Category: Feminism

Often when I read the newspapers, magazines, even books, I see the most interesting connections to our own struggle for equality and inclusion of all genders in our Church. I’m a lover of analogies at the best of times and sometimes go into full connection mode when I feel as if I – and perhaps…
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In his comment about last Saturday’s blog, Luis Gutierrez provided the perfect segue to my discussion of the second La Croix International series – and a new term for me: “equivalence.” He quotes Kari Elisabeth Borrensen: “In fact, no actualisation of gender equivalence is documented in any society before the twentieth-century European welfare states.” There’s…
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The feast of Mary, the Mother of God, tempts Pope Francis to begin the year talking about women, not just Mary. I am always fearful that gender stereotypes will take over, but Francis seems to get beyond that by condemning violence against women and then calling for women to be “fully included in decision-making processes.”…
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As Catholics, we might think that we know all there is to know about Mary. We wouldn’t have Christmas without her, after all. Mary’s backstory is sprinkled throughout the liturgical calendar, from the Immaculate Conception to the Annunciation to the Visitation, culminating on the day when she brings God into the world. Upon reflection, though,…
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Pope Francis’ gift to Catholics this Christmas is his new apostolic letter on the Nativity scene, Admirabile Signum. It is quite moving. Francis says the crèche “never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder” and is “like a living Gospel,” and dives into reflections on the varied elements of these scenes. Among these elements, Francis acknowledges,…
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Today, December 17, we begin the O Antiphons that lead us for the next seven days to the brink of the nativity.  Seven days contemplating different aspects of the Redeemer soon to be celebrated.  Seven different titles, beginning with perhaps the most ancient of all:  Wisdom, Sophia, Sapientia. The traditional Advent hymn, O Come O…
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Last Saturday I wrote about Anglican women and I said they get noticed. The second half of that blog was supposed to be about Roman Catholic women who get noticed, but it was too long. We decided to split it and continue today. I did note that WOC and The Grail, among others, are represented…
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SO CLOSE AND YET… I guess, the more we read it, we can all be encouraged by Laudato Si. We could even go a step further and be proud. For a change, the Vatican is actually acting like a positive role model. I came across this briefing by Carol Glatz in the Catholic News Service:…
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I am writing this on Thursday, as the focus of the impeachment hearings seems to have shifted from the Ukraine to Russia. La Croix International is shifting the focus, too. Instead of continuing the media frenzy about married priests after the Amazon synod, they are publishing two series: “Female figures in religions” and “Women, the…
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I confess that I was more than a little thrilled to grasp the bright blue United Nations ID badge in my hands, for this official recognition of Women’s Ordination Conference into the “Economic and Social Council” (ECOSOC) of the international organization has been a long time coming.  Although WOC has been present at the United…
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