Author: Regina Bannan

Women’s history month often invites us to look at women in the past, a valuable exercise that increases our knowledge and perspective. What strikes me about stories I am seeing this year about Catholic women is that they are living – and doing their work – now. Jeannine Gramick reflects for Lent on the desert…
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Those with roots in Europe may be more concerned about Ukraine than the Catholic press seems to be here. After all, we’re a lot further from the fighting and the sanctions. For example, in London The Tablet seems to devote its whole print issue to the crisis. The summaries of two articles intrigue me: “Robert…
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Does it not feel like an old, European war? Who knows what has happened in the two days between when I write this and when you read it. But I just think of all those TV shows and movies giving the lie to our peace witness. The flame draws us, or me, at least, but…
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Priesthood is the topic of a three-day Symposium organized by Cardinal Marc Ouellet in what may be his last gasp as head of the Congregation of Bishops. In April 2021, I wrote about its lineup of women theologians based at Vatican institutions. They are scheduled for two sessions, one about complementarity and the other on…
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There is so much good news this week, I have 22 articles saved to write about. Brace yourself! Maybe that means 2022 will be a very good year for Catholic reform. First, of course, is Kate McElwee in NCR. You really owe it to yourself to read the whole thing. It’s Kate’s response to Michael…
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The cause of women is advanced in two surprising ways this week. A priest in Hoboken uses his religion column in the local newspaper to suggest that women’s ordination may not be impossible. And Pope Francis encourages religious and consecrated women to “fight back” if they are exploited. Rev. Alexander Santora, pastor of Our Lady…
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If the New York Times poses a question, must we answer?  Michael Sean Winters characterizes the response to an article last week as buzz, and I can confirm that: friends across the religious spectrum sent it to me. Author Liam Stack suggests the question way down in the article, quoting Dorothy Day herself: “‘Don’t call…
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Pope Francis talked about vocations to Greek Jesuits late last year, Christopher Lamb reports. The number of Jesuits has been halved since he joined in 1958, and other orders of men and women are seeing similar declines. At least, I would add, and in the diocesan priesthood as well. Francis’s further reflections are worth thinking…
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Again, a simple greeting. You may be eager to see 2021 end. We will remember this year, or these two years, as historic. We pray that the number of deaths from COVID will never be repeated – yet we are fearful of global climate catastrophe. Despite our technological progress, can we keep people alive? At…
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Merry Christmas to you and your family: your family of origin and your chosen families as well. If it seems trite to focus on family at Christmas, being in a loving community is the essence of the message of Jesus. I have been moved by a post by Jacob Kohlhaas, an associate professor of moral…
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