โA really welcome changeโ: Pope officially expands womenโs roles in Catholic Church
Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, Monday Jan. 11, 2021, while reaffirming they cannot be priests. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, FILE)DETROIT โ The role of women in the Catholic Church is expanding and itโs no longer based on the decision of an individual Bishop. โItโs a really welcome change from the Pope,โ Katie Lacz, of Womenโs Ordination Conference, said. Advocates for gender equality in the Catholic Church are praising the decision by Pope Francis. Pope Francis has now made it canon law.
St John Paul II honored as Poland sees new abuse allegations
FILE - In this 1979 file photo, Pope John Paul II, left, poses with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected Pope on April 19, 2005 and chose Benedict XVI as his papal name. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI is honoring St. John Paul II on the centenary of his birth and floating the idea that he should be called the Great, as only two other popes have been. (AP Photo/File)WARSAW St. John Paul II was honored on the centennial of his birth Monday with special Masses at the Vatican and in his native Poland, an anniversary that comes as the Polish church finds itself confronted by new allegations of clerical sex abuse. Celebrating the memory of Saint John Paul II lets remember this: The Lord loves his people, he visited his people, he sent a shepherd.To Poles, John Paul is best remembered for using the papacy to shake the foundations of an oppressive communist system that was toppled across Eastern Europe 11 years into his papacy. And that issue has also been on people's minds in recent days because of a new documentary exposing alleged sex abuse in Poland's church.
Pope Francis loves nouns but is 'allergic' to adjectives
CNN, Vatican TVVATICAN CITY - The Pope wants us to stop using so many adjectives. In a speech on Monday to the Dicastery for Communications, the Vatican's communications authority, Pope Francis urged people not to describe Christianity with qualifiers and adjectives. "We have fallen into the culture of adjectives and adverbs, and we have forgotten the strength of nouns," he said. The term "Christian" is strong and authentic enough as it is, without the need for adjectives, he said. He's also active on Twitter, and even tweeted out a reminder on Wednesday to "call people by their name, as the Lord does with us, and to give up using adjectives."