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
University of Chicago Divinity School student Rebecca MacMaster entered seminary out of a desire to make the Catholic Church “the best it can be” and to answer a calling to teach and work in college or parish ministry. “My Catholic identity is so important to me, and it informs so much of how I interact Read more
The drums of war are beating ever louder as arms traders supply weapons for war in the Middle East while the superpowers line up in confrontational posturing in a show of might and military power. “Might is right” is the thinking behind the three biggest military powers vying for prestige and power in the world. Read more
The Holy See Press Office on Friday announced papal appointments to two positions in the Vatican. Pope Francis appointed Dr. Raffaella Vincenti as office head of the Vatican Apostolic Library. Dr. Vincenti had previously served as secretary of the Library. Pope Francis also named Professor Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi as a Member of the managing board Read more
Though 500 years have passed since the Protestant Reformation began in the eastern German town of Wittenberg, traditional and conservative Catholics find themselves eyeing the German church with concern once again. The country’s Catholic bishops recently launched a two-year summit aimed at “newly assessing” long-held Catholic beliefs on sexuality, love and priestly life, including how Read more
Pope Francis has made four new appointments to the Pontifical Council for Culture. All are women. Sr Dominica Dipio, MSMMC, professor of literature at the Makerere University of Kampala, Uganda; Sr Mariella Mascitelli, PDDM, an architect specialising in architecture and art for the liturgy, Italy; Maud de Beauchesne-Cassanet, head of the Department of Religious Art Read more
Pope Francis, Saturday, again lamented the clerical attitudes of some lay people in ministry. He made the comment in the Vatican and at a meeting with the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Francis said the purpose of creating the dicastery is to promote the care of family and the mission on the laity, Read more
Catholic women attending the summit of bishops at the Vatican on the Amazon region praised the climate of inclusivity and openness ushered in by Pope Francis but insisted that equality demands they also have a right to vote. “As many other religious women, we believe we have come to the point that our superior generals Read more
“If we can get rid of enough people,” the El Paso terrorist wrote in his grotesque manifesto, “then our way of life can be more sustainable.” His bigoted rampage left little doubt who he meant by “we” and “our way of life.” The eco-fascism of the far-right couches its racist intent as concern for the 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