The Latest on Women Cardinals

A reader writes:

Hi, Mark! I’ve followed with interest your discussions about the Possibility of women cardinals, and my Mark just stumbled upon this article this evening. The title belies that intriguing third paragraph quote – seems to be Vatican code for “It’s going to happen, but don’t rush us.” I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Beats me. The ways of romanitas are beyond my ability to parse. Que sera sera. I don’t much care whether it happens or not. My principal reason for posting on it is so that *if* it happens, people don’t freak out and imagine it’s the end of the world or the Dawn of NewChurch. All it will mean is that a bureaucratic system of entirely human origin–like a parish finance council–will now include women. It will not, in the slightest, mean a change in apostolic tradition. Both Progressive and Reactionary dissenters will, most assuredly, put precisely that spin on it, as is their custom. That’s because both of them, for opposite reasons, are hostile to the actual teaching of the Church. My goal is to tell ordinary Catholics not to listen to the NewChurch blather from the Left or the Chicken Little hysterics from the Right should the Church ever get around to doing this. Till then, I’m not super-interested in whether the hierarchy pursues this. For now, it looks like not. Fine by me. Whatever.