We are Catholic Women Speak
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”.
Find out more about Catholic Women Speak – who we are and what we do
We are telling stories, not spreading ideologies … If you self-identify as a Catholic woman, you are welcome in this space. … We’re a forum for women to say what can we claim, what can we rescue and what must we change to make the Church we love a more hospitable place for women. … Many of our members campaign on different issues, but Catholic Women Speak is not a campaigning group. It’s a forum, it’s a space, and so any individual woman is welcome there, whatever she campaigns on. … We have women from many different cultures, and we have to be sensitive to each another. Language doesn’t travel effortlessly across cultural boundaries. What one person might feel very comfortable supporting and calling herself, another would not. … Our only campaign is to create a space for women to speak. (Tina Beattie)
TAKING ACTION:
As reported in the magazine Crux, Professor Gabriella Gambino, the undersecretary heading the section of “Life” in the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life presents a dichotomy between migrant African women as a “prototype of motherhood lived in essence” and “Western” women who allegedly see “motherhood as a fatigue, motherhood as a choice, as a productive decision.”
We believe that this is a deeply unhelpful and distorted way of representing the complex realities of maternal life for both African and so-called “Western” women. We are particularly concerned that such ideas should come from one of the most senior women in the Vatican.
Catholic Women Speak and Voices of Faith have written a statement protesting against these comparisons and inviting Professor Gambino to dialogue. You can read our statement here.
Catholic Women Speak – Our New Book
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
The Church Ought Not to be a Torture Test
Blog post from CWS member Mary Pezzulo, originally published on Patheos.com 21st October 2018 I don’t know how to tell you that you shouldn’t mock people in spiritual crisis. If you are a Christian
Letter to members of the Pontifical Commission on the Protection of Minors
CWS member Sara Parvis has written a letter to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection
Abuse, Clericalism, and the Culture of Obedience
Article from CWS member Rebecca Bratten Weiss, originally published on Patheos.com 10th September 2018
Sharing Our Concerns About “A Letter to Pope Francis from Catholic Women”
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE SIGNING THE LETTER TO POPE FRANCIS FROM CATHOLIC WOMEN Catholic Women
Tina Beattie, Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4
CWS coordinator Tina Beattie did Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 on
News and events
Letter to members of the Pontifical Commission on the Protection of Minors
CWS member Sara Parvis has written a letter to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors which was originally shared via the Catholic Women Speak Facebook page and can now be shared with the
Sharing Our Concerns About “A Letter to Pope Francis from Catholic Women”
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE SIGNING THE LETTER TO POPE FRANCIS FROM CATHOLIC WOMEN Catholic Women Speak supports a broad and inclusive church that can accommodate a wide spectrum of Catholic beliefs and practices. Our members
Tina Beattie, Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4
CWS coordinator Tina Beattie did Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 on Monday, 27th August, when she spoke about the crisis that has been created by yet more evidence of sex abuse
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
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.