deacons
Pope Francis punts on married priests
By Thomas Reese — February 13, 2020
(RNS) — Francis appears to have feared splitting the church over the question of celibacy.
Vatican seeks ‘courageous’ ideas to combat priest shortage
By Nicole Winfield — June 8, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The church appeared to open the door to making official some ministries that women in remote parts of Latin America already perform, including celebrating baptisms.
Top nun pushes for greater role for Catholic women
By David Gibson — May 18, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) “It’s not just a question of feminism, it’s a question of our being baptized, that gives us the duty and the right to be part of the decision-making processes,” said Sister Carmen Sammut.
3 ways Pope Francis’ opening on women deacons can change Catholicism
By David Gibson — May 17, 2016
(RNS) Ordaining women as deacons may, or may not, happen, but the process could have other, maybe unintended, consequences.
US Catholics cautiously hopeful women may one day be deacons
By RNS staff — May 13, 2016
"Any time you begin to break down one barrier, you see others crumble more," said a proponent of women's ordination.
Pope Francis: Let’s study idea of ordaining women as deacons
By David Gibson — May 12, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) "It would do good for the church to clarify this point," the pontiff told nuns who asked whether a historic breakthrough on ordaining women was possible.
Ordain women? Vatican synod gets an unexpected proposal
By David Gibson — October 7, 2015
(RNS) The idea is to ordain them as deacons, not priests. But if the idea floated among 270 leading churchmen flies, it would represent a historic breakthrough for the Catholic Church -- or, perhaps, a return to a New Testament tradition.
Could Pope Francis make women cardinals? A pipe dream, and an opening
By David Gibson — October 17, 2013
(RNS) There’s a saying in the Catholic Church that while only God can create the world, only a pope can create cardinals.
Catholic population surges across the Global South
By Alessandro Speciale — May 13, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) While the number of Catholic priests in the Americas and in Europe is declining compared to the overall Catholic population, those losses were offset by increasing ranks of permanent deacons.
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