Posts Tagged L’Osservatore Romano
Is there room in the tent? / L’Osservatore Romano
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Clericalism, Future of the Church, Synod on Synodality, Voice of the Faithful, Women Deacons, Women in Catholic Church, Women in the Church on February 2, 2023
People around the world have asked the Church to outgrow clericalism and recognize the managerial and ministerial abilities of women. There is progress in adding women to management. The extended Synod process should not delay the restoration of women to the ordained diaconal ministry.
Phyllis Zagano, Ph.D., L’Osservatore Romano
“As the Church prepares for the next phase of the Synod on Synodality, one of the most pressing issues is the relationship between women and the Church, combined with the problem of clericalism. The Working Document clearly states that “almost all reports raise the issue of full and equal participation of women.” (No. 64.)
“Many national reports asked to restore women to the ordained diaconate, yet the Synod’s Working Document for the Continental Stage refers to “a female diaconate.” Does this indicate ongoing discernment about the ability of women to receive sacramental ordination as deacons, despite the historical evidence of ordained women deacons? While women are increasingly included as professional managers within Church structures, notably within the Roman Curia, deep resistance to accepting historical precedence of women’s ordained ministry remains.
“Can the Church overcome clericalism and the denial of history?”
By Phyllis Zagano, Ph.D., L’Osservatore Romano — Read more …
Founder, board of Vatican women’s magazine quit / Associated Press
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on March 26, 2019
“We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization,” founder Lucetta Scaraffia wrote in the open letter. (Associated Press)
The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican’s women’s magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them ‘under the direct control of men,’ that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy.
“The editorial committee of ‘Women Church World,’ a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis that was provided Tuesday (Mar. 26) to The Associated Press.
“‘We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization,’ founder Lucetta Scaraffia wrote in the open letter.
“In the editorial, she wrote: “We believe there are no longer the conditions to continue our collaboration with L’Osservatore Romano.'”
By Associated Press — Read more …
In Vatican magazine exposé, nuns reveal their economic exploitation / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Religious Women, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on March 2, 2018
The stories amount to a distress signal about the unfair economic and social conditions many nuns experience, as well as the psychological and spiritual challenges that many face. (The New York Times)
Sister Marie told of nuns who worked long hours to cook and clean for cardinals and bishops, without being asked to break bread at the same table.
“Sister Paule pointed out that many nuns did not have registered contracts with the bishops, schools, parishes or congregations they worked for, ‘so they are paid little or not at all.’
“Sister Cécile said that ‘nuns are seen as volunteers to have available at one’s calling, which gives rise to abuse of power.’
“These stories — told by sisters using pseudonyms — were revealed Thursday (Mar. 1) in an exposé about how nuns are exploited by the leaders and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. The article, by the French journalist Marie-Lucile Kubacki, was published in the March edition of Women Church World, the monthly magazine on women distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.
“The stories amount to a distress signal about the unfair economic and social conditions many nuns experience, as well as the psychological and spiritual challenges that many face.”
By Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times — Read more …
Vatican newspaper essays say women should preach at Mass / Religion News Service
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women, Women in Catholic Church, Women in the Church on March 3, 2016
A series of essays in the semiofficial Vatican newspaper is urging the Catholic Church to allow women to preach from the pulpit at Mass, a role that has been reserved almost exclusively to the all-male priesthood for nearly 800 years.
“‘This topic is a delicate one, but I believe it is urgent that we address it,’ Enzo Bianchi, leader of an ecumenical religious community in northern Italy and a popular Catholic commentator, wrote in his article in L’Osservatore Romano.
“‘Certainly for faithful lay people in general, but above all for women, this would constitute a fundamental change in their participation in church life,’ said Bianchi, who called such a move a ‘decisive path’ for responding to widespread calls — including by Pope Francis — to find ways to give women a greater role in the church.”
By David Gibson, Religion News Service — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Francis wants more women theologians advising the CDF / Commonweal
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Vatican, Women in the Church on September 5, 2014
In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano (not yet published in English), Cardinal Gerhard Müller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, revealed that Pope Francis has directed that more women be included in the Vatican’s international theological commission …
“According to (Cardinal Gerhard) Müller (head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), the number will increase to ‘five or six,’ which ‘would be a significant increase,’ Tornielli points out …
“What kind of difference could that make? Well, imagine if the U.S. bishops’ conference committee on doctrine had sought out the input of some women theologians before expressing its alarm at Johnson’s not-very-radical thoughts on female images of God.”
By Mollie Wilson O’Reilly, Commonweal — Click here to read the rest of this article
What’s eating Catholic women? / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women in the Church on September 4, 2014
Two years ago, when Cardinal Gerhard Müller criticized the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for promoting radical feminist themes, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith offered a stark reminder that feminism has no place in the Roman Catholic church.
“In his most recent interview in L’Osservatore Romano (the Vatican’s ‘semi-official’ newspaper), Müller further indicates that any suggestion of misogyny on the part of the hierarchy is a claim best answered with a punch line.
“Sadly, it’s a comedic lesson Müller likely learned from his boss, the pope …
“The time has come for the hierarchy to stop making jokes about gobbling up women and to start talking turkey about the ways in which the church’s structural sins exacerbate the suffering of women globally.”
By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this column.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
Voice of the Faithful- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Voice of the Faithful ® 