Category: Diocese of Scranton News

(OSV News) – While the religiously unaffiliated are on the rise globally, something curious is also happening: Some dioceses have reported significant upticks in adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter.

Sherry Anne Weddell, the co-founder and executive director of the Catherine of Siena Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and an expert in Catholic evangelization, said that the “high point” of adult Catholics joining the Catholic Church in the U.S. was in 1999, with 172,000 adult baptisms and receptions.

“And then there was just a steady sort of decline,” she said.

That has since changed.

“There was significant growth between 2023 and 2024,” she told OSV News. And while the data for 2025 and 2026 have yet to be published, “the numbers that are being reported are getting bigger and bigger.”

The 2024 Official Catholic Directory reported that in 2023, 619,775 people entered the Catholic Church in U.S. Latin-rite dioceses. Of those, 77.6% were infant baptisms, 9.5% were baptisms of minors, 4.8% (29,752) were adult baptisms, and 8.1% (50,490) were receptions into full communion from another Christian tradition, which could include adults or minors.

In 2024, adult baptisms and receptions (adults and minors) increased again to 34,552 and 55,453, respectively, according to the 2025 Official Catholic Directory.

This year, the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, is among dioceses reporting an uptick in Catholic conversions, with 1,701 individuals preparing to join the Church — a 30% increase since 2025, a 48% increase since 2024 and a 72% increase since 2023. Of those, 645 catechumens will celebrate the sacraments of baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist during the Easter Vigil on April 4 –a 14% rise since 2025, a 41% rise since 2024 and a 75% rise since 2023.

Father Armand Mantia, the archdiocese’s director of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — the Catholic adult initiation process — says the Church’s lasting stability contributes to the rising numbers.

“In this nebulous world of gray, the Catholic Church has offered some black and white,” he said. “They see in the Catholic Church a consistency in teaching, a consistency in values, a historical provenance and scriptural providence to what we’re doing.”

In Ohio, the Diocese of Cleveland has more than doubled its OCIA “class” since 2023. In Virginia, the Diocese of Richmond is touting a “record” 900 to be baptized at Easter. In Indiana, the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend held its 2026 Rite of Election outside its cathedral — in a larger parish church — to also accommodate growing numbers.

In the Archdiocese of Boston, more than 680 catechumens plan to join the Church at Easter, an increase from last year’s 450, and previous years’ average of 250-300. Boston Archbishop Richard G. Henning “has been saying that there’s some sort of revival,” said Patrick Krisak, the archdiocese’s director of faith formation and missionary discipleship.

“There may not be a revival across the country, but there are revivals,” he said. “And at what point do all of those pockets of revival that we’re seeing all over the country add up to a revival?”

Krisak cited liturgy, certainty amid change and moral leadership as possible attractions. There is also old-fashioned rebellion, he said.

“There’s also the sense in which generations like to be countercultural,” he said. “If you’re rebelling against the folks who rebelled against the establishments, then you’re in some sense perhaps turning back to some aspects of the establishment.”

In the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, the one of the largest OCIA groups in recent memory attended this year’s Rite of Election, where catechumens present themselves to their local bishop as they begin their final preparations to join the Church.

The rise began in 2023, when the number was about 700. That grew to 1,000 the following year, then 1,200, and this year to 1,700 registered.

Last year, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample told the new converts it was their turn to bring someone to the Church. It appears to have made an impact, Father Randy Hoang, the Portland Archdiocese’s assistant director of the Office of Divine Worship, told OSV News.

“We are witnessing a broader renewal among our people,” he said. “Many are beginning to live what was once a largely private faith more openly in daily public life, and that witness is now bearing fruit.”

In the Archdiocese of Denver, catechumens jumped from 669 in 2022 to 936 in 2024. Andrew McGown, the archdiocesan executive director of mission and evangelization, said the Denver Archdiocese has indeed “seen a statistical increase, but when you average that out around our 120 pastorates, it’s really only three people per parish more than we had three years ago — so it’s not staggeringly larger numbers.”

However, he added: “What I know is happening in our parishes is that we have a considerably larger amount of energy being put into trying to offer programs, initiatives, events that are geared towards those who are not in the community.”

Several of the diocesan representatives who spoke with OSV News noted that their increased OCIA numbers are not attributable to a post-COVID postponement of sacraments, as that time has passed.

Catholic ministries on college campuses are reflecting growth as well. St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University brought 70 people into the Church this past November, while at the University of Notre Dame, 125 new Catholics — the largest group there in at least 25 years — received the sacraments last Easter. This year, Notre Dame expects to surpass that number with 163 catechumens and candidates.

This past semester, Arizona State University’s Newman Center welcomed 52 students into the Church, and they are expecting 50 more for the 2026 Easter Vigil. The previous record for any year was 39 in 2019. Ben Power, the OCIA coordinator at ASU’s Newman Center, attributes that growth to “relationships and communities that are being built and spread across ASU’s campus.”

Reports of more adults joining the Catholic Church “is true not just in the U.S., but in significant parts of Europe,” Weddell said.

The Archdiocese of Paris will welcome 788 converts this Easter, its largest group ever. The Archdiocese of Westminster, England, reported its highest number of converts since 2011 and a 60% increase from 2025 to 2026. Dioceses in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands have also reported increased numbers of people joining the Church in recent years.

In the United States, some 92% of Catholics are “cradle Catholics” — people who say they were raised Catholic and also say they are Catholic when asked about their religion today. The remaining 8% are converts to Catholicism.

