I have spent the better part of the past two years trying to understand what synodality is. Today, it finally started to click.

During this coming election cycle, Americans (including Catholics) need to hear far more about the moral duty to protect the environment.

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, by Simcha Fisher

I believe that the apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” holds the key to understanding Pope Francis’ hopes for the synod. And that is why I’m hopeful about the synod.

In ‘Laudate Deum,’ Pope Francis takes square aim at the United States, noting that per-capita emissions in the U.S. are twice as high as China and seven times greater than the average in poor countries

“The five ‘dubia’ deal exclusively with the perennial doctrine and discipline of the church, not the agenda of the pope and certainly not the agenda of the five of us cardinals,” Cardinal Burke said Oct. 3 at a conference in Rome.

At the opening of the General Assembly of the Synod, Pope Francis warned against a vision made up of “human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles.”

The devil will no doubt be a participant in the Synod on Synodality, even if as a non-voting member. Why? Because the synod presents a ripe field for the devil’s mischief. And because the stakes are so high.

Pope Francis’ “yes, and” message to cardinals critical of his papacy is reflective of the synod as a whole.

“Dead Man Walking” is a deeply human story about truth, forgiveness and the possibility of redemption. It is a journey into which everyone—from the singers to the audience—is invited.