Category: Vatican

Wouldn’t you think, in this age of synods, that cabals would be out of date? Wikipedia describes a cabal as “a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those…
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I love Molly Burhans’ story as told in the February 8 issue of The New Yorker (titled “Promised Land” by David Owen) because it shows, once again, what women, if they assume leadership in the Church, can do. I also love that she is a young Catholic woman with all the energy, hope – and…
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Pope Francis was safe in Iraq. His venturing out to such an unstable place is a testament to his willingness to take risks for the good of the people, Christian and Moslem alike. America and NCR had reporters covering this trip and generating stories about this remarkable outreach; about 75 journalists on the papal plane…
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Pope Francis is safe in Iraq as you read this, I hope. His venturing out to such an unstable place is a testament to his willingness to take risks for the good of the people, Christian and Islamic alike. America and NCR will have reporters covering this trip and generating stories about this remarkable outreach;…
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Pope Francis is serious about finding competent women to place in administrative positions. This week, it is Nathalie Becquart, a Xavière Missionary Sister, appointed as one of two  undersecretaries in the Vatican’s office for the Synod of Bishops. This is especially interesting because organizing a meeting of bishops is not usually a role assigned to…
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So many people responded “what’s the big deal” to Pope Francis’ change to Canon Law allowing all laypeople to be acolytes and lectors that I am going to say it IS a big deal.  I’ve edited what I wrote to my grandson: “This is so important to me right now because it’s a chink in…
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This year, we are living out salvation history. I cannot remember a time when our experience mirrored the Christmas story as well as this year does. We had our wanderings in the desert, our Advent, and now our fragile moment of joy. We move forward with hope knowing that there will be difficulties along the…
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Forty-five years is longer than many of the leaders of our movement have been alive. I am so cheered by that.  Kate McElwee sets the tone of the celebration in her letter inviting participation in this weekend’s events: we have been together “sometimes in the wilderness, always in hope, and with an unwavering love for…
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I suddenly realized that I haven’t written much about the rest of the world, even though I’ve tried not to write about the elections in the United States. They have absorbed my energy and my waking hours for several months. So, I will use two stories about women from foreign sources to bookend the story…
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Of course, the central conceit of Pope Francis’s latest encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, is a problem. The deep meaning he attaches to “fraternity” is meant to extend the warm feeling of male bonding to all of humanity. But male bonding leaves me out and leaves me cold. What does not leave me cold is separating out…
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