A new Vatican document has expressed a negative view of elective cosmetic surgery for women. An “outline document”, produced by a panel of female consultants to the Pontifical Council for Culture, comes ahead of an upcoming assembly devoted to women’s issues. The document, titled Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference, warns that procedures such as facelifts Read more
The US cardinal dubbed the face of opposition to the Pope’s reformist agenda has likened the Church to “a ship without a rudder”. In an interview with Spanish Catholic weekly Vida Nueva, Cardinal Raymond Burke said he was not speaking against Pope Francis personally. Rather, he said he was raising concerns about the Pope’s leadership. Read more
The new Primate of All Ireland wants to see a humble renewal of the Irish Church led from the bottom up by the laity. Archbishop Eamon Martin became Archbishop of Armagh and Ireland’s primate following Pope Francis’s acceptance of the resignation of Cardinal Sean Brady, who had turned 75. According to The Tablet, during an Read more
Characterizations of Pope Francis abound. In something that hasn’t happened since 1979, when John Paul II did it, Pope Francis this week made the Time magazine cover story everywhere in the world except the United States – which went with a story about the ‘not guilty’ verdict in a case against a white man who Read more
Senior cardinals from Argentina and Germany have called for a greater leadership role for women in the Church. Argentinean Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, who heads the Vatican department for Eastern Catholic Churches, said the next pontificate should see women having more leadership positions in the Vatican and beyond. “The role of women in the world has Read more
On Tuesday, the New York Times put together a remarkable chart showing that, with the naming of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate, there are now no white protestants among this country’s top leaders in Washington. Both Joe Biden and Paul Ryan are Catholics (as are six of the nine Supreme Court justices and House Speaker John Boehner), Read more
The Prime Minster John Key, and the leader of the opposition Phil Goff both spoke about their beliefs at the Family First Conference. Neither believes he is going to heaven. Goff believes there is “a force that is beyond mankind” – but “I don’t believe in an afterlife.” Key said “I can’t tell you what Read more
Elizabeth Johnson says that the Bishops misinterpret her thoughts and draw conclusions that “paint an incorrect picture of the fundamental line of thought the book develops.” The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine has critiqued Elizabeth Johnson’s “Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God.” A statement issued by the committee says that because of the book’s unacceptable Read more