Pageantry, suspense, and fascination with moral authority give papal elections irresistible media appeal. Between the death of one pope and the election of his successor the eyes of the world are riveted on the Vatican. But without television spots, rancorous debates, and savage campaigning, how will the next pope be chosen? Neither Scripture nor the … Read more
Some people have said glibly that the pope simply cannot teach ex cathedra regarding the ordination of women to the priesthood. It seems to me, however, that the question cannot be dismissed quite so offhandedly. From a close reading of the apostolic letter Ordinato Sacerdotalis a good argument can be made that John Paul II … Read more
In a society characterized by a sexual revolution, it should not be surprising that the Catholic Church has something to say. The Bible itself lays the groundwork for how we are to live our sexuality. God created us male and female and ordered us to be fruitful and multiply. But, until recently, what it means … Read more
In a recent address, Fr. William Byron, president of the Catholic University of America, was reported as saying that “Theology professors must explain and not proclaim the faith.” In his desire to distinguish catechesis from theology, he noted that university-level theology should “presuppose an earlier proclamation of the faith.” In our present situation the distinction … Read more
Marian Feminism Although I agree with the subtitle of J. Michael Miller’s article on Mariology and feminism in the September issue of Crisis (“Reconsidering Mary: Feminist Criticism Deserves a Response”), I agree only partially with the response he gives. Let me say at the outset that I still consider myself a feminist, even though modern … Read more
Does Catholic veneration of Mary serve, as Elizabeth Schussler-Fiorenza says, to “deter women from becoming fully independent and whole human persons”? Patricia Noone likewise asks whether Mary is “a Trojan horse raised to ambush women’s aspirations for personhood, human dignity, and co-responsibility for the Church and society.” Do the “signs of the times” demand that … Read more