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How to be a missionary synodal Church? Only possible with women
Under this question, the text of the "Instrumentum Laboris" which will guide the work of the second session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly was published on Tuesday, 9 July 2024. It is neither a document of the Magisterium of the Church nor the report of a sociological survey; it does not offer formulations of operational indications of goals and objectives nor a complete theological vision. It does not seek to provide "ready-made answers", but rather to offer orientations and proposals for continuing to listen to the Spirit and respond to the challenge and demand of how the Church as a whole can respond to the need to be "synodal in mission".
Message from the Ecclesiastical Assistant for Easter
Dear sisters. Easter is not an arrival point but rather a starting point. I am moved and reverently contemplating the women who, on Easter morning, approached the sepulchre without letting anything or anyone stop them, even knowing that they could never move the stone. I wonder what strength, passion, and confidence encouraged them? Whatever it was, brought without any doubt, the Risen Lord to meet them and entrust them with the news that they rushed to announce: ""The Master is alive!" (Lk 24, 23).
Christmas Message from the Ecclesiastical Assistant
Walking around Rome, looking at the window displays, visiting the churches, contemplating the cribs and attending prayer meetings, I came across a phrase that led me to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. This advertising phrase says “All you need is make-up”. I asked myself then, is this really what I need to live fully as God wants when he is born in our midst?
New Ecclesiastical Assistant: Father Marcelo Gidi Thumala, SJ
The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life has appointed as Ecclesiastical Assistant to WUCWO Fr Marcelo Gidi Thumala, a Jesuit, professor of Canon Law at the Gregorian University, with years of experience working with the laity in his country (Chile) but now residing in Rome.
25th Sacerdotal anniversary of WUCWO's Ecclesiastical Assistant
We congratulate Father Gerard Whelan, and thank God for his fertile priestly service. We invite all WUCWO women to pray for him.
INTERVIEW WITH FATHER GERARD WELAN SJ, ON THE SYNOD
EVANGELII GAUDIUM AS “CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY”: HELPING THE CHURCH “RISE TO THE LEVEL OF ITS TIMES”
Our Ecclesiastical Assistant, Fr. Gerry Whelan, wrote an introductory chapter for a book on Evangelii Gaudium published by Professors of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. This book was distributed to each bishop attending the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, held in November. Then, to the surprise of the authors, Pope Francis invited them to visit him so that he could thank them. They did this on December 4th, 2014 and the Pope sat for an hour with them discussing theology. Attached is the English translation (from Italian) of the article that Fr. Gerry contributed.
WOMEN OF WUCWO, SOWERS OF HOPE, Fr. Gerard Whelan SJ
The theme of the General assembly of WUCWO in 2014 is “Women of WUCWO, Sowers of Hope.” This prompts me to reflect about just what hope is. For most of this reflection I turn to comments made by Pope Francis who speaks often on this theme. I see his comments as falling into two categories: first, that hope is a “theological virtue”; second, that hope in the next world involves a commitment to action in this one. To complete these reflections, I turn to Vatican II and explore what Our Lady teaches us about hope.
THE STRENGTH OF WOMEN’S FAITH
During the Executive Board Meeting of WUCWO on July 24th I offered the following reflections to open our meeting. I remarked on the fact that for the two previous days the Church had been celebrating women saints.