In the News

August 20th, 2018

Ireland enthusiastic for World Meeting of Families despite misgivings about abuse scandals

…A protest is being planned by Women’s Ordination Worldwide to coincide with the Aug. 26 closing papal Mass celebrated by Francis. Kate McElwee, executive director of Women’s Ordination Conference, a member of the umbrella group Women’s Ordination Worldwide, told NCR a prayerful public witness for women’s equality in the church will be held at the…
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August 16th, 2018

Latest Catholic parish reform effort: Creating a space for priests to listen to women

On the “Reasonably Catholic” podcast, listen to Executive Director Kate McElwee, FutureChurch Executive Director Deb Rose-Milavec, and Redemptorist priest Tony Flannery talk about the “Listening to Women” initiative to hear women’s experiences in Catholic parishes across the U.S. Listen to the podcast here. 

August 10th, 2018

LCWR, Catholic reform organizations respond to AP report on sexual abuse of nuns by clergy

Three Catholic reform organizations have expressed solidarity with women religious speaking about sexual abuse by clergy. Call To Action, FutureChurch and Women’s Ordination Conference issued a statement Aug. 2 condemning clergy abuse allegations and thanking women religious and other survivors for coming forward. The three organizations launched the #CatholicToo campaign in December 2017 “as a Catholic response to the outpouring of…
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July 23rd, 2018

Women push for more from Vatican, Francis

Read the NCR article here Kate McElwee, executive director of Women’s Ordination Conference, explained to NCR that she and Deborah Rose-Milavec, executive director of FutureChurch, spoke with Bishop Dusan Spiner, a priest who was ordained to serve the underground church in the 1973 by Bishop Felix Maria Davidek. Rose-Milavec described the opportunity to meet Spiner as “an…
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July 10th, 2018

NCR: Group petitions for reinstatement of former Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois

A new petition has been launched to reinstate a popular priest who was excommunicated for his support of female ordination. CORPUS, an organization begun by resigned priests and their families that calls for a more inclusive church, released a petition June 28 to reinstate former Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois. Bourgeois was excommunicated after saying the homily at an August…
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July 9th, 2018

Executive Director Kate McElwee on “TV Thek”

A television broadcast of the 2018 International Church Reform Network meeting in Slovakia. (Begins at minute 15:27) https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/Orientierung/1366/Orientierung/13982324

June 25th, 2018

Pope Wants More Women in Church Leadership Positions but Rejects Female Priests (Christian Post)

Pope Francis has stated that while he supports having more women in positions of authority within the Roman Catholic Church, he does not support allowing women to become priests. The head of the one billion-strong Church was interviewed by Reuters earlier this week on a host of issues. When asked about female ordination, Francis responded…
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June 25th, 2018

WOC Executive Director, Kate McElwee in DenníkN.sk (Slovakia)

Američanka bojuje za ženskú vysviacku v rímskokatolíckej cirkvi aj ružovým dymom nad Vatikánom Predsedníčka organizácie Konferencia pre ženskú vysviacku Kate McElweeová hovorí, že katolícky klérus sa diskusiu na túto tému snaží umlčať, a vysvetľuje, prečo súčasná cirkev neslúži všetkým veriacim. Click here for the full article.

June 11th, 2018

Advocates dismayed by reaffirming ban on women priests

Advocates for the ordination of women in the Roman Catholic Church said they are “deeply dismayed” by a newspaper article penned by the Vatican’s doctrinal chief that reaffirmed the church’s ban on women priests as “definitive” and “a truth belonging to the deposit of faith.” “Archbishop [Luis] Ladaria’s arguments are unconvincing and simply nothing new,” said a…
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April 24th, 2018

Francis still falls short with Catholic women, feminist scholars say

NEW YORK — In five years, Pope Francis has led a call to save humanity from climate change, propelled a renewed vision on social justice and offered a clear welcome to estranged Catholics. But he still has issues with women which dampen that positive impact, a consensus emerged from feminist scholars and others at an April…
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