"A church that does not develop its thinking in an ecclesial way is a church that goes backward," the pope said on the flight from Canada to Rome. His talk during vespers in Quebec explains what he meant.
Distinctly Catholic: Now is the time for Democrats to seize the populist narrative around economic issues and make that, again, the defining hallmark of liberalism in the United States.
Spanish Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, the former "camerlengo" or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church and former prefect of the Vatican congregation for religious, died Aug. 10 at his Vatican apartment. He was 94.
Commentary: Pope Francis regards restoration of the Vatican II liturgy to be of the utmost seriousness. In effect, the reimposed restrictions will dry up the supply of priests who can celebrate the Tridentine Mass.
Commentary: This global synodal process is not only ambitious, it is also risky because of its different phases — local, national/continental and central — that will highlight the radical differences in local churches.
Commentary:Antiquum Ministerium appears to move beyond a rigid laity-clergy binary to pursue a vision of the church built up by ordered ministries — some established by ordination, others by formal installation.
Commentary:The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection responds to the new "rad-trad" enemies of the council. But the book's extreme centrism only deepens the problem of connecting Vatican II teaching with today's church and world.
Hans Küng died April 6 at his home in Tübingen, Germany, at age 93. Few men throughout Christendom have had as much to say or had their work seen by as many Christians as the Swiss theologian and Catholic priest.
Commentary: Pope Francis' push for synodality inside the Church coincides chronologically with the rise of populist leaders and the crisis of democracy on the outside.
