Pope Francis has encountered criticism throughout his visit to Belgium, with the country’s king and prime minister urging him to take stronger steps to support survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy. Additionally, a rector at another Catholic university called on him to reconsider the Church’s prohibition on ordaining women as priests. The visit underscored the Read more
Two prominent cardinals have reaffirmed that only men can be ordained to the priesthood, aligning with Pope Francis’s recent statements. “Women cannot be called to this office” Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller stated during an interview with Swiss portal kath.ch on 7 June. Müller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, explained Read more
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich has cautioned against hastiness in the debate over women’s ordination in the Catholic Church. In an interview with kath.ch, the Luxembourg archbishop stressed “If you attack too much, you won’t achieve much. You have to be cautious, take one step at a time, and then you might be able to go very Read more
An umbrella group of Catholic nuns says that, while men dominate the Catholic Church, it is making progress. Women are being given a stronger voice says the International Union of Superiors General (UISG). The Vatican patriarchy is giving way somewhat. Pope Francis has appointed a few women in senior Vatican managerial positions. He also gave Read more
The Swiss Bishops’ Conference president has voiced strong support for the abolition of priestly celibacy, a tradition he believes no longer resonates with modern society. In a candid interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) am Sonntag, Bishop Felix Gmür (pictured) also acknowledged past mistakes in addressing abuse cases within the Catholic Church and called Read more
Women priests are unlikely to become a reality in the Catholic Church during his lifetime, says retired Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin. Martin (78) also discussed clergy sexual abuse and policies of the Church, including the ban on condoms during the AIDS crisis. “I’d be very worried about consultations, which lead to frustrated expectations which Read more
Catholic schools are the jewel in the crown of the church in Australia. While parishes continue to decline, the school sector is often booming. The contrast between ageing congregations and young students is stark. Equally striking is the contrast between relatively youthful school staff and ageing church leaders. Twelve months ago, with the Plenary Council Read more
This is not an easy article to write, but it has been with me for a long time. It comes to the surface when I’m told that priests feel threatened by the ordination of women. Of course, they feel threatened. Would a starving man feel threatened working with a chef? I believe that the option 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
We’ve just turned the page on the month of June, traditionally in some parts of the world, the time for priestly ordinations in many parts of the Catholic world. According to figures from the national bishops’ conference, the Church in France was ordained 122 new priests this summer – 77 diocesan and 45 from religious Read more