In the News

ROME — When Francis became pope a decade ago, his inclusive tone and openness to change fueled expectations among many Catholic women about a greater role for them in the Roman Catholic Church. The contribution of women should not be limited “to altar girls or the president of a charity,” he said in a 2013…
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ROME – For the first time, lay people, including women, will serve as full members of the Synod of Bishops with voting rights, the Vatican announced Wednesday, as part of a broader series of changes to the rules governing participation in these papally convened summits. … …In 2018, the Women’s Ordination Conference organized a rally…
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Countless pieces of analysis have used the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis to argue that he is a breath of fresh air as he urges the church to consider difficult topics, most notably through the ongoing synodal process.   And while that’s true, the spirit of synodality can also trace its…
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VATICAN CITY (AP) — Hours after the death Saturday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis praised his “noble” predecessor and expressed gratitude for his life of faith and prayers, especially those offered in the nearly 10 years since the shy churchman dramatically became the first pontiff in centuries to retire from the papacy…. …While…
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NEW YORK (AP) — In the United States, admirers of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI remembered him warmly for his theological prowess and devotion to traditional doctrine. However, some U.S. Catholics, on learning of his death Saturday, recalled him as an obstacle to progress in combating clergy sex abuse and expanding the role of women in…
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Vatican City – “His relentless quest to stifle the female ordination movement revealed a man unwilling or unable to engage with the urgent needs of the Church today.” The counter-current comment of the powerful female network that has been fighting for the priesthood of women in the Church for years recalls the “negative” role played by…
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Editors’ note: On Nov. 22, five representatives of America Media interviewed Pope Francis in his residence at Santa Marta at the Vatican. They discussed a range of issues, including polarization in the U.S. church, racism, the war in Ukraine and the Vatican’s relations with China. The pope’s comments on the ordination of women in particular…
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From BBC’s 100 Women series: “The Vatican has never allowed women to be ordained as priests, but there’s a growing movement to overturn this ban.” Watch the documentary here.

With the Vatican’s Oct. 27 release of the document to guide the next phase of Pope Francis’ innovative new process for the Synod of Bishops, the Catholic Church has shown it has the capacity to listen to its people. The 45-page synthesis of national and local listening sessions from countries around the world — known as the Working…
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On Monday, leaders of two Catholic groups dedicated to women’s ordination in the church reminded Catholic cardinals not to ignore their “sisters outside,” as the cardinals met to discuss church reforms. Earlier this year, Pope Francis named two women to a dicastery, or papal committee, that selects new bishops in the church. However, Monday’s closed-door gathering of…
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