Pope opens Vatican meeting amid tensions with conservatives
1 year, 3 months ago

Pope opens Vatican meeting amid tensions with conservatives

Al Jazeera  

Pope Francis opens a global gathering of bishops and lay people to discuss the future of the Catholic Church including hot-button issues previously considered taboo. Pope Francis has opened an important meeting on the future of the Catholic Church, with progressives hoping it will lead to more women in leadership roles and conservatives warning that church doctrine on everything from homosexuality to the hierarchy’s authority is at risk. Francis presided over a solemn mass in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday to formally open the meeting, with hundreds of clergy from around the world celebrating on the altar before the rank-and-file Catholic lay people whose presence and influence at this meeting marks a decisive shift for the Catholic Church. “It’s a watershed moment,” said JoAnn Lopez, an Indian-born lay minister who helped organise two years of consultations prior to the meeting at parishes where she has worked in Seattle and Toronto.

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History of this topic

Pope’s meeting on church future says it’s ‘urgent’ to guarantee governance roles for women
1 year, 2 months ago

Pope’s meeting on church future says it’s ‘urgent’ to guarantee governance roles for women

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ big gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople said Saturday it was “urgent” to guarantee fuller participation of women in church governance positions and called for research on allowing women to be deacons to be released within a year. In a novelty, Francis allowed women and laypeople to vote alongside bishops, putting into practice his belief …

Pope Francis opens a big Vatican meeting on the church’s future and says ‘everyone’ is welcome
1 year, 3 months ago

Pope Francis opens a big Vatican meeting on the church’s future and says ‘everyone’ is welcome

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said the Catholic Church needed to be rebuilt to make it a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone,” as he opened a divisive meeting on the future of the church that has sparked hope among progressives and alarm among conservatives. “And if God’s holy people with their shepherds from all over the world have …

Saying ‘everyone’ is welcome, pope opens big Vatican meeting on church’s future
1 year, 3 months ago

Saying ‘everyone’ is welcome, pope opens big Vatican meeting on church’s future

LA Times  

Pope Francis has opened a major meeting of bishops that has sparked hope among progressives and alarm among conservatives for the church’s future. Pope Francis said the Roman Catholic Church was in need of repair to make it a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone,” as he opened a big meeting on the future of the faith that has …

Things to know about the Vatican’s big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church
1 year, 3 months ago

Things to know about the Vatican’s big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Wednesday is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops, a radical change that is evidence of Francis’ belief that …

Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope is set to open a Vatican meeting on church’s future
1 year, 3 months ago

Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope is set to open a Vatican meeting on church’s future

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church. “And for women, this is an extraordinary step forward.” Women have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in the church, barred from the priesthood and highest …

Ideological rifts among U.S. bishops are in the spotlight ahead of momentous Vatican meeting
1 year, 3 months ago

Ideological rifts among U.S. bishops are in the spotlight ahead of momentous Vatican meeting

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Early next month, the Vatican will open an unprecedented gathering of Catholic clergy and laypeople from around the world. “I want to remind these people that backwardness is useless, and they must understand that there’s a correct evolution in the understanding of questions of faith and morals.” Some conservative American clerics vehemently disagree, saying high-level discussions of …

Pope wants to keep big Vatican meeting on the church’s future behind closed doors, ideology-free
1 year, 4 months ago

Pope wants to keep big Vatican meeting on the church’s future behind closed doors, ideology-free

Associated Press  

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis defended the decision to keep the discussions of a big Vatican meeting on the future of the Catholic Church behind closed doors, saying Monday the three-week conference was a religious moment for the church and “not a television program” that was open to scrutiny. Many Vatican watchers consider the synod to be a …

Vatican document highlights need for concrete steps for women, ‘radical inclusion’ of LGBTQ+
1 year, 6 months ago

Vatican document highlights need for concrete steps for women, ‘radical inclusion’ of LGBTQ+

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — An unprecedented global canvassing of Catholics has called for the church to take concrete steps to promote women to decision-making roles, for a “radical inclusion” of the LGBTQ+ community and for new accountability measures to check how bishops exercise authority. That reform is a concrete step toward what he calls “synodality,” a new way of being a …

Pope Francis Led Vatican Allows Women to Vote at Bishops' Meeting in Historic Shift
1 year, 8 months ago

Pope Francis Led Vatican Allows Women to Vote at Bishops' Meeting in Historic Shift

News 18  

Women and lay people will be able to vote in the next general assembly of bishops, the Vatican announced Wednesday, in a symbolic change for the Catholic Church. “This is a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling,” the US-based Women’s Ordination Conference said in a statement, hailing a “historic” moment. New rules published Wednesday said 70 people would also …

In a first, Pope Francis allows women to vote at meeting of bishops
1 year, 8 months ago

In a first, Pope Francis allows women to vote at meeting of bishops

India Today  

In a historic move, Pope Francis approved changes on Wednesday that will for the first time allow women to vote at a global meeting of bishops in October. The new rules follow two major steps Francis took last year to place women in decision-making positions in the Vatican. In one, he introduced a landmark reform that will allow any baptised …

Pope allows women to vote at bishops’ meeting for first time
1 year, 8 months ago

Pope allows women to vote at bishops’ meeting for first time

Al Jazeera  

Pope Francis has decided to appoint 70 non-bishop members of the synod and has asked that half are women. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world’s bishops together for periodic meetings, following years of demands by women to have the right to vote. Catholic women’s groups that have long …

Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting
1 year, 8 months ago

Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers …

Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops' meeting
1 year, 8 months ago

Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops' meeting

The Hindu  

Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world’s bishops …

In a historic shift, Pope Francis allows women to vote at bishops' meetings
1 year, 8 months ago

In a historic shift, Pope Francis allows women to vote at bishops' meetings

NPR  

In a historic shift, Pope Francis allows women to vote at bishops' meetings Enlarge this image toggle caption Alessandra Tarantino/AP Alessandra Tarantino/AP VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in …

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