Pope Francis took a risk in inviting an Anglican woman bishop Bishop Jo Bailey Wells to address him and his advisory Council of Cardinals, Wells says. Nonetheless, she hopes the Catholic Church will continue to explore the topic of women’s leadership with “courage”. “I’m aware … that to many such an opportunity feels rare, if Read more
A Spanish theologian who advises Pope Francis revealed that while the issue of women’s ordination remains unexplored, the pontiff advocates for the female diaconate. Sr Linda Pocher, speaking to Europa Press, clarified that the Catholic Church is not considering women’s priestly ordination, yet the pope actively supports the idea of female deacons. Participating in the Read more
For Pope Francis, the first session of the Synod on Synodality was never about resolving the controversial issues facing the Church. Even so, there were those who hoped for forward motion on married priests, women deacons and LGBTQ issues. They will be disappointed by the final report issued by the synod. For Francis it was Read more
The “niche issue” issue of women priests and deacons distracts the Church from addressing what women really need, a theologian participating in the Synod on Synodality says. “As a woman, I’m not focused at all on the fact that I’m not a priest,” says Professor Renée Köhler-Ryan (pictured). Köhler-Ryan is the National Head of School Read more
Many women at a US Women of the Church conference have expressed pain, frustration and hurt by experiences of sexism in the Church. The Women of the Church conference was for Catholic women leaders. It took place recently. All was not bleak, as highlighted by Women of the Church keynote speaker, theology Professor Kristin Colberg Read more
Promoting better collaboration between women and men in the Catholic Church is not primarily about equality. It’s about allowing the church to fulfil the mission given to it by God, said women at an international conference on priesthood at the Vatican last week. Organized by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the conference examined the theology of the Read more
Sexual abuse is rooted in abuse of power, which is very often the first step. While abuse of power can take many forms, many abusers rely on the excessive and, let’s say it, clericalist use of secrecy. For decades many Church bodies, including the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, have repeatedly called for Read more
It is almost two years since Pope Francis said he would re-form the commission on female deacons. Although he announced the new members’ names in April 2020, their meetings have been delayed as a result of COVID 19. On Monday, however, the new commission confirmed it will hold its first meeting in Rome in the Read more
The Austrian Bishops Conference (ÖBK) broke with tradition and invited women to attend the first day of its plenary assembly last week. They would be listening carefully to their views, as the conference wants to find ways to include more women in Church decision-making, says Archbishop Franz Lackner, the ÖBK president. . The 14 women Read more
Anne-Marie Pelletier has been a papally appointed observer at the Synod of Bishops (2001), was the first woman to win the Ratzinger Prize for theology (2014) and authored the meditations used at the papal-led “Via Crucis” on Good Friday (2017) at Rome’s Colosseum. Pope Francis, just this past April, appointed the 74-year-old Paris native and Read more