When the Catholic Church officially addresses the question of whether women can be ordained to the priesthood, as it did in “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis,” the answer is generally something along the lines of: “It can’t be done.” To the modern ear that “can’t” is jarring. After all, the history of humanity is very much a history Read more
Pope Francis used his post-Angelus remarks to call for more female leadership in the church. He would like women to “participate more in areas of responsibility in the church.” “Today there is a need to broaden the spaces for a more incisive female presence in the church,” he said on October 11, “because in general Read more
Her white clergy robes flowing behind her, Sandra Signarsdotter walks down the aisle of Stockholm’s Gustaf Vasa church greeting parishioners, a ritual of hers and a familiar sight in Sweden, where women now outnumber men as priests. In the Scandinavian country, often hailed as a champion of gender equality, the statistics are clear. As of Read more
Ordaining women to the priesthood and opening top roles in the Vatican bureaucracy to women are both possible scenarios, says an appointee to the Vatican Council for the Economy. Law professor Charlotte Kreuter-Kirchhof (pictured), who was recently appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the high-level group that oversees the Vatican’s finances, says in Read more
Can you say where in the Gospels Jesus institutes the presbyterate (priesthood) and the deaconate? Hint: nowhere. St. Paul mentions deacons along with bishops in his letter to the Christians of Philippi. Later, in the first epistle to Timothy, Paul (or more likely someone writing in his name) talks of the qualifications for those ministries. Read more
For committed Catholic Kate Englebrecht, most days at her home in Mudgee in the central west of New South Wales start with a simple routine — quiet reflection and prayer. It is in stark contrast to the recent turbulent times for the church, including a royal commission which exposed widespread sexual abuse, and the conviction Read more
Women have legitimate claims to seek more equality in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis says. The Church has to acknowledge a history of male domination and sexual abuse of women and children and it must repair its reputation among young people or risk becoming “a museum”, he says. Francis made these comments in the 50-page Read more
Trailblazing women priests have been feted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at a special service. Welby led the service in London to commemorate the 25 years since the first woman was ordained to the presbyterate in the Church of England. Over 80 women priests were at the celebrations. Some were among those who 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
En route to Rome, after his visit to Sweden, a journalist asked Pope Francis “Is it realistic to think of women priests also in the Catholic Church in the coming decades?” The world is finding it hard to adjust to a Pope who speaks off the cuff. He has been dubbed “the Pope of the Read more