By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome

It’s long been an established conviction among synod-watchers that the most interesting speeches during these gatherings, more often than not, come from the heads of religious orders.

Perhaps that’s because the speeches are less solo performances than a reflection of the wisdom of an entire community, or perhaps it’s because most superiors are elected to fixed terms and are conscious they may not have this opportunity again. It may even be because serving as a superior these days requires continual travel around the world, so they’ve got long hours to fill on airplanes polishing their texts.

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome

So far in the Synod of Bishops on the Bible, all sorts of arguments have been advanced as to why promotion of scripture is important: Because it’s the living Word of God, because it’s a touchstone of Christian identity, because it provides natural common ground within the divided Christian family.

Quietly, however, another argument of a far more practical order has arisen. In many parts of the world, there simply aren’t enough priests to make the Eucharist available on a regular basis, and therefore Liturgies of the Word, focused on the Bible, become the crucible in which day-to-day, week-to-week Catholic life is actually forged.

Interview with Archbishop Donald Wuerl
October 10, 2008

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. is an old Rome hand. He earned a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum in 1974, and later returned to Rome as secretary to Cardinal John Wright, who served as Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy from 1969 to 1979. This is Wuerl’s fourth Synod of Bishops, though his first as the Archbishop of Washington; he succeeded Cardinal Theodore McCarrick in the nation’s capital in June 2006.