Transcript from Rita Cassella Jones Lecture at Fordham of September 17, 2024. As you know, I belonged to the initial Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women. We were named in August 2016 and first met in November of that year. I traveled to Rome several days in advance of the scheduled Read more
What is it with the Roman Catholic Church and women? It’s not as if they just arrived on the scene and need to be integrated into the life of the Church. In fact, they are the life of the Church. It is the women who predominantly do the heavy lifting of Catholic life; they educate, Read more
Theologian Tina Beattie has expressed frustration over the Vatican’s ongoing postponements regarding women’s roles in the Catholic Church, describing the situation as “platitudinous waffle”. Beattie criticised the lack of progress in an article published on Thursday by Sacred Heart University in the US. Beattie’s comments follow the release of a new working paper by the Read more
Feminist theologian Dr Niamh M. Middleton has repeatedly warned that both the Church of England and Catholic Church, which have seen dwindling congregations for decades, face extinction within 30 years. That is, unless they radically reform to give equal standing to women. Dr Middleton, author of Jesus and Women, tells The London Economic (TLE) digital Read more
A Belgian woman is suing the Catholic Church for gender discrimination after being denied entry into deaconate training. Veer Dusauchoit, 62, claims her exclusion from the programme is solely because she is a woman. “I want to train as a deacon because it interests me and I think that I will then have more tools Read more
There has been an increase in the number of women wearing veils during Mass in the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan in recent years. Before the 1970s, head coverings were required for women during Mass, just as men were required to remove their hats out of reverence for Christ. I grew up with the long veil,” Read more
US bishops at October’s synod on synodality wanted to express “a certain amount of sorrow” over how the Church treats women, says Bishop Daniel Flores. Flores, who led the US bishops’ national consultation process for the synod, says the bishop delegates spoke out when they were in Rome. They wanted to show the synod that Read more
The ongoing synod on synodality is an opportunity for the church leadership to become more accountable towards sexual abuse cases, increase laity participation, and bring more transparency within the Catholic Church, says an expert. “A synodal Church is a listening Church… but it needs to go a step further: a synodal Church is an accountable Read more
The question of women, ministry and leadership echoed loudly in parishes and bishops’ assemblies when Pope Francis called two years ago for a worldwide discussion among rank-and-file Catholics about the Church’s main challenges and issues. The question is resounding more loudly as the summit of bishops and lay Catholics known as the Synod on Synodality, Read more
Cardinal Robert Sarah recently delivered a conference on the priesthood, emphasising its unique nature and cautioning against female priesthood. Speaking at the Conciliar Seminary in Mexico City under the title “Joyful Servants of the Gospel,” the prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stressed that no individual can Read more