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Election of New Pope to begin May 7, 2025

The individual elected pope, Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari said, “must courageously and gently bear the weight of the church, advance without fear in the challenges of the present time, and be for all a living sign of the Lord’s merciful closeness.”

During the general congregations, or “pre-conclave” meetings, cardinals receive meditations to help prepare them for their future decision. In his meditation on April 29, Father Ogliari outlined the spiritual qualities the next pope should embody, a portrait the cardinals will consider when they gather in conclave beginning Wednesday, May 7.

To guide the cardinals spiritually, Ogliari urged them to center their choice on Christ and be led by the Holy Spirit. He also reminded them of the crucial impact their decision would have on the future of the church, while emphasizing the need for the cardinals to remain open to the challenges of the contemporary world. “Even though the place of the ‘conclave’—as the term itself indicates—is a place locked away, it will, in reality, be wide open to the entire world.”

Establishing and Supporting Pastoral Councils for both Dioceses and Parishes

In this presentation, Sr. Donna Ciangio, Chancellor to Cardinal Tobin in Newark, New Jersey, offered a step-by-step guide to setting up diocesan and parish pastoral councils. Sister used PowerPoint slides, which you can save and use to set up a new council or adjust existing councils that need to be more inclusive of lay representation in your community.

The Rise and Detrimental Development of Nazism in Germany

In this session, it became clear that the Catholic and Lutheran Churches played a significant role in promoting Hitler. After looking at the similarities that concern us that we are once again repeating history, participants then shared ideas among themselves of what we might do as Christians, since we are called by virtue of our baptism to stand up to injustices affecting innocent victims and those being inappropriately persecuted.

1933 Germany, are we repeating history?

The entire world is being impacted by what is happening under the current U.S. Government’s administration. To remain silent is to be complicit with what is happening around us. As Christians, we must stand up for and protect the vulnerable and marginalized.

The question we are asking about the current U.S. Government’s policies is: Are repeating this history of 1933 Germany?

Final CCRI Report To Go To The Synod Office

Thanks to all who participated in any of our online Synodal gatherings and especially those who contributed to the fine-tuning of this report. The most significant feature of this report is that it is truly a consensus of cross-generational, cross-continental, and, of course, cross-cultural reflections of Catholics, both practicing and no longer practicing.

Read the post to have access to the Final Report.