The Catholic Spring has gone global, with the publication of a notable “Jubilee Declaration on Church Authority”, sponsored by a range of top Catholic theologians, from countries on all continents. That the institutional Catholic Church is in a state of…
obedience and dissent
Professor Tina Beattie’s Alleged “Dissent”: Text of the Letter to the Times
The British theologian Professor Tina Beattie has had an appointment as visiting fellow to the University of San Diego suddenly dismissed, allegedly for expressing “dissent” from Catholic teaching. The university has not provided any specific examples of the dissent they…
Lesbian Kindergarden Head’s Sacking by Catholic Church is Allowed by Court
The European Court of Human Rights has just stepped in to order compensation is paid when the Catholic Church sacks heterosexual staff who it judges are ‘living in sin’. This decision should also help lesbians and gay men, just as…
Minnesota Catholic Priest: Why Catholics Can Vote “No”!
Most Catholics, in the US, in the UK, and many other countries, support marriage equality, often precisely because of their Catholic values. However, with the very vocal, high profile campaigns by many bishops against equality legislation, or promoting discrimination by…
Evangelicals prepare to split with liberals in Church of England
Splits between Anglican liberals and conservative evangelical traditionalists now seem to be coming to a head in the Church of England, especially in the diocese of Southwark, which covers South London. Church of England liberals support women priests and bishops,…
Religious Women, and Vatican Control: Some History
There has been such a torrent of worthwhile commentary on the Vatican’s attempt to exert control over America’s religious women, that I have made not attempt to keep up with it all (still less to report it). One piece that…
Row over Women Speakers for ‘Catholic Voices’
A row has erupted over speakers chosen by ‘Catholic Voices’ for their next training session about Women in the Church. ‘Catholic Voices’ is the lay media mouthpiece of the English and Welsh Catholic Bishops. The topic has extra relevance right…
Catholic Schools Told to Oppose Gay Marriage – Pupils say ‘No Way’
Over 350 Catholic secondary schools in England and Wales have been asked by the Catholic Education Service to ‘draw the attention’ of pupils to the Coalition for Marriage’s anti gay marriage equality petition, and to the letter sent to parishes…
Austria: pastor bars homosexual from parish council
The parish priest of a small parish in the Archdiocese of Vienna has refused to allow an openly homosexual 26-year-old to serve on the parish council. Florian Stangl, who is disabled, lives in a registered domestic partnership and obtained 96…
Pope Benedict, in Berlin: Some Difficulties With Protocol
When heads of state or other diplomatic or political personages meet in public, great attention is paid to attention to details of protocol, and efforts to avoid little embarrassments or indelicacies to the parties involved. Sometimes however, these little details…
