Catholic bishops restrict world synod media briefings
-06/10/05
Concerned about unhelpful leaks, the Vatican is seeking to restrict information emerging from a major meeting of the world’s Roman Catholic bishops, according to reporters in Rome.
Some participants have expressed concern that details of private deliberations have gone public, imperilling the confidentiality needed for difficult discussions.
The media get summaries of the closed-door meetings of the Synod of Bishops (2-23 October 2005), which acts in an advisory capacity to Pope Benedict XVI. Journalists also receive extracts of the prepared speeches the bishops deliver. The Vatican press office has arranged for daily briefings in five separate languages.
At the first media briefing on Tuesday, it emerged that a request had been made by Archbishop William Levada, the senior American at the Vatican, for Synod to discuss (during a private ìopen discussionî period) whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be given communion.
In addition, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Patriarch Gregory III Laham of Antioch (Greek-Melkite Church), said that there was no justifiable theological foundation for a celibate priesthood – according to an Italian summary of the meeting.
The Eastern rite churches loyal to Rome permit priests to be married. But Pope John Paul II and his successor are adamant that the church as a whole will not move in this direction.
Yesterday the officials who conduct the press briefings said that they were now only prepared to give thematic highlights of the open discussion period, not substantive details, following complaints from bishops that too much information was getting out.
Meanwhile, in his opening speech to the Synod, Cardinal Angelo Scola, the main moderator, declared that the Eucharist was ìa giftî and ìnot a right nor a possessionî for Catholics.
The Most Rev John Atcherley Dew of New Zealand added that the Synod had an obligation to discuss ways of allowing Catholics to receive communion, citing the problem of divorced people who remarry without getting an annulment and the case of non-Catholic Christians who marry Catholics.
The Roman Catholic Church presently forbids remarried divorcees from receiving communion unless their first marriage is annulled.
The Vatican press office denies that it is restricting Synod information unnecessarily, saying that it is only seeking to ensure confidentiality in non-official sessions. It stresses that it provides extensive media resources.
However in August 2005 there were also complaints that on-site computers set up for the thousands of journalists covering the Pope’s World Youth Day were ëfilteredí by the Church to exclude ëundesirableí websites.
Catholic bishops restrict world synod media briefings
-06/10/05
Concerned about unhelpful leaks, the Vatican is seeking to restrict information emerging from a major meeting of the world’s Roman Catholic bishops, according to reporters in Rome.
Some participants have expressed concern that details of private deliberations have gone public, imperilling the confidentiality needed for difficult discussions.
The media get summaries of the closed-door meetings of the Synod of Bishops (2-23 October 2005), which acts in an advisory capacity to Pope Benedict XVI. Journalists also receive extracts of the prepared speeches the bishops deliver. The Vatican press office has arranged for daily briefings in five separate languages.
At the first media briefing on Tuesday, it emerged that a request had been made by Archbishop William Levada, the senior American at the Vatican, for Synod to discuss (during a private ‘open discussion’ period) whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be given communion.
In addition, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Patriarch Gregory III Laham of Antioch (Greek-Melkite Church), said that there was no justifiable theological foundation for a celibate priesthood – according to an Italian summary of the meeting.
The Eastern rite churches loyal to Rome permit priests to be married. But Pope John Paul II and his successor are adamant that the church as a whole will not move in this direction.
Yesterday the officials who conduct the press briefings said that they were now only prepared to give thematic highlights of the open discussion period, not substantive details, following complaints from bishops that too much information was getting out.
Meanwhile, in his opening speech to the Synod, Cardinal Angelo Scola, the main moderator, declared that the Eucharist was ‘a gift’ and ‘not a right nor a possession’ for Catholics.
The Most Rev John Atcherley Dew of New Zealand added that the Synod had an obligation to discuss ways of allowing Catholics to receive communion, citing the problem of divorced people who remarry without getting an annulment and the case of non-Catholic Christians who marry Catholics.
The Roman Catholic Church presently forbids remarried divorcees from receiving communion unless their first marriage is annulled.
The Vatican press office denies that it is restricting Synod information unnecessarily, saying that it is only seeking to ensure confidentiality in non-official sessions. It stresses that it provides extensive media resources.
However in August 2005 there were also complaints that on-site computers set up for the thousands of journalists covering the Pope’s World Youth Day were ëfiltered’ by the Church to exclude ëundesirable’ websites.