Five Ways – Aug 23

Monday, Sept. 25, 2023

I hope you can open the YouTube below for this Friday, Sept. 1’s very important ecumenical observance of the Care of Creation Day begun by Pope Francis and immediately joined in by many religions, and by those of no religion.

And as we approach the October Synod on Synodality, there will be at least three Oblates among the 465 voting members.  Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda, O.M.I. of Windhoek, Namibia; Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’cruze, O.M.I. of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Bishop Radoslaw Zimitrowicz, O.M.I., auxiliary bishop of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. As more people are named in the supporting staff, there will probably be more from the Oblate Family.

For many of us, synodality is a mystery.  Recently, the pope’s apostolic nuncio in the USA, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, attempted to clear this up.  “I am a bit amazed to see people saying ‘We don’t want synodality, because this goes nowhere.’ It goes somewhere.  But it requires effort.  If you are a parish priest, you have to involve all your parishioners.  Fathers and mothers have to involve the family and work together” (Boston Pilot, July 21, 2023, p. 9).

One area that touches all of us is our attitude towards LGBTQ people.  The same issue of the Pilot newspaper notices this as part of the synod discussion (p. 5, from Our Sunday Visitor).

Many thanks to those who commented on the July 12 e-letter.  I welcome your insights especially on the Sept. 1 youtube presentation. Feel free to forward this e-letter to your friends.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.