What is the way out of polarization? And why does that question—along with the now-commonplace observation that society suffers from deepening divisions about everything from gun control to abortion to public funding for religious schools—seem so exhausting?

In a way, maybe we are living all together as baptized Christians in the synodal process in the same way that the council fathers at Vatican II experienced collegiality in their role as bishops.

“Our communion is unsure of itself.” We must “recover a sense of what holds us together.” The stakes are very high for our church, and listening to one another is the first step on a much longer journey.

Reflecting on Pope Francis’ 10 years at the Vatican, Cardinal Robert McElroy says that “there has been a fundamental shift in perspective, of cultures and sometimes of priorities within the life of the church.”

The pope also talked about the resistance to his papacy, discussed the increasing poverty in his homeland, revealed he has no plans to write a new encyclical, and confirmed he would like to visit Argentina, his homeland.

Germany's Catholic bishops and lay representatives agreed to call for the church in Germany to approve blessings of same-sex unions, despite Vatican statements.