Richard Sipe Predicts Clerical Reform. In a wide ranging article, an international expert on clergy sex abuse, Richard Sipe, sees convincing evidence of movement toward reform of clerical  system: "The international importance of  Archbishop Zollitsch's public stance is impossible to overestimate. It, along with Cardinal Christopher Schönborn's recommendation that the Vatican conduct an 'unflinching study' of the causes of clergy sexual abuse including 'mandatory celibacy, personality development and seminary education' indicates the inexorable direction of clerical reform."  Read more...

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New! FC E-Postcard For Women Deacons  Just before Christmas, Pope Benedict made changes in canon law that, according to female diaconate expert, Dr. Phyllis Zagano, "may have ended the controversy over whether women can be ordained deacons." FutureChurch has added an electronic postcard asking to open the permanent diaconate to women to our international our So All Can Be At the Table initiative. Read more and send a postcard

Evanston Parish Explores Women Deacons. The pastor of an Evanson, IL  parish, the Rev. Bill Tkachuk, is raising the question if women can become deacons. His parish,St. Nicholas, has been discussing the topic for months, and a long-time female member has expressed interest in becoming a deacon should the Vatican open up the option to women.  Read more

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Why Stay in a Corrupt Church? When the public face of the Church shows itself to be uncaring and corrupt, the question more and more Catholic men, women and youth ask themselves is, "Why stay?" For increasing numbers, the answer is to go.... Yet, the majority of Catholics, as the majority of priests, will not leave the Catholic Church, even though they may do what in years past was unthinkable, deeply consider leaving. What will keep them in?  Read more..

John Paul II Bishops: The Real Reason for Church Polarization. Writing in the National Catholic Reporter, the former chair of the Theology Department at the University of Notre Dame Fr. Richard Mcbrien had this to say "...if there is any single reason why polarization exists in the Catholic Church today it is because of the type of bishops whom John Paul II appointed and promoted within the hierarchy over the course of his 26 and a half years in office. Any other explanation of the polarization that now afflicts the Church is simply naive." Read more... Read more...

Minneapolis-St. Paul to Downsize 21 Parishes, Cluster 33. Parishioners in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis St. Paul learned from the news media that their diocese will downsize by 21 parishes under a new strategic plan to be implemented over the next several years.Read more

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Albany diocese challenges tax of closed churches Albany civic officials want to tax churches after they've been closed for a year. "A church can be deemed taxable by the assessor if the church is not being used for purposes of the religious organization," according to state Tax Department spokesman Geoff Gloak. But the Roman Catholic Diocese  of Albany has launched a legal challenge. "As municipalities and counties become desperate for tax revenues, they begin to look at nonprofits," said Dennis Proust, a spokesman for the New York State Catholic Conference. The conference has joined with other nonprofit organizations to oppose taxing their properties. Read more...

Vigiling Boston Parishioners Appeal to Pope. A group of Roman Catholics asked Pope Benedict XVI to reverse the decision by the Boston Archdiocese to close their churches, which sparked a six-year fight and several round-the-clock parishioner vigils. Peter Borre, of the Council of Parishes, walked through the bronze gate at Vatican City on Tuesday, October 19 and delivered the long-shot appeal to a Vatican guard on behalf of nine closed parishes.

Borre all but dismissed chances for "a miraculous Hollywood ending," but said the appeal was important as a final recourse within the church and to perhaps make space for negotiations that could prevent protesting parishioners from forming breakaway groups.

"It's not an idle threat," Borre said. "It's a likely development in at least a couple cases." Read more

At his September 8, General Audience Pope Benedict spoke about the medieval female theologian Hildegard of Bingen, and took the opportunity to praise women theologians:

"...we see how theology can receive a special contribution from women, because they are capable of speaking of God and of the mysteries of the faith with their specific intelligence and sensitivity".

He encouraged all women "who undertake this service to do so with a profound ecclesial spirit, nourishing their reflections with prayer and looking to the great riches - still partly unexplored - of the mediaeval mystical tradition, especially as represented by such shining examples as Hildegard of Bingen".. Read more

Scaled Down Role for Pope? Vision of a Catholic-Orthodox Union on USCCB website. More autonomy to local and regional bishops, scaled down role for Pope and Roman Curia, dropping the filioque from the Creed:

Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue Lays Out a Vision of Unity in Unprecedented Document (USCCB) 

Celebrating Easter/Pascha Together

Sisters Ask Synod to Promote Women's Dignity Read More

Laywoman new vice president of canon law group; to be president in 2011 Read More

Europeans, Vatican officials dominate new cardinal selections  Read More

Mary Hunt on Cardinal-making  Read More