A recent Vatican commission report on women's ordination as deacons was inconclusive. But allowing women priests would help the Catholic Church achieve much-needed reform.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Vatican
Displaying 1 - 20 of 33 articles
The Vatican will open its archives on Pope Pius XII next year. An expert explains the papacy of Pope Pius XII and the fear of communism confronting much of the Western world at the time.
While Pope Francis has publicly acknowledged sexual abuse by clergy, the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church still makes it difficult to report and address cases of abuse.
George Pell's conviction has opened a rift in Australian society, with many people questioning the guilty verdict. Pell's lawyer has said he will appeal. On what grounds could he do that?
Australian Catholics are drifting from the church, and research shows sexual abuse scandals are a main reason why.
The Catholic survivor movement in the United States was founded by two women: Jeanne Miller and Marilyn Steffel, in the late 1980s. It has taken close to 30 years for the Vatican to take action.
At times we just don't know what's the right thing to do. St. Ignatius, who founded the Society of Jesus, developed a method of discernment that can be useful even to those who are not religious.
The history of how the Catholic Church has viewed the words of popes.
For scholars, researching the Catholic Church can mean a laborious process involving several years. And talking to survivors of clergy sex abuse can carry its own pain and personal toll.
The Second Vatican Council made many doctrinal changes possible in the Catholic Church. An expert argues why the church needs another such council.
Pope Francis has been accused of a cover-up in the sex abuse scandal involving Theodore McCarrick, a former archbishop. Experts explain why it's hard for the Catholic Church to hold clergy accountable.
An expert explains how a complex set of canon laws and trials are the major obstacle to holding priests accountable. The power to take action is often vested in the Vatican.
Throughout Catholic history, miracles have been attributed to Virgin Mary's power. She is understood to cry not only over the sins of the world, but over the pain she experienced in her earthly life.
The meaning of hell might have changed over the centuries, but for devout Christians it remains a core part of their faith.
Popes are not infallible, yet apologies are rare.
In the '60s, a Roman Catholic religious order, the Immaculate Heart Sisters, created a new vision of a religious community. Meghan Markle, engaged to Prince Harry, attended the high school founded by the nuns.
A scholar explains the long process to sainthood and what Pope Francis' recent order might change.
The GOP was once the political home of anti-Catholicism. And the Vatican, it was believed, would use a Catholic president as a way to meddle in US politics.
What Pope Francis did in his surprise TED talk was to relate the social message of Catholicism to people’s real lives.
The 'apostolic exhortation' calls for greater understanding of divorced couples, but falls short of allowing them a full life within the church.
Top contributors
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Mathew Schmalz is a Friend of The Conversation.Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, Villanova University
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Professor of Theology, Australian Catholic University
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Associate Professor, Adelaide Law School, University of Adelaide
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Timothy W. Jones is a Friend of The Conversation.
Senior Lecturer in History, La Trobe University
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Professor of Evidence Law, University of Sydney
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Director of the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy, University of Divinity
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Lecturer in Ethics & Philosophy, University of Notre Dame Australia
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Associate Professor of Religious History, University of Reading
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Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Professor of history, Queen's University Belfast
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Professor, School of International Relations, University of St Andrews
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Research Fellow, School of International Relations, University of St Andrews
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PhD Candidate, Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies, University of Bath
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Assistant Professor, North American Religious History, Departments of History & American Culture, University of Michigan
