Where the Rubber Hits the Road: September 2015

Dear Friends:

Please go to http://www.firstthings.com where you will find the rollout of a new media project, LETTERS FROM THE SYNOD.

In summoning last October’s special meeting of the Synod of Bishops and the regular session of the Synod that will begin its work on October 5, Pope Francis called the entire Church to an open, wide-ranging, and honest discussion of the crisis of marriage and the family in the 21st century, and to a Gospel-centered exploration of what the Catholic Church might do to respond to this crisis with greater pastoral impact, thus renewing the vocation of marriage and restoring its luster.

LETTERS FROM THE SYNOD—a partnership among First Things, the Catholic Herald in the U.K., and the Catholic Weekly in Sydney—is a response to that call.

Please do pass the word about this so that we get the widest possible coverage.

Best thanks for your help on this, and so much else.

George Weigel

Openly gay Christians, a controversial nun who clashed with the Catholic Church and a transgender woman are reportedly among the invited guests greeting Pope Francis at the White House next week, a move that one Catholic activist calls “an ambush” and “political stunt.”

While it is unclear if gay former Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, gay Catholic blogger Aaron Ledesma, Sister Simone Campbell or biological man Vivian Taylor will have the opportunity to meet the pontiff face to face, the quartet's presence, along with many other guests, is seen by some as a visible nod to factions who would wish to nudge the Church left.

“This is definitely out of the ordinary,” said Michael Hichborn, president of the Catholic watchdog Lepanto Institute. “[President Obama is] trying to force the pope into a situation where it seems as if the Church is giving license to homosexuality and socialism.”

Click on link below to read entire article:

Gay Christians, controversial nun among those set to greet Pope Francis | Fox News