Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Female Synod advisor appointed by Pope Francis says ‘women deacons’ are a ‘possibility’Maria Lucchetti Bingemer is one of three new consultants for the Synod on Synodality appointed by Pope Francis who have endorsed so-called ‘women deacons.’VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — One of the female advisors appointed to the Synod by Pope Francis has said women deacons are “a possibility.”In an interview with the news outlet of the German bishops, katholisch.de, theology professor Maria Lucchetti Bingemer said that thanks to Pope Francis, “There is already more visibility of women in leadership positions, and this creates an ecclesiological fact: women are...

Pope to appoint women as lectors, catechists at Vatican for second timeThe event is possible due to Pope Francis' 2021 motu proprio, which has been described as ‘a tectonic shift both in theology and in praxis.’Pope Francis receives the cruets from two women during MassVATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis will confer the ministries of lector and catechist to women for the second time, in a Mass to be held at the Vatican this Sunday. In a press release sent out by the Dicastery for Evangelization, the Holy See Press Office announced that the conferral of the two ministries would...

[Catholic Caucus] EWTN’s ‘papal posse’ criticizes Pope’s establishment of yet another female deacon commission Canon lawyer Father Gerald Murray said the new commission shouldn't have been formed since it calls into question the truth that 'women can't be made deacons' April 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – On April 8, Pope Francis announced that he established yet another commission for the study of the female diaconate. The responses to this new initiative are coming in, with “progressive” Catholics along with traditionally-minded Catholics both being critical of it. For the progressivists, the members of the commission – some of whom are expressly against...

President of German Bishops’ Conference signals openness to female ‘deacons’ Bishop Georg Bätzing LIMBURG, Germany, March 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Georg Bätzing, the new president of the German Bishops’ Conference, has signaled that he is open to asking Pope Francis for an indult allowing female “deacons” in Germany. An indult is a special permission granted by the Vatican. In a radio interview on Sunday, Bätzing said he wanted to wait for the Synodal Path to be completed, arguing that a single bishop or even a bishops’ conference would not be able to get an indult from the Vatican. “A...