Support The Moscow Times!

Women Still Banned

VATICAN CITY () -- A synod of Roman Catholic bishops starting on Sunday is willing to discuss a greater role for women in the Church but a ban on female priests will not be open to debate, a senior Vatican official said on Thursday. The October 2-29 synod will discuss the life of priests, nuns and friars in the modern world.


This past year, the Pope twice forcefully reaffirmed the Church's ban on women priests, saying the ruling was definitive and no longer open to debate in the Church. The Catholic Church says it cannot allow women to become priests because Christ chose only men as his apostles.


Meanwhile, the European Parliament has criticised the Vatican and fundamentalist Moslem states for leading the United Nations population conference debate on abortion "up a blind alley".

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more