December

Archbishop John Dew has contrasted the freedom of speech prevailing at the synod on the family with the atmosphere at a past synod. He said Pope Francis’s invitation to synod members to speak boldly and not to be afraid is creating a new dynamic.

The fact that topics like Communion for the divorced and remarried are even being discussed is giving people hope, the archbishop said. But he dampened down any prospects of overnight changes flowing from the synod, saying there is a long way to go.

In an intervention, Archbishop Dew pressed for recognition that people come to moral perfection gradually. This concept was mentioned in St John Paul II’s Familiaris Consortio, the archbishop said. “[I] said we need to find a language that still speaks the truth of the Gospel and the truth of the doctrine, but makes it in such a way that it is not all about rules and sanctions, but it is about helping people find their way to God.” www.cathnews.co.nz