Synod of Bishops

"Reports." The word almost smells boring and managerial. Yet, as the synodal reports come together, if you look closely, you see that many of them are rooted in a deep spirituality, notes columnist Michael Sean Winters.

Over 100 non-diocesan groups submitted their own synodal "synthesis" reports to the U.S. bishops. These Catholics participated in their own listening sessions for the grassroots consultation ahead of the 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome.

A review of more than a dozen synodal reports from U.S. dioceses participants appreciate the opportunity to be heard, even if they harbor misgivings about what the Synod on Synodality will ultimately accomplish.

Students from North, Central and South America are set to talk with Pope Francis in a virtual dialogue Feb. 24. The students chosen to participate range from "practicing" to "distant from the church," they told NCR.

Pope Francis will meet with Catholic university students across the Western Hemisphere in a virtual dialogue hosted by Loyola University Chicago on Feb. 24 as part of the ongoing consultation process for the Synod of Bishops.

COVID-19 continued to dominate 2021's headlines, despite available vaccinations and many mask mandates. Meanwhile, Pope Francis made some radical changes to the church's power structure, including plans for the 2023 Synod of Bishops. He also said there's a moral obligation to get vaccinated.

In the U.S., the early weeks of the diocesan phase of the synod on synodality so far reveal an uneven response to Pope Francis' vision of a more decentralized, listening and discerning church that "journeys together."

Commentary: Sr. Christine Schenk's review of major U.S. dioceses' websites presents a heartening (though inconclusive) picture of synod events planned by church leaders of both "liberal" and "conservative" persuasions.