Focus

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  Pope Francis' closing synod speech received with standing ovation

  Oct 24, 2014

  Pope Francis' address at the conclusion of the Synod on the Family, delivered Saturday, was responded to with a four-minute standing ovation on the part of the bishops attending the Vatican meeting.

  
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  How the Synod process is different under Pope Francis

  Oct 24, 2014

  For those who have watched the synod process since it was first initiated under Pope Paul VI, the current meeting has some unique aspects that come from Pope Francis.

  
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  Five things the Synod just did

  Oct 24, 2014

  Essentially, the “relatio” (or report) published today, at the close of the Synod, will serve as a starting point for future discussion. It was also presented with great transparency, including even sections that did not win the necessary votes for complete approval.

  
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  Interreligious marriage: a look at the Synod from India’s perspective

  Oct 24, 2014

  While some countries face family issues such as divorce and polygamy, the synod’s Indian participants have voiced concern for interreligious marriages, which pose pastoral concerns across Asia.

  
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  The spirit of Vatican II is seen in the Synod

  Oct 24, 2014

  Philippines’ Cardinal Luis Tagle said: “In the free discussion, some of the Synod Fathers and participants said openly that they felt the spirit of Vatican II very much.”

  
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  The spirit of Vatican II is seen in the Synod

  Oct 24, 2014

  Philippines’ Cardinal Luis Tagle said: “In the free discussion, some of the Synod Fathers and participants said openly that they felt the spirit of Vatican II very much.”

  
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  Synod Fathers laud miracle of conjugal love in final message

  Oct 24, 2014

  In their message to the faithful, the synod fathers praised the life-giving love between a man and a woman, which despite many challenges, endures through the grace given by God in the sacrament of marriage.

  
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  Collegiality, decentralisation and subsidiarity: Francis' dramatic push

  Oct 17, 2014

  Much has been said and written about the new wave of inclusiveness being promoted by the Bishop of Rome, with the ongoing Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, currently underway in Rome, discussing some thorny issues regarding the family.

  
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  Being a parent in challenging times

  Oct 17, 2014

  In Genesis 1:28, God instructs Adam and Eve to be “fertile and multiply.” Unfortunately, God didn’t provide instructions for raising children, so Adam and Eve had to figure out how to parent on their own.

  

• Food for thought

  Oct 17, 2014

  The working document for the Synod of Bishops on the family that meets Oct. 5-19 at the Vatican has much to say about passing the faith on to children.