Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

Ten questions (and answers) about the Synod on Synodality’s final document

Pope Francis gives a blessing to participants at the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican, Oct. 26, 2024 / Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Oct 27, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

On Saturday, Pope Francis made the unprecedented decision to accept the final document from the Synod of Synodality as authoritative Church teaching. 

The 52-page text includes a theological reflection on the nature of synodality, which it says is the fulfillment of the reforms of Vatican II, as well as proposals for how to apply synodality to relationships, structures, and processes within the Catholic Church. 

The end goal is to make the Church more effective at evangelization by making it more participatory and inclusive. 

Here are answers to the big questions about the Synod on Synodality’s final document: 

1. How did Pope Francis make this document magisterial?

Pope Francis immediately approved the final document after synod members voted on it. According to reforms he made in 2018, the Synod on Synodality’s final text is therefore part of his ordinary magisterium.

This decision is a break from previous practice, which usually sees the pope use a synod’s final document as a basis for drafting his own apostolic exhortation on the topic (think Amoris Laetitia, after the 2015 Synod on the Family). The fact that a synod body whose membership was 27% non-bishops just produced a magisterial text will certainly leave theologians and canonists with much to talk about. 

2. How does the document relate to Vatican II? 

The document says that the Synod on Synodality was the product of “putting into practice what the Council taught about the Church as Mystery and the Church as People of God.”

Therefore, the document says, the synodal process “constitutes an authentic further act of the reception” of Vatican II, “thus reinvigorating its prophetic force for today’s world.”  

3. What does the final report say about the role of women in the Church (including so-called “deaconesses”)? 

The final text says that women “continue to encounter obstacles” in living out their “charisms, vocation and roles” in the Church.

The synod calls for women to be accepted into any role currently allowed by canon law, including leadership roles in the Church.  

Regarding the question of “women’s access to diaconal ministry,” the text says the question “remains open” and that “discernment needs to continue.” A separate Vatican study group is currently considering that topic, with its final report expected in June 2025.  

4. What did the text say about “decentralization?” 

The document calls for episcopal conferences to play a greater role in enculturating the faith in their local context and asks for clarification about their current level of doctrinal authority. However, it does emphasize that bishops’ conferences cannot override a local bishop’s authority nor “risk either the unity or the catholicity of the Church.” 

The document also calls for more plenary and provincial councils, and for the Vatican to accept these bodies’ conclusions more speedily. 

5. Does the text mention LGBTQ inclusion? 

While it does condemn the exclusion of others because of “their marital situation, identity or sexuality,” the text doesn’t use the term “LGBTQ.”

6. What does the final document say about changes in Church decision-making? 

The final document calls for a “synodal” reform of canon law, including removing the formula that consultative bodies have “merely a consultative” vote. It calls for the greater participation of lay people in “decision-making processes,” and to do so through new synodal structures and institutions. 

Church authorities, the document states, may not ignore conclusions reached by consultative, participatory bodies.

7. What does the document say about the “sensus fidei?” 

The document describes the sensus fidei as the “instinct for truth of the Gospel” received through baptism. It also notes that the People of God cannot err “when they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals.” 

Interestingly, the final document does not include additional language about the need for “authentic discipleship” to maturely exercise the sensus fidei, which was included in last year’s synthesis document and is found in an important Vatican document on the subject.

8. In what concrete ways might the Church change after the Synod on Synodality?  

Depending on how it’s implemented, the Synod’s final document could concretely impact everything from how bishops are selected to how governance decisions are made in parishes, dioceses, and the Vatican, with a greater emphasis on widespread consultation. It could also create new synodal bodies, like continental assemblies and a council of Eastern Catholic leaders to advise the pope. 

9. Which paragraphs received the most pushback? 

Over 27% of delegates voted against continuing to explore the possibility of women deacons.  

13% voted against the paragraph emphasizing the significance of episcopal conferences, which also appears to bind a bishop to decisions made by his conference. 

12% voted against establishing a study group to look into making liturgical celebrations “more an expression of synodality,” including what may be a reference to lay preaching during the liturgy. 

And 11% of delegates opposed the proposal to revise canon law “from a synodal perspective.”

10. One more time: What does synodality mean? 

The final document describes synodality as “a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the Church to be more participatory and missionary, so that it can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ.”  

The model of synodality, the document states, is Mary because she “listens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides and acts.”

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260117/ten-questions-and-answers-about-the-synods-final-document