Posts in Women
Despite Opposition From Bishops, EU Deems Abortion A ‘Fundamental Right’

Despite opposition from Catholic bishops across the continent, the European Union voted on Thursday to enshrine access to abortion as a “fundamental right” in its charter. The proposal — approved 336 votes for to 163 against — was passed in Brussels with support coming primarily from left-wing and centrist members.

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In Nigeria, A Clergy Rape Survivor Turns Pain Into A Source Of Support For Others

Statistics compiled by Amnesty International show that there is a culture of stigmatization and victim-blaming towards rape survivors in Nigeria. The result is a large percentage of rape and sexual assaults going unreported. One man is trying to change all that by helping others after experiencing abuse himself as a child.

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Why A California Artist Has Made It Her Mission To ‘Paint God’s World’

Maureen Gaffney Wolfson opened The Maureen Gaffney Wolfson Fine Art Gallery in December 2023. Though it may have originated from heartbreak, her paintings are full of color, light, and, perhaps most critically, the divine. “I started painting out of heartbreak,” said Wolfson. “It was therapy for me. Then it became a hobby. Then it became a career.”

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‘Cabrini’ Biopic Visually Stunning (But Largely Boring) Toxic Outrage

(REVIEW) Angel Studios’ latest film “Cabrini” has haunting visuals and solid messages, but can’t seem to care about the real-life people the movie is based on beyond their status of victim or oppressor. The film follows Catholic nun Francesca Cabrini who, after witnessing poverty in the slums of New York, embarks on a daring journey to help hundreds of orphaned children.

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Christian Women Punished For Praying In Nicaraguan Prisons

Christian women wrongfully imprisoned in Nicaragua have been beaten and denied time outdoors for praying aloud with rosaries, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported on March 6.

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Pope Francis Takes On German Bishops Following Synod

(ANALYSIS) Catholics are living in a post-Synod on Synodality church where the debates from the month-long meeting that took place at the Vatican last month continue to reverberate, even with the efforts by Pope Francis to put a lid on news coverage of the discussions and speeches that took place during that event. Europe, in particular, has been the epicenter of the action since that meeting of bishops wrapped up on Oct. 29. 

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The Unheard Voices: Men’s Untold Struggles with Post-Abortion Grief

(OPINION) Men who have been affected by abortion are a neglected voice in the abortion debate. It is an oft-repeated mantra that men need therapy — and new research shows that this may be especially true for men experiencing grief after abortion and disenfranchisement of their pain.  

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Transforming Lives Post-Abortion: A Fresh Take on Healing and Support

(OPINION) The need for after-abortion healing resulted in many groups taking on this critical work in the 1990s. Organizations such as Project Rachel, Rachel’s Vineyard, Forgiven and Set Free, SaveOne and Surrendering the Secret have since helped countless women and men begin their healing journeys.

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Synod On Synodality: How Italy Responded To The Vatican's Proposed Reforms

(ANALYSIS) One of the biggest religion-beat stories of the year is currently playing out, and most people are probably unaware of it due to lack of mainstream news updates. Maybe this story is too Catholic? I say this because the three-year process that began in 2021 known as the Synod on Synodality is reaching its most contentious and potentially dramatic stage.

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What Has Changed In The DNA Of The Southern Baptist Convention?

(OPINION) The issue isn’t who is a Baptist and who is not. Church historians struggle to count the number of organized Baptist groups, and thousands of Baptist churches are totally independent. The question is whether the SBC’s DNA has changed in ways that will affect local churches, as well as agencies, boards and seminaries at the state and national levels.

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Muslim ‘Mother Theresa’ Receives Rare Honor: A Templeton Prize

Edna Adan Ismail sold her car and poured her life savings into turning a former landfill into one of the better hospitals in Somalia that has a fraction of the mortality rates elsewhere in the country. Her Templeton Prize is the latest chapter for one of the most remarkable women on the planet.

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South Africa And The Legacy Of Jackrollers

The gangsterism style of rape dwindled when South Africa gained its freedom on April 27, 1994. Yet, rape is coming to a rise in a different dimension. Many homes are affected by fathers and brothers who are victimizing and raping their own wives, mothers, daughters and sisters. What is now appalling is the reported recurring incidents of rapes that women and children suffer at the hands of some of the clergy. 

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Repressive Enforcement Of Iranian Hijab Laws Constitutes Gender-Based Persecution

(ANALYSIS) On April 14, United Nations experts warned that the repressive enforcement of Iranian hijab laws, as announced by the state authorities, would result in additional restrictive and punitive measures on women and girls who fail to comply with the country’s compulsory veiling laws.

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Shifting Shape To Survive: St. Gertrude’s Monastery Reaches Beyond Sworn Sisters

St. Getrude’s is a Benedictine monastery in rural Idaho that was founded by Swiss nuns in the United States in 1882 and moved to Cottonwood in 1907. Today the property includes the monastery, an inn, a retreat center, gift shop and a chapel.

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Somali Women Recall Pain And Punishment Under Al-Shabaab

‘’The town is free, but my mind is not free, and I am still traumatized and remember the pain and punishment meted on women by al-Shabaab Shariah police,” Suleqha Mahat said. Her story is an example of the kind of displacement and migration experienced by many Somalians forced to leave their home country by radical Islamists.

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How Muslim Women Are Reconciling Gender Justice And Islam

(ANALYSIS) As a Muslim-Pakistani woman who is also a journalist, I find myself unable to turn off from such news. In these cases, what set me off more is that unlike previous instances of violence against women where a certain amount of support and discussion helped me deal with the fear and anger that accompanies such news, Khan’s and Muhammad’s untimely deaths were met with silence. 

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How Easter Eggs Represent Ukrainian Women's Power to Reclaim Religious Freedom

(ANALYSIS) Spiritual motherhood is brought to life through sacred, ancient myths like the Ukrainian women who co-create the world anew each morning through their perpetual creation of pysanky eggs. And particularly now, spiritual mothers like Zielyk are inviting each of us to step into our own individual and collective sacred stories through art, beauty and creativity.

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NCAA Basketball Star Caitlin Clark's Success Rooted In Her Faith And Catholic Education

Everyone now knows what Caitlin Clark can do after her wonderful performances this season — but many schools had seen that potential a few years ago. She was heavily recruited by a number of schools after ESPN rated her one of the nation’s top prospect in 2020 when she was a budding point guard at a Catholic high school in Iowa.

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The Legacy of Buddhist Venerable Master Hsing Yun And Women's Rights

(OPINION) The Venerable Master Hsing Yun died at the age of 95 on the 15th day of Lunar New Year on Feb. 5., after a long life of founding a religious order and elevating the role of women in that same order. He was the founder of the Fo Guang Shan (“Buddha’s Light Mountain”) monastic order, which falls under the branch of Humanistic Chinese Buddhism.

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