We are Catholic Women Speak
Take action
Sign our open letter to Pope Francis
We are calling on Pope Francis to ensure a wider and more representative dialogue with women in the Church.
Please click through on the link below to read the full text, and to add your name.
Towards a deeper, richer understanding of the Catholic tradition
We are creating a space for open dialogue, theological exploration and collaboration among Catholic women in the worldwide Church.
We seek to bring Catholic women’s voices into dialogue with others in the Catholic Church, with those in other churches and religious traditions, and with wider society, in order to participate in a deeper, richer understanding of the Catholic tradition and its relevance for our times
We do not speak with one voice
We believe in the creativity of struggle and acceptance that comes from learning to respect our differences. We regard these as vital aspects of the process of discovery and transformation that brings us together in our faith.
We speak as women, not as “Woman”
We resist any attempt to develop a theology of “Woman”.
JOIN OUR CONVERSATION
A forum for dialogue
The purpose of the forum is to create an informed and honest space for dialogue around issues relevant to the lives of Catholic women in the Church and society.
Comments and contributions that are respectful, courteous and intelligent are welcome here.
Whatever your gender, you are welcome to join our conversation here.
We are a global network
We are the voices of Catholic women from many different cultures, perspectives and walks of life, united by a shared belief that the Church will benefit from greater inclusion of women’s perspectives and theological insights in the interpretation of doctrine and the development of pastoral practice.
LATEST ARTICLES
Join our conversation
Say There is a Lady
Article by CWS member Mary Pezzulo, originally published on Patheos.com 13th May 2018 Let’s say there is a Lady full of Grace. Let’s say there is a Lady who is perfect– but not as
“I’ll Eat You Up, I Love You So”: Religion Where The Wild Things Are
Article from CWS member Rebecca Bratten Weiss, originally published on Patheos.com 17th May 2018
Coding Our Way into Freedom
Blog from CWS member Jennifer Owens-Jofre originally published on www.jenniferowensjofre.com 15th May 2018 “You’re coding
Forgiveness in the Epoch of Me Too
Article by CWS member Kaya Oakes, originally published on http://killingthebuddha.com May 2018 The predator was
An Outsider Studies the Insider World of Women Religious
Article from CWS member Margaret Susan Thompson, originally published on globalsistersreport.org. 30th April 2018
News and events
Voices of Faith on BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme
The following report was written by CWS member Tina Beattie on Sunday, 4th March: [This post was amended on 5th March] It was good to hear BBC Radio 4 dedicating time on its Sunday programme today
CWS Member Jeannine Pitas’ New Book
We are thrilled to share the news that CWS member Jeannine Pitas' new book 'Thank You For Dreaming' is available now from Lummox Press. These poems are my grateful response to those who dream.
Public Statement in Support of Voices of Faith
[This statement was edited to make it shorter and more focused on 10 February 2018] Members of Catholic Women Speak (CWS) are deeply concerned by the controversy surrounding the Voices of Faith (VoF) event in
Men and women, young people and adults, communicate differently. They speak different languages and they act in different ways. Everyone has something to contribute, because they have their life experiences, they look at things from a different standpoint and they have their own concerns, abilities and insights. The unity that we seek is not uniformity, but a “unity in diversity”, or “reconciled diversity”.
– Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitiae – The Joy of Love
Catholic Women Speak – The book
Paulist Press (US)
Alban Books (UK)
The book
The Catholic Women Speak network’s first major project was to edit an anthology of Catholic women’s writings that was published to coincide with the opening of the October 2015 Synod on the Family. 300 copies of the book were made available free of charge to Synod participants and displayed on a table in the Synod Hall, and we understand that nearly of them were taken.
Reviews
Review of Catholic Women Speak in Tui Motu InterIsland Magazine
Catholic Women Speak: Bringing our Gifts to the Table is, I believe, a significant contribution to the discussion around the role of women in the Catholic Church in the 21st century. It is not only well-researched, but is a lively and thought-provoking read. I thoroughly recommend it.
Daily Theology, ‘Review: Catholic Women Speak’
One of the strengths of the volume is the plurality of voices, which do not speak with a single, unified opinion on controversy. This is all the better, really, to reflect the complexity of women’s lives. I can easily see this book being valuable for pastors and pastoral associates, for parish book clubs, for academics to use in their classrooms when dealing with perennially hot-button topics.
Vox Nova, Jeannine Marie Pitas, Book Review: ‘Catholic Women Break Their Silence’:
For me, this book is a breath of fresh air. A thick wall of silence has been broken; masks have been removed. It is refreshing to see these forty-four women speak in such a courageous, vulnerable and self-revealing way. This book is a must-read for all who seek a better understanding of the real, lived experience of women in the Catholic Church today.
Get involved with Catholic Women Speak today
Join a vibrant network of Catholic women who all support each other on their personal and spiritual journeys.
Join our online community
We welcome Catholic women to join our Facebook group to dialogue with us, and to support other Catholic women around the world working for a more inclusive Church.Take part in our closed Facebook group
This private Facebook group is open to bona fide members who self-identify as Catholic women. It offers a secure and confidential forum for dialogue, awareness raising and theological engagement around issues of concern to women in the Church and society. If you wish to join in the conversation please contact us
Join a local group
Catholic Women Speak is a worldwide movement. Find out if there is a group in your area that you can join and support.How to join a group
Even though we take full advantage of online communication, we know that this does not replace the value of meeting face to face in groups to support each other. Find out if there is a group near you for you to join.
Join our conversation
Whatever your gender, you are welcome to join our conversation here.Join our forum
The purpose of the website is to create an informed and honest space for dialogue around issues relevant to the lives of Catholic women in the Church and society. Comments and contributions which are respectful, courteous and intelligent are welcome here.
We are delighted to collaborate with L’Osservatore Romano in distributing the English translation of their Women Church World magazine through our website.
L’Osservatore Romano – Women Friends
Women Friends - April 2018 For many centuries friendship was considered to be a solely masculine fact, a “lofty” sentiment, cathartic, which uplifted the spirit: Achilles and Patroclus, Euryalus and Nisus, and also David
L’Osservatore Romano – Women and Work
Women and Work - March 2018 “There is not a single country or a single sector in which women have the same salaries as men. It is the greatest theft in history”. According to
L’Osservatore Romano – Women and Islam
Women and Islam - February 2018 The image shown on the cover of this issue is not an icon but illustrates a concept of the sacred that is firmly rooted in Islam. The uniqueness
In collaboration with Voices of Faith
Catholic Women Speak and Voices of Faith work together to promote the representation and participation of women in the life of the Church. We do this through publications, media promotions, educational activities, networking and social media, and by organising events such as the International Women’s Day conference organised in Rome every year by Voices of Faith, and the symposia in Rome organised by Catholic Women Speak to coincide with Synods of Bishops in 2015 and 2018.
In collaboration with Catherine of Siena College
We work closely with the college which provides an online learning environment for the promotion of higher education in the fields of theology, religion, gender and social justice, intended particularly but not exclusively for women in the global South who would not otherwise have access to university education.
Both the Network and the College are administered by the University of Roehampton in London, under the umbrella of the Digby Stuart Research Centre for Religion, Society and Human Flourishing.