Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo will have much to ponder during his vacation in Castel GandolfoAs Pope Leo XIV arrives in Castel Gandolfo for his summer break, it is unlikely to be a real vacation for the new pontiff.When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected on May 8, it was the post-Easter period in Rome. This, now, is the slow-down time in Rome, since the Vatican almost shuts down after the June 29 celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.Unlike his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo is continuing the tradition of spending the summer in the lakeside town about 15...

[Catholic Caucus] Belgian court rules against 2 Catholic archbishops for refusing woman to enter training for diaconateCardinal Jozef De Kesel and Archbishop Luc Terlinden have both been ordered to pay more than $1,000 in damages for having ‘discriminated’ against a female pastoral worker by refusing her requests to enroll in a training course for future deacons.A district court in Belgium has ruled that two Catholic archbishops must pay damages of more than $1,000 each for refusing to allow a woman to enter training for the diaconate.In a bizarre case, a district court in Mechelen ruled against Cardinal Jozef De Kesel...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope’s cardinal advisers debate women’s role in the Church with Amazon nunVatican City, Apr 28, 2022 / 08:10 amPope Francis’ cardinal advisers heard a testimony from a Franciscan sister from the Brazilian Amazon this week as the council continues to discuss the role of women in the Church.The Holy See press office said on April 28 that the pope met with his council of advisers for a three-day meeting in Rome, which included a report from Sister Laura Vicuña, an indigenous woman and religious sister, who offered “a pastoral perspective” on the topic of women in the Church.Vicuña...

German diocese has women preaching at Mass as part of ‘week of action’ The Catholic Church generally forbids anyone but an ordained man (a priest or a deacon) to preach homilies. OSNABRÜCK, Germany, September 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In an apparent violation of Church law, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of the German diocese of Osnabrück is allowing women to preach during Holy Mass, as part of the upcoming “week of action” entitled “Women proclaim the Word.” Inga Schmitt works for the diocese in the area of communication of the faith. In an interview published by the diocesan website, she explained that...