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
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
The synod on synodality could cause a schism in the Church, a leading conservative Catholic cardinal says. A new book, “The Synodal Process Is a Pandora’s Box: 100 Questions and Answers,” addresses the “serious situation” brought on by the synod, Cardinal Raymond Burke (pictured, centre) says. Pope Francis is risking confusion and even schism in 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
Pope Francis has unequivocally stated that women cannot be ordained as priests; however, he emphasised the important role they have to play in the life of the Church. In an interview with America Magazine, Francis responded to a question posed by Kerry Webber, executive editor of the magazine published by the Jesuits of the United Read more
A survey asking Catholic lay women about their work for the Catholic church has found while their faith is important to them, lay women are frustrated by lack of women’s leadership opportunities, financial insecurity and clericalism. The lay women surveyed say these frustrations are barriers to them fulfilling their ministerial paths in the church. Entitled Read more
A former papal nuncio to the United Kingdom says it is is “intolerable” that women can’t be ordained to the priesthood. Archbishop Don Pablo Puente, 88, announced during Mass he planned to write to Pope Francis about the matter the next day. The president of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla, released a report of Puente’s statement, Read more
On Holy Saturday, The New York Times published an article by Nicholas Kristof with the provocative title “God and Her (Female) Clergy”. The article focuses on the increasing numbers of women entering the clergy, particularly in Christian denominations, claiming a “right” they had previously been denied. More than that, the article claimed that a further Read more
Male-only priesthood should be held as an unchanging and “definitive” part of the Catholic faith says the head of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal-designate Luis Ladaria. He says maleness is “an indispensable element” of the priesthood and the Church is “bound” by Christ’s decision only to choose male apostles. Ladaria’s opinion reflects Read more
Cardinal Walter Brandmüller says people who insist on ordaining female priests “fulfil the elements of heresy.” He says they will be excommunicated from the church. Brandmüller is one of the four “dubia” cardinals who has repeatedly asked Pope Francis to provide doctrinal clarity about some elements of Amoris Laetitia. He was responding to comments by Read more