“I cannot imagine Pope Francis wanting to prevent democratic decisions” on future of Church, says president of Central Committee of German Catholics after pontiff’s controversial remarks at Wednesday General Audience
Coronavirus has “strengthened and accelerated” debates over reforms in the Church, acknowledges Archbishop of Munich and Freising
Cardinal Cupich chides bishops who sided with Viganò over Pope Francis in allegations surrounding abuser former cardinal and Archbishop of Washington
Catholic Women’s Association of Germany decries that in the Church “maintaining power takes precedence over the suffering of the victims” of abuse
Youth, workers’ and women’s associations call for “courage, strength, confidence and openness” to recommit to ‘Synodal Path’ reform dialogue
“The Church must touch hearts not by constant condemnation but by opening hearts realistically to joy and hope”, urges Diarmuid Martin
“Mechanisms need to be found to ensure that the whole diocesan people of God is adequately represented” in the nomination of their shepherd, insists Bishop of Basel Felix Gmür
“Many individual bishops continue to prioritize Catholic sexual teaching against homosexual acts over and above Catholic social teaching and its prohibition against discrimination”
Father Tomáš Halík laments more and more believers falling prey to “dead religion” of “fundamentalism and bigotry”
Church ‘women’s revolt’ denounces “outdated”, “medieval” Catholic anthropology “disregards the richness of the magisterium of women”
“Power in the Church is in priestly hands, and we women have no right to it as long as we are denied the priesthood”, denounces academic Isabel Gómez Acebo
The movement ‘Promesses d’Eglise’ is setting its sights on the full recognition of the equal dignity of the baptised and more democracy in the Church, among other demands
Doris Wagner Reisinger says simultaneous Catholic emphasis on conscience and obedience is a “strange logical contradiction” that fosters abuse
In new interview, Francis acknowledges “undeniable” fact of mismanagement of Holy See finances, reaffirms desire to clean house: “The plan is simple: to keep going and not stop”
“The most important feminist texts are in the Bible”, but Church persists with sex “complementarity”, deplores Angelika Ritter-Grepl
“Women will continue to be discriminated against” as long as “hierarchical, kyriarcal and priestly” Church persists, warns Colombian academic Isabel Corpas de Posada
Academic Martin M. Lintner hails Francis’ “significant step forward” in new documentary: “You cannot demand a legal possibility for something which you reject in and of itself and condemn as sin”
“Where are the signs of openness, of the end of a clerical self-segregation?”, wonders the “All Women Apostles!” collective
Also, ‘We Are Church’ Ireland “warmly welcomes… wonderful news”, “hugely significant step” of Francis’ statement in new documentary: “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family… They’re children of God”
“Same old moth-eaten” arguments against women deacons, priests and bishops “far from convincing”, decries Dresden academic Julia Enxing
The Magisterium is “immunising itself against all reform movements”, denounces Georg Essen, the director of the Institute for Catholic Theology at Berlin’s Humboldt University
The Archbishop of Luxembourg and president of the EU Bishops warns nationalistic responses to COVID have “the explosive power to smash the EU”
“As a Church we have done a great job in making sure that homosexual people never even have the idea of turning to a priest”, laments Dresden cleric Christoph Behrens
Compulsory clerical celibacy “has done a great deal of harm”, laments Spanish-French cleric Christina Moreira
“Our position in society and the Church makes us observe things in a different way from men”, says Colombian feminist thinker Isabel Corpas de Posada
Bishop of Innsbruck Hermann Glettler admits “inequality” in admission to ordained ministries “difficult to justify”
“There is no future in yesterday’s answers”, explains Bernd Hagenkord SJ, adding “nearly all” participants in German Catholicism’s renewal debates “agree we need women in the running of the Church”
Urge “fundamental renewal of our Church” so that “women are taken seriously with their vocations and take on leadership responsibility”