The papacy is an “unbiblical office” and Pope Francis is a heretic, according to Southern Baptist leader Al Mohler. Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., blasted the pope in his May 21 podcast called “The Briefing.”…
Africa’s Catholic bishops reject Vatican doctrine on blessing same-sex couples
A rebellion against Pope Francis is brewing in Africa. On Jan. 11, African Catholic bishops, gathered at a conference in Accra, declared the Vatican’s recent proposal to allow priests to offer non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples is contrary to their…
Hope and the pope: Defending LGBTQ people more than our positions
With the pope all over the headlines recently, I decided to do my homework and see what all the buzz was about. I came away fascinated and with renewed hope. Since being elected in 2013, Pope Francis has advanced respect…
Pope Francis vs. John Piper: Two views of ‘masculinizing’ the church
“One of the great sins we have had is ‘masculinizing’ the church,” Pope Francis admitted to the International Theological Commission last month in what could potentially become the most impactful theological repentance of the year. “Women have a capacity for…
Some traditionalist bishops revolt after Vatican allows ‘blessing’ same-sex couples
Pope Francis may have authorized non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, but not everyone in the Catholic hierarchy is going along. Traditionalist bishops, particularly in Africa and Asia, already are revolting and defying the pope’s supposedly unquestionable authority. In a recent…
Vatican’s new stance on blessing same-sex couples draws praise and ire
This week’s bombshell announcement from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that Catholic priests may now use their discretion to bless individuals in same-sex relationships and others in “irregular situations” has sparked intense debate and varied reactions…
Vatican declaration approved by Pope Francis allows priests to bless same-sex couples, but not marriages
Less than a week before Christmas, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a theological declaration approved by the pope allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. The document, titled Fiducia supplicans, outlines “the pastoral meaning of…
She was the only Baptist and only woman fraternal delegate at a Vatican synod
For two weeks in October, Elizabeth Newman served as the only woman and only Baptist representative to the Vatican’s international Synod on Synodality. One of the many lessons the ethicist and theologian learned in Rome was how to explain to…
Unlike American evangelicals, religious bodies from Quakers to Catholics urge care for Palestinians and Jews alike
As Southern Baptists and other evangelicals rally support for Israel in its retaliatory war with Hamas, they are outliers compared to most other Christian groups in America — from Quakers to Catholics. Other denominations and religious leaders have expressed more…