Meet the Synod delegates: Sometimes data is sorely needed at the Synod. And the other day, Catherine Clifford, an esteemed Catholic theologian, provided just that. (I can share this because she later shared it at a press conference.) The Synod is a time of open discussion, conversation, and discernment. But sometimes it can be rather subjective. Many people—including myself—offer their own admittedly valuable but sometime subjective and personal perspectives, but hard data can go missing. That’s why it was so refreshing that Professor Clifford noted that since the Second Vatican Council, at least 2/3 of all dioceses around the world have never held a diocesan synod. That’s a shocking statistic if you think about how much Vatican II and Paul VI and later popes recommended the synodal path to the entire church. I was so grateful for that bit of data, which, from the response in the room, clearly surprised people. But that’s how Catherine Clifford has been since the beginning of the Synod: she’s a learned, thoughtful, and articulate theologian whose interventions and comments are always, always, spot on. That’s probably not surprising if you know that she is professor of systematic and historical theology and founding director of the Center for Research on Vatican II and 21st Century Catholicism at Saint Paul University, in Ottawa. The perfect academic background for a theologian at the Synod. It’s so important to have not only good Catholic theologians here, but good Catholic women theologians. I can’t think of a better person to have been elected to the Synod and I’m so happy she’s here. So are we all. Please keep Professor Clifford and all the delegates in your prayers. #Synodfriends @Synod_va

The latest Heart to Heart from @Bishop_Crosby: "THE JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE will be celebrated in the Church throughout 2025. The theme of the year, established by Pope Francis, is Pilgrims of Hope! To prepare..." Read more: hamiltondiocese.com/heart-to…