Category: Vatican

Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday that she was resigning as New Zealand’s prime minister. Admired worldwide for courageous moral stands as well as frank speaking, she admitted, “You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.” Personally popular but politically losing ground, she…
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Let us pray for the repose of the Augustinian soul of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I have learned a lot of theology in the last week – but more of that later. I had decided to start this blog as young Patrick Hudson started the Tablet weekly online update this week. I know he’s young…
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“Francis is Stuck. Let me count the ways.” That was my first title for this blog. I saw no change in what he said to a gathering of people who work at America magazine. Deliberately diverse, the group posed questions one after another. Executive editor Kerry Weber was third and set up her first question:…
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Aren’t we all bursting with pride in the undaunted intrepidness, the unwavering dignity, and the unfailing spirit of our WOC and WOW representatives and witnesses at the cardinals’ gathering in Rome last week? We salute you inspiring women, and we shower you with praise! As it turned out, our women had come perfectly prepared for…
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This week I will take a break from my Synod series and rejoice in some CARDINAL actions.First, of course, is Women’s Ordination Worldwide’s terrific nighttime witness. Despite all the problems the Vatican presents for us, evening in St. Peter’s Square is magical, and our creative leaders added to the magic with their message. Second is…
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Two Vatican documents from the past half-century form the basis for the Church’s official stance on women’s ordination today. The first, a declaration from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Inter Insigniores, was issued in 1976 with the approval of Pope Paul VI. The latter of the two documents is Pope John…
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Last week, I was going to write about two ongoing Synod processes but I got captured by the Australians. This week I will write about the German Synodal Way. I have celebrated the decisions made there and the people leading the effort before, but, as you may have heard, not everybody is celebrating. An “unsigned…
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Remember when Pope Francis warned us not to gossip? “Gossip is war. Poor Holy Spirit! (Imagine) the work He [sic] has with us with our habit of gossiping!” That was in 2020, and a not-infrequent complaint from Francis in his first years as Pope. He’s not bringing it up so often now. I wonder if…
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Pope Francis made news this week with a promise to add two women to the committee that considers the appointment of bishops around the world.  This conversation with Philip Pullella of Reuters has the typical Francis off-the-cuff airplane feel; he says they’re “opening up a bit.” Cindy Wooden for CNS notes that there are several…
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The role of women, including the “failure” to “make good use” of their contribution and their exclusion from formal ministries, was described as a “constant theme” in diocesan reports. “On the whole women were not considered a marginalised minority so much as a silenced, unrecognised majority whose gifts lie unwrapped and ignored in the parish…
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