First priest to defy Church on gay marriage elected to General Synod

But I am not sure that those who dislike gay people are willing or able to see that. Bishop Drennan asked. Bishop Drennan said interest in the synod among New Zealanders is high. One of the best things you and I can do as we wait and watch is to pray for the Synod Fathers and for everyone dealing with the horror of divorce. “There is a somewhat undefined sense of expectation and a growing recognition that a synod is the Holy Spirit at work, through the participants”.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Synod of Bishops has been the object of a continual hunt to balance creating a protected space where bishops could speak freely – something that was especially important a couple of decades ago when a few members came from Soviet-bloc countries – with letting Catholics at home know that their bishops were working prayerfully and seriously on issues they, too, would find important. “His election to General Synod can not be allowed to stand and he should be swiftly removed from church leadership”.

Many people believe the Church’s standards regarding the reception of the Eucharist by divorced and civilly-remarried (DACR) Catholics are unfair and harshly discriminatory. He describes the bishops as “antennas” who should be listening and engaging with families “in all their variety and complexity”.

Further results from the Synod elections are expected later this week.

Basilian Fr. Thomas Roscia, a Canadian who assists the Vatican press office with English-language media, presented a number of themes touched upon by English speaking bishops during those sessions. I invite you to join me in praying the Synod Prayer as the events continue to unfold. Bishop Drennan said he recently read the work of eminent Catholic historian John W. O’Malley, “who was saying that imagination and creativity must enter every reform if it is not to be utterly irrelevant and dreary beyond human endurance”!

Regarding the oft-used expression “unity in diversity”, he noted that “we need to honor the many differences in personality and culture that exist among the faithful”.

“In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ(5), the Church affirms that a new union can not be recognised as valid if the preceding marriage was valid”.

“These wonderful people today often feel themselves a minority, certainly in culture, but even, at times in the Church!”

“I am hoping that we will end up with a more caring, compassionate and involved church”. And if by “inclusive” we mean a Church that is patient and humble, merciful and welcoming – then all of us here will agree. “We can not let them down!”

“2 Timothy 4:3 says that: ‘The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, instead to suite their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.'”.

The four included Rev Bertrand Olivier, vicar of All Hallows by the Tower, who tweeted: “Very excited to have been elected to #generalsynod today, and looking forward to working for an @inclusivechurch in the next 5 years”. “We need to be a welcoming Church that offers refuge to anyone honestly seeking God. But the person outside my door must still choose to enter”. The lesson is simple.

The synod prelates are meeting in their 13 small discussion groups Monday and Tuesday, separated by language preference.

[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent.