Catholic Women

You are powerful beyond words, because you threaten to unravel the control of corrupt men who abuse their authority.

I believe in exacting change from the inside out by trying to make things better rather than abandoning them. But unless I can find a way to express my opposition to all forms of bigotry within the confines of my Church, I'm going to have to sit that pew out.

What's at stake here is not just contraceptive coverage but the value that Catholic institutions place on women's lives. My experiences, and those of my students, make clear that contraception bans will have far-reaching and damaging implications for female students.

All institutional power in the official Church is held by ordained men. These men seem to believe that protecting the institution requires that they demand absolute unity of doctrine and unquestioning obedience to their own decisions.

The Vatican is losing the war of public opinion in the pews. It needs to flex its muscles. It needs to create fresh fear.

-- The Vatican orthodoxy watchdog announced Wednesday a full-scale overhaul of the largest umbrella group for nuns in the United States, accusing the...

The Vatican claims that a translation more faithful to the original Latin is needed. Is this the real reason for this disruption? I don't think so.

...

(Reuters) -- Some 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women have used contraceptive methods banned by the church, research published on Wednesday...

As more and more cases of child abuse and cover-up emerge and the church escalates actions aimed at controlling women -- and not just Catholic women -- the all-male hierarchy finds itself in the midst of an unprecedented crisis.

The pimping of children and the readiness to sacrifice them on the altar of Vatican public relations, the fear and distrust of women, and the compulsory celibacy for priests -- are all interrelated.

Cantalamessa talked about the need to end violence against women, which is crucial, but he did so without any acknowledgment of the Church's own culpability in the abuse, endangerment, and intimidation of women.