In the News

A Vatican women’s magazine has gently criticized recent remarks by Pope Francis on naming women to positions of authority in the Catholic Church, saying the pontiff touched a “sore point” by again warning against the so-called clericalization of women. “Women Church World,” a monthly supplement to the Vatican’s L’Osservatore Romano newspaper, offers a commentary in…
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Spanish-language news outlet Religión Digital quoted WOC Executive Director Kate McElwee in its article on the Pope’s change to canon law regarding women as acolytes and lectors: “La WOC ‘da la bienvenida’ al texto papal, que ‘lleva a la Iglesia institucional a una mejor alineación con las realidades pastorales de todo el mundo,’ al tiempo que…
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Executive Director Kate McElwee was interviewed on Spanish-language W Radio in Colombia about the Pope’s recent letter, “Spiritus Domini:” “Yesterday Pope Francis released an apostolic letter called ‘Spiritus Domini,’ which expands Canon Law 230, which is regarding the ministries of lector, acolyte, altar server, Eucharistic minister, to include all lay people. So, it’s not every…
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“Miriam, how big a step forward for women in the Catholic Church is this?” “Well, it’s a big step forward in the sense that even though it feels like it’s not much progress because so many women in so many churches have been performing these roles, it’s a big step forward because it’s the first…
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“I’ll just get your reaction first. The decision made by Pope Francis, are you happy with the decision? Is it a start or not enough?“ “You know, it’s a little bit of both. It’s kind of a mixed reaction. It’s one of these things where it is and isn’t a change. It’s reflecting what’s happening…
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“You know, I was pretty surprised, it’s not every day that you see the headline ‘Doctrinal Development in the Catholic Church,” particularly around women. And as you said, I think this shift brings the institutional Church in better alignment with pastoral realities around the world. And I think importantly, also, it eliminates the ability of…
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Pope Francis today changed church law to allow women to be permanently installed as lectors or acolytes—essentially, readers, distributors of Communion and assistants at Mass and the sacraments. While women have performed these ministries at Mass for decades, they had until now been barred from being permanently installed in these roles. Such permanent installation, made…
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The role of women in the Catholic Church is expanding and it’s no longer based on the decision of an individual Bishop. It’s coming from the top. “It’s a really welcome change from the Pope,” Katie Lacz, of Women’s Ordination Conference, said. Advocates for gender equality in the Catholic Church are praising the decision by…
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Pope Francis amended the law to formalise what is common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers. The UK and Ireland representative of Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW), Miriam Duignan, said even a small step in the right direction is a welcome…
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Pope Francis, in another step towards greater equality for women in the Roman Catholic Church, on Monday changed its law to formally codify their roles as altar servers, distributors of communion and readers at liturgies. The pope’s decree formalised practices already common in many countries. But the change in the Code of Canon Law means…
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