The following reflection is intended to stimulate discussion around some problematic issues that emerge when Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, is read from a woman's perspective. It is written in a spirit of respect for Francis and of thankfulness for the changes he is bringing about in the Church. Nevertheless, as he himself
Chapel of St Francis Borgia, Jesuit Curia, Rome Voices of Faith, International Women’s Day, 8th March 2018 Ursula Halligan is former political editor of Irish television station TV3, and she campaigned for same-sex marriage during the Irish Referendum in 2015. 2018 Photo: Wolfgang Schmidt Gospel reading: Luke 11:14-23 He was driving out a devil and
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 to the ways in which women of faith are marking International Women's Day. There was a voice-over which was taken
[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 Rome on 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day, as a result of some speakers not being approved by the
Discernment - September 2017 Discernment is a concept that has been frequently used in the Christian tradition since the most ancient times. It refers to the interior reflection which each human being is called to undertake in order to understand what God’s will is at the important decision-making moments in his or her life. It
WHEN REALITIES COLLIDE: A PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST SUGGESTS A CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR THOSE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE ABORTION ACT 18 October 2017 | by Rebecca Bratten Weiss When I was a teenager, a friend confided to me that she feared she was pregnant. The relationship was futile, her life unstable; she was terrified
We are delighted that 11 members of Catholic Women Speak are among the contributors to this exciting new book edited by Cindy Wooden and Joshua J. McElwee: A Pope Francis Lexicon is a collection of over fifty essays by an impressive set of insightful contributors from around the globe, each writing on a specific word that
This Facebook discussion explores complex ethical questions about life support and end of life decisions, the relationship between health care and 'big pharma', and differences between attitudes to these issues in the US, Canada and the UK. Participants include health care professionals and women speaking from their own experiences of caring for sick or dying
Vickey McBride is the Director of Campus Ministry at Saint Martin de Porres High School (Cristo Rey) in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to working at Saint Martin, she lived and worked in Brownsville, Texas as a teacher in the Alliance for Catholic Education, earning her Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame.
CWS member Jeannine M. Pitas writes about the relationship between her Catholic faith and being a vegetarian: I suspect “Catholic” is not the first identity marker most people think of when they think of a vegetarian. Yet for many Catholics—myself included—a vegetarian or vegan diet is an integral part of our religious practice. Source: For
