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)
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
Say There is a Lady
Article by CWS member Mary Pezzulo, originally published on Patheos.com 13th May 2018 Let’s
“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
News and events
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
Cardinal barrs 8th President of Ireland and African LGBT advocates from International Women’s Day event at The Vatican.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell has stunned organisers of an annual International Women’s Day (IWD) event to be held at The Vatican in March by barring the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and Catholic LGBT
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 – Discernment
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
L’Osservatore Romano – Rape as Torture
Rape as Torture - October 2017 At last the world’s attention and conscience is beginning to focus on the phenomenon of the continuous and systematic rape to which women and children migrants are
L’Osservatore Romano – Women Building Churches
Women Building Churches - July 2017 One stone after another, lifted with bare hands to reach the slopes of Potosí. So it was that a group of 50 small women, all of them with black
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.