September 6th, 2017
As Pope Francis begins his trip to Colombia (6-11 September 2017), we share this 2013 article from our journal, New Women, New Church, by Colombian woman priest Olga Lucia Álvarez Benjumea, ARCWP. I’ve been discovering that ever since I was a very young girl, without much awareness back then, that the Divine has always guided me with kindness and…
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March 5th, 2014
Over the weekend I attended a planning meeting with international partners to clarify the goals of an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II, to be held in the fall of 2015 in Rome. A dozen or so organizers from around the world united under the theme of “making…
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March 4th, 2014
March 2014 marks the one year anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. It has been a year of remarkable activity, media attention and excitement. “Man of the Year” for Time Magazine, on the cover of Rolling Stone, quoted by people of all denominations, Francis has made a significant mark on the world community. As Catholics interested in working…
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February 27th, 2014
When the priest said his homily was about tradition, I took that as my cue to check my cuticles and clear my throat. My mom might take this as an opportunity to balance her checkbook. Of course, these silent protests become more difficult with small faith community and online banking. The priest continued by telling…
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February 26th, 2014
Leggendaria, an Italian literary magazine, described as “a showcase of intelligent women,” was founded as an independent magazine in 1997, after having existed as a supplement to the monthly Noidonne since 1986. Leggendaria claims to be a tool for critical thinking: “taking the knowledge and experience of women as a privileged point of view.” Their…
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February 24th, 2014
In the Celio neighborhood of Rome, on a quiet street behind the Colosseum, there is a small shrine dedicated to the legend of Pope Joan, Papessa Giovanna. Fact or fiction, legend or parody, the flowers are fresh on this small shrine. Perhaps appropriately there is a triangular construction site, sectioning off a hole in the…
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August 7th, 2013
Returning from World Youth Day, Pope Francis made headlines when he both said, “Who am I to judge?” gay priests who seek Christ in good faith, and “the door is closed” on women’s ordination. Because of his candid and humble style, the world is listening and talking about women’s ordination. Read More: WOC responds: Pope…
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March 7th, 2013
Human rights education must be compulsory for school children if we are to address violence against women throughout the world. “Physics, chemistry, literature… these are not enough, otherwise professors would not molest their students,” Talat Fasha emphasized on the panel, “Girl Child to Mature Woman, eradicating violence against women” sponsored by the Soroptimist International World…
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February 26th, 2013
While flocks of men will gather in Rome to choose the next Pope, a very different meeting will be held at the same time in New York at the United Nations Headquarters. From March 4-15, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) sessions will bring together representatives of U.N. Member States to evaluate progress…
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January 15th, 2013
On January 19, 2013, Shannon T.L. Kearns will be ordained as a priest in the North American Old Catholic Church in Minneapolis, MN. Shannon is the blogger known as the Anarchist Reverend, the convener and founding pastor of the House of the Transfiguration, and is poised to be the first transgender priest ordained in the…
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