Similar Posts
America Magazine: Roundtable: On gender, the Vatican and academics are talking past each otherAmerica Magazine:
On April 8, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a highly anticipated declaration on the theme of human dignity. To help make sense of this new…
Traditionalists could set up a schismatic church
Sarah McDonald reports in catholicireland.net on the talk given by Gabriel Daly at a recent ‘We Are Church’ function.
“Some powerful traditionalists in the Church are ‘dedicated to obstruction of all reform’ and could force ‘a severe division’ within the Church, even setting up ‘a schismatic Church’, a leading theologian has warned.”Brendan Hoban: Church needs a pope for a changing world
Western People 6.5.2025 Tomorrow, May 7, 2025, of the 252 members of the College of Cardinals, 135 who are under 80 and therefore qualify to vote, will enter the Sistine…
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱
22 Mar 2026 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Following a request from the Holy See, the Bishops of Scotland have been invited to…
Úna Agnew SSL: Contribution to the Communicators for Women Religious Zoom Conference 21 March 2021
Úna Agnew’s contribution to CWR Provision of Service Zoom Conference 20 March 2021 Why I became interested in CWR, Communication for Women Religious I became interested in communication for women…
Francis’ Government: What is the driving force of his pontificate?
This article is recommended by Soline Humbert – “I think it gives a good insight into Pope Francis’ approach to reform.I found it very informative and food for thought, others…

Disappointing that Dermot Farrell still has such a fixed patriarchal view of women in regard to priesthood and that ‘certain pillars’ can’t be changed. He shows a lack of understanding of the movement in the early church that shut out the role of women that Jesus had opened up in his ministry. We need the ‘Syrophoenician woman’ who changed the mindset/ worldview of Jesus to work on Dermot and so many others who have such ‘fixed/ unchangeable’ perspectives.
Roy, I am at the moment reading “Women Remembered. Jesus’ Female Disciples” by Helen Bond and Joan Taylor, both Professors of Christian Origins. Helen lectures at New College here at Edinburgh University and she has previously spoken on this subject at our Edinburgh Newman Association.
This book confirms absolutely that, as you say: “He shows a lack of understanding of the movement in the early church that shut out the role of women that Jesus had opened up in his ministry.”
The section on Mary may prove difficult for some of our flock as the presence of her other children is taken for granted —indeed for all of us who pray our belief in the “ever-virgin” every time we attend Mass.
We have discussed this in the past on this site to no great conclusion.
The stonewalling of the hierarchy is becoming a joke. Seeing women priests in action (and seeing same-sex couples thrive) one is convinced beyond argument that the church attitude to women (as to LGBT folk) is baseless.