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”.
News and events
Maria 2.0 – Catholic Women in Germany – May 2019
CWS member Ruth Fehlker reports and reflects on the recent movements in the Catholic church in Germany. May 2019 It all began with a small group of women in the German diocese of Münster,
The Future Church – A Home to Hope For?
This is the text of a talk given by Tina Beattie at a gathering of Andante - the European Alliance of Catholic Women's Organisations - at the Carmelite Monastery in Snagov, near Bucharest, on Thursday,
Misogyny or Reform? Lucetta Scaraffia and Donne Chiesa Mondo
Editor Lucetta Scaraffia and her all-female editorial team have announced that they are suspending publication of the monthly women's magazine, Donne Chiesa Mondo (Women, Church, World) published by the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Lucetta has been a good
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)
OVERCOMING SILENCE
Catholic Women Speak in Partnership with Voices of Faith
Zuzanna Radzik (Poland)
Anna Kasafi Perkins (Jamaica)
Catholic Women Speak – Our New Book
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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
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Women’s Leadership in the Church: Increasing but Incomplete
CWS member Katie Lacz responds to a recent piece by Pia de Solenni in America magazine about women deacons and women in Church leadership. 24th June 2019 A recent article about what the conversation
Courageous Women Fighting to Change the Status Quo In Our Church
Article by CWS member and Voices of Faith Advocacy Director, Petra Dankova, originally published
Pope wants wider discussion on women deacons, commission member Zagano says
Article from the National Catholic Reporter by Joshua McElwee, reporting on the recent comments
Theology rooted in patriarchy delays restoration of female diaconate
Article from CWS member Christine Schenk, originally published on the National Catholic Reporter 14th
Women Deacons, Rachel Held Evans, and the Pushback of Patriarchy
Blog post from CWS member Rebecca Bratten Weiss, originally published on Patheos.com. 10th May
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.
Catholic Women Speak is now a member of Andante – the European Alliance of Catholic Women’s Organisations. Our CWS community includes members from across Europe, and we are proud to be associated with Catholic women working together for unity, peace and understanding in our richly diverse European cultures.
The following is taken from the Andante website:
Mission statement
To be a Catholic women’s voice and be an actor in building a living Europe that works for the common good and gives a more human face to Europe and the world.
Andante works, through its networks in Europe and through local initiatives, for the just participation of women in society and in the church, and for the common good of all people.
Andante encourages and empowers Catholic women in Europe to reach their full potential, both in society and in spiritual life. It brings strength and inspiration to Catholic women in their daily lives and encourages them to be active in their communities and in the church.
Andante contributes to a Catholic Church in Europe which is welcoming and liberating for all.
Role
The role of ANDANTE is: to inform, to consult, to coordinate and to represent. It will be a platform for Catholic women to express their ideas, to discuss them frankly and with trust, even if they arrive at different conclusions. “We need to establish common values across our different cultures; we should be able to respond to current and emerging issues in a way that reflects Gospel values and our experience as women. We can offer the female vision of the Common Good.”
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 and Politics
Women and Politics - March 2019 Women and politics – and in particular women who are both Catholic and political – is the subject of this issue which thus analyses politics, religion and women
L’Osservatore Romano – Reforms not revolution
Reforms not revolution - January 2019 We do not need a revolution to give women the place they deserve in the Church, nor is it indispensable to grant them the priesthood or the diaconate so
L’Osservatore Romano – Taste
Taste - December 2018 In devoting this second issue in the series on the five senses to taste, and hence to cooking, to eating together, to sharing and to harmony, we had in
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.