Author name: Penelope M

What authority does the clerical church have? – 21 April 2026

When Jesus is challenged by the chief priests and elders to prove his authority, he replies with a question — “John’s baptism. Did it come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” Isn’t he saying that the kingdom of God is not about human authority? It’s about the Spirit. He’s asking them, “Was God’s […]

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Conservative minority blocked Synod progress – 17 Feb 2026

When the 2024 Synod on Synodality issued its final document, our Catholic parish council asked my husband and me, as people who had followed it closely, what had changed. We explained that the synodal documents made it obvious a conservative minority had blocked progress. Nonetheless, “co-responsibility” and leadership roles for women were officially recommended. We

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Lay leadership in Leeds – a Root and Branch gathering of green shoots

Revd Ruth Gee, a former president of Methodist Conference at the Open Table at All Hallows Anglican Church, LeedsAll photos by Lisa Loveridge In last Sunday’s readings for Sunday Mass, Jesus tells the religious authorities that all their ‘tradition’ is nothing but human teaching. It does not come from God. And James reminds us that

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