In the News

September 16th, 2014

USA: pétition pour des religieuses au Vatican

Une pétition signée par 17.000 personnes apportant leur soutien aux religieuses américaines, en conflit avec le Vaticanqui leur reproche des prises de position trop libérales, a été transmise au Vatican, ont indiqué aujourd’hui les organisateurs de la campagne. La lettre ouverte, remise vendredi par Kate McElwee, dirigeante de l’association Nun Justice Project, s’adresse directement au pape…
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August 8th, 2014

Cry out, sisters; cry out

From where I stand, it seems to me if the amount of press, ink, and media reviews tell us anything, there are many who care deeply that the voices and agency of the sisters in the United States remain strong. If you are one of those, you might want to send an email to LCWR,…
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April 16th, 2014

Documentary captures sisters’ responses to doctrinal assessment of LCWR

“The Holy Spirit is making mischief,” Sr. Simone Campbell says near the end of the forthcoming documentary “Radical Grace.” Campbell’s quote is an apt summary of the film, which captures one of most extraordinary years in the Catholic church’s recent history: beginning in April 2012 with the outraged response to the doctrinal assessment of the…
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March 6th, 2014

Poll: Pope Francis hasn’t yet greatly changed Catholics’ level of active faith-based behavior

… For progressive advocates such as Kate Conmy, Pope Francis has upended the landscape. Conmy, assistant director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, said his broad tone has renewed interest from Catholics who had given up on such changes as women being ordained but also tamped down the intensity of liberals who suddenly want a less-demanding…
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January 16th, 2014

Young adult Catholics find a new kind of communion in D.C.

Studies and statistics suggest that young, progressive Catholics have lost interest in the church. But one visit to a monthly potluck of young adult Catholics in Washington, D.C., may leave you questioning that theory. Born out of the 2012 Call to Action national conference, the idea for the gathering was created when Kate Conmy, Margaret…
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December 25th, 2013

U.S. Catholics Invigorated By Pope Francis’ First Year

Pope Francis is celebrating his first Christmas as pope at the Vatican. He’s had quite a year. Time Magazine hailed him as the People’s Pope when they named him Person of the Year. And this week, NBC called the pope’s question “Who am I to judge?” the most powerful phrase of the year. NPR’s Nathan…
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July 31st, 2013

U.S. Catholic Group Faults Pope for Opposition to Women Priests

WASHINGTON – The Women’s Ordination Conference expressed its disappointment Monday with Pope Francis for keeping the door closed to women’s ordination into the priesthood. The WOC “is deeply discouraged to learn of Pope Francis’ remarks regarding women’s ordination,” Executive Director Erin Saiz Hanna said in a communique. “We cannot limit the role of women in…
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July 31st, 2013

Pope quotes take flight on social media

(CNN) – Perhaps it’s fitting that the pope’s first news conference was held onboard an airplane. Since Monday morning his comments have soared around the globe at high speed. His remarks on homosexuality filled many Catholics with hope, especially those longing for the church to accept gays and lesbians more openly. But they also discouraged others,…
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July 31st, 2013

Pope Francis on LGBT People: “Who Am I to Judge?”

Pope Francis has issued unusually candid remarks about LGBT people, saying they should not be marginalized in society, but maintaining that homosexual acts are a sin under Catholic teaching. While on a flight back from Brazil, the pope responded to a reporter’s question about a supposed "gay lobby" at the Vatican. Pope Francis: "Everyone writes about the…
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July 30th, 2013

Maverick Catholics hold out hope for female priests

Dan Rodricks 6:56 p.m. EDT, July 31, 2013 I actually thought the cool new pope would have something cool and new to say about one of the things that make it hard to be a Roman Catholic: the church’s refusal to allow women to serve as priests. Pope Francis has all the makings of a revolutionary. In…
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