Catholic Fire

Photo Image via Catholic Herald On Sunday, October 4, Pope Francis opened the long-awaited Synod on the Family at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. A solemn Mass was dedicated to the theme of the family in the modern world. Vatican Radio reports: The Pope said that the readings centred on three themes, “solitude, love between man and women, and the family.” The First Reading came from the book of Genesis – the Lord giving Adam a helpmate. Pope Francis, reflecting on Adam’s loneliness, likened it to the drama of solitude experienced by men and women today – especially the elderly, widows and widowers and those left by their spouses. He said that many today are lonely because they are misunderstood and unheard – referring particularly to migrants and refugees. The Holy Father went on to say that we experience “the paradox of a globalised world filled with luxurious mansions and skyscrapers, but a lessening of the warmth of homes and families.” He spoke of the growi...

How can Blessed John Henry Newman's idea of the 'development of doctrine' frame our discussion about the recent Synod on the Family? And does Cardinal Walter Kasper's proposal represent an authentic development in Church teaching or a corruption?

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the Week: Share a family sacramental memory--the cute thing the kid said, the cake at the party, your in your wedding dress, the family gathered around the baby--anything is fair game as long as it at least sort of involved a sacrament. This is a photo of our wedding on June 27, 1992 -- 22 years ago. The deacon is standing directly behind me and the pastor, who married us, is directly behind my husband. For my women readers Here is a close-up look at my wedding dress and bouquet: My posts for this week include: Who was St. Bruno -- the Patron against Diabolic Possession? Fifteen Favorite Rosary Quotes for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosa...

The Synod on the Family is still about six months away, but organizers are already hard at work. In November, the Vatican issued a 38-question survey to all bishops' conferences around the world-all 114 of them. At this point, organizers say, 84 percent have sent in their results. CARD. LORENZO BALDISSERI Secretary-General, Synod of Bishops "This is a record number. It's truly exceptional. In the past, or in other circumstances, it's never happened before. One week after January 31, we had already received 70 percent. For us, that was enough to start working, and to give us a base to put things together.” The purpose of the survey is to gather information on the modern day challenges families face and how the Church can address them. Everything from the knowledge Catholics have on Church doctrine to their country's laws and personal opinions on same sex unions. The Cardinal says the goal is for Catholics to express their views, arguments and plausibl...