Spanish Catholics want Rome to consider the future of the priesthood, including optional celibacy and the ordination of women. A document including the priesthood proposals was unveiled by the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) that groups Spain’s leading bishops at a 600-strong gathering in Madrid. The document was drawn up after consultations with more than 215,000 Read more
There are plenty of artefacts showing women were present at the altars as priests and bishops in the early church, says researcher and historian Dr Ally Kateusz. The trouble is, nobody’s noticed them or they’ve been hidden – some as recently as 1916. The artefacts may help in the current debate over female ordination, which Read more
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is preparing to celebrate 40 years since women priests were first ordained here. When it ordained five women on 3 December 1977, New Zealand was the fourth province of the Anglican Church to ordain women priests. The first woman ordained an Anglican priest was Li Tim Read more
The seven women bishops of the Provinces of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia and the Anglican Church of Australia met last month to focus on issues of gender justice and women’s leadership in the Anglican Communion. It is the first time the women bishops, who have served in the Anglican Episcopate Read more
The Vatican has ordered the excommunication of Catholic priest Greg Reynolds over his support for women priests and gays. The Australian news site The Age reported that the excommunication document – written in Latin – was dated May 31. Reynolds, who resigned as a parish priest in 2011 and last year founded Inclusive Catholics, said Read more