need to put on the agenda not only the question of prevention, but also accountability," Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna said at an Oct. 8 press conference.

The Catholic Church needs to communicate the beauty and intelligence of faith to young men and women without resorting to condescending and aggressive methods, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles told members of the Synod of Bishops.

Vatican City: South Korean Sr. Mina Kwon, one of the eight women religious allowed to attend the Oct. 3-28 Synod of Bishops in an advisory capacity, told the 267 prelates taking part Oct. 5 that "young people are sensitive to the issue of inequality and exclusion."

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia told members of the Synod of Bishops their task was to help young people understand Catholic teaching on sexuality and to avoid using terms like "LGBTQ" that make it seem as if the church categorizes people that way.

Australian Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney used his speech at the Synod of Bishops to formally apologize to young people for all the ways the Catholic Church and its members have harmed them or let them down.

Pope Francis urged bishops to reject conformism and frames of mind that "paralyze, separate and alienate us from young people," leaving them "orphans without a faith community to sustain them."

Archbishop Peter Comensoli, one of three Australians taking part in the Oct. 3-28 Synod of Bishops, said in an Oct. 3 interview that he thinks many young people are what he termed "horizon-hunters."

A peaceful protest just steps from St. Peter's Square turned into a clash with Roman police, as bishops and cardinals were entering the opening session of the Synod of Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment on Oct. 3.

Pope Francis opened a month-long worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops Oct. 3 by exhorting the hundreds of prelates taking part to guard against "falling into moralistic or elitist postures" as they discuss the needs of young people today.

Tiernan Brady of Equal Future, a coalition of 100 LGBT groups and Catholic religious from over 60 countries, said the youth synod is the "closest thing the church gets to a democratic process" and that it is an opportunity to discuss real challenges.

Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a U.S. delegate bishop for the upcoming synod on young people, said the church must demonstrate what it believes in how it responds to the abuse crisis.

Signs of the Times: The future of the Catholic Church is with the young, which is why Pope Francis has called bishops from all over the world to meet in Rome Oct. 3-28 for a synod on young people. If the church cannot attract and keep young people, it has no future.

The Synod of Bishops will meet in October to discuss teenagers and young adults in the Catholic Church and find ways to encourage their enthusiasm and dreams, help them sift through the possibilities to serve others and resist temptations.

Distinctly Catholic: Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput is headed to Rome as a delegate to the Synod of Bishops on young people. He is not entirely happy to be attending the event.

Just Catholic: As the church recoils at sex abuse, bishops will soon gather in Rome to talk about young people. But, like water dripping on a stone, the same story is wearing people's patience thin.

To the list of members of the Synod of Bishops elected by national bishops' conferences, Pope Francis added cardinals from 14 countries, bishops from another 10 nations, as well as 10 priests who be full voting members of the gathering.

Testimonials and studies fostered conversations throughout the annual assembly of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, which focused on the upcoming synod on young people.

Commentary: The call for "a new apologetics" will do little to help the church address the root causes of and influencing factors of religious disaffiliation, especially of young people.

The bishop delegate to the synod will encourage improvement in catechetical outreach because he believes young people do not understand church teaching. But young Catholics say they want accompaniment and openness to new ideas.

Pope Francis has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to represent the United States at Synod of Bishops Oct. 3-28.

Pope Francis added an Italian teenager to the list of people he will formally recognize as saints Oct. 14 during the monthlong meeting of the world Synod of Bishops on young people.

As his delegates to preside over sessions of the Synod of Bishops in October, Pope Francis has chosen four cardinals from countries where young people are facing special challenges.

The Vatican document outlining the initial working positions for October's global meeting of Catholic bishops on the needs of young people takes a notably inclusive tone towards both young Catholics who express disagreement with church teachings and young gay people.

The Vatican announces the agenda for the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people has been approved, following "an interesting exchange of opinions" about the document among the members of the Synod's organization's governing board.

After a weeklong meeting in Rome with Pope Francis, young Catholics called for an authentic and empowering church where they would feel welcomed.

A Vatican-hosted conference of young people meant to advise Catholic bishops on the needs of youth today has acknowledged that some in their generation want the church to change teachings on issues such as same-sex marriage and use of contraception.

"Too often we talk about young people without asking what they think," said Pope Francis at the opening of a weeklong meeting with young people from all over the world.

"That's why we need you young people, living stones of a church with a young face," Pope Francis said. "You provoke us to break free of the logic of 'it has always been done this way,' which is a sweet poison that tranquilizes the soul."

Some 300 young people from around the world will come to the Vatican in late March for a weeklong conference meant to prepare the way for an October Synod of Bishops on issues facing youth today.

South Bend, Indiana -- Presenters at the "Cultures of Formation" conference called for the church to be countercultural in response to contemporary attitudes toward technology, sexuality and what one speaker called the "uncritical valorization of diversity."

A religious brother, a campus ministry director and a youth minister have been named to represent the United States as young adult delegates at a pre-synod gathering in Rome in March.