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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
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In appointing seven women to the Vatican congregation that oversees religious orders July 9, Pope Francis achieved a double win. In one stroke, he has advanced both the role of women in the church and the reform of the Vatican Curia. This is significant because his efforts so far in these areas have been mediocre. Read more
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According to the Gospel, the first person to encounter the risen Christ is the female disciple Mary of Magdala, also known as Mary Magdalene. John recounts the amazing story in the Gospel passage proclaimed at Easter Sunday Mass: “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the Read more
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Seven women are among the new members Pope Francis appointed to the Roman Curia’s all-male Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. This is the first time women have been appointed to these Vatican departments. The women will also, for the first time, be able to have a say over Read more
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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
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For the first time ever, women have been appointed to the secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. Until now the secretariat’s all-male board has been limited to priests and a bishop. The secretariat prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years on a different topic. Catholic women’s groups are welcoming the appointments. “It Read more
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I remember sitting in Cannon Chapel (Emory University) and listening to Dr. Tamura Lomax[1] preach a sermon from the perspective of The Canaanite Woman found in the Gospel of Matthew 15: 21-28. We were both matriculating through seminary as MDiv students and I was just in awe of her scholarship and the ease at which Read more
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Female leaders from the secular world and some of the highest-ranking women in the Vatican spoke positively of the pope and the church at International Women’s Day events in Rome last week. One of those women, Australian journalist Geraldine Doogue, lent her support to major institutions including the Catholic Church. Speaking at an event organised Read more
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It started in Tokyo. On Thursday, Google employees around the world stopped work at 11am local time, as part of a planned protest against the tech giant’s handling of sexual harassment complaints. The protests happened in waves, with workers walking out of their offices, carrying signs and chanting, as the clock struck 11 in Singapore, Read more
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Catholic women say there’s a clerical stained glass ceiling in the Vatican, and they want to shatter it. They want to vote in major policy meetings. They want Pope Francis to deliver on his promise to put more women in senior positions in the Holy See’s administration. And some of them say they want to Read more