“What if, instead of 8 or 9%, we went to 20%?” asked Weddell. “It changes the dynamic.”

“Traditionally, almost all Catholics were cradle Catholics,” she explained. “We could be moving into a new kind of American Catholic culture, in which intentional Catholicism is much more common than inherited Catholicism.”

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, a national, nonprofit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church at Georgetown University, counseled that reports of increased numbers of converts are still at this point anecdotal. The nation’s nearly 200 dioceses and archdioceses will not begin formally reporting 2025 sacramental data until early 2026, and those figures will only be publicly available with the release of the 2026 Official Catholic Directory later this year.

And yet, “There’s this growth in the numbers,” affirmed Weddell, who visits dioceses from coast to coast. “Many of the parishes I’ve talked to say, ‘Yeah, we’re seeing it — in our own small way.'”

(OSV News) – One by one, inside the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart March 16, a flock of priests gently patted the pall atop the casket as they descended from the altar following the funeral Mass for legendary football coach Lou Holtz.

The gentle yet firm sign of respect, which invoked an image of a heavenly high five, seemed most appropriate given the life Holtz had led.

However, as Notre Dame’s president, Holy Cross Father Robert Dowd, told the packed basilica, football stood yards behind Holtz’s most important legacy.

“We are here to commend to God a man who was a Hall of Fame football coach, a United States Medal of Freedom recipient, one of the most inspiring speakers of his generation, a man of remarkable wit who appeared regularly on late-night television shows, and, in his later years, a celebrated sports commentator,” Father Dowd said. “That was the Lou Holtz the world knew, and all the accolades are justified.

“Today, however, in this funeral Mass, I want to speak about another side of Lou Holtz that was not always on public display. I will speak of a man of faith whose faith guided his life; a man of love who showed that love to everyone he encountered; and a man committed to excellence not just for himself, but for everyone around him.”

Holtz, described as a motivator, taskmaster and perfectionist, championed his Catholic faith both privately and publicly. He died March 4 in Orlando, Florida, after more than a month in hospice care. He was 89.

One of the most decorated college football coaches of all time, Holtz completed a career of more than five decades with 249 victories, a national championship during his 11 years at Notre Dame, numerous prestigious awards, and the distinction of being the only coach to lead six programs to bowl games and four programs to top-15 final rankings.

Father Dowd painted a human portrait of a man who grew up in Ohio during the Depression yet rose to uncommon heights in the game he loved.

“My intention today is not to paint a halo around Lou’s head and gloss over his faults,” Father Dowd said. “Lou’s tough love was indeed genuine and deep love. He wanted you to be the very best version of yourself and refused to accept anything less.”

Father Dowd spoke about Holtz’s generosity. He would travel to help former players build businesses and, with his late wife, Beth, supported the South Bend Center for the Homeless and the Lou and Beth Holtz Homeless Center in Columbia, South Carolina.

Liz Holtz told Father Dowd that she recalled her father approaching panhandlers in cities not with spare change, but with encouragement and support.

“Rather than simply handing over spare change, Lou would give the person a vintage Lou Holtz pep talk about cleaning up, getting some new clothes and getting their life back,” Father Dowd said. “And then he would give them $200 to help them do just that.”

Holtz, who attended daily Mass regardless of schedule, lived the Gospel message.

“‘I give you a new commandment,’ Jesus told us. ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Lou’s daily effort to put that into practice grew out of a faith that was the center of his life.”
Faith and prayer, said Father Dowd, were not “additions” to Holtz’s life. “They were its foundation,” he said. “They made him the man he was.”

Family was “the anchor of his life,” Father Dowd said, his “most cherished and indispensable team.” Beth, his wife of 59 years, was his “partner, confidante, counselor, the love of his life. It could not always have been easy to be married to someone with Lou’s charisma, drive and uncompromising commitment to excellence. Beth’s calm, prayerful, steady, strong demeanor was the perfect match.

“Lou Holtz made people around him better,” Father Dowd added. “Beth Holtz made Lou better.”

Echoing his father’s legacy, his son Skip — one of seven pallbearers — delivered a eulogy.

“For 89 years, he had the opportunity to live his ‘dash,'” Skip said. “He was a complicated man. I think everybody in this church maybe has seen a different side of him. As his children, we’ve seen them all — and I mean all of them. He was complicated, yet he was simple. He was old school. He believed that circumstances don’t define who you are — but choices do.”

Skip admired how his father embodied Notre Dame’s values.

“He loved his family,” he said, referring to his four children, nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and late wife. “He was an author of five books … served in the Army … a builder.

“If he were a shoe salesman, he would fit everybody in this church with a size 24 DD, because he believed you could grow into it.”

PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, Pope Leo XIV will be honored in the nation’s former capital of Philadelphia for his efforts to promote religious liberty as well as freedom of expression and conscience.

The National Constitution Center will bestow its Liberty Medal on Pope Leo July 3 during a public ceremony outside its location at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, part of Independence National Historical Park, home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding.

Following the ratification of the Constitution, Philadelphia was the nation’s capital from 1790 until 1800, when that designation was transferred to Washington.

Established in 1988 to mark the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and hosted by the center since 2006, the Liberty Medal honors both individuals and organizations “who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe,” said the National Constitution Center in its press release.

The center — a private nonprofit that promotes constitutional education and civic debate — announced its decision March 16, noting that the ceremony will take place amid the Independence Week events set to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The pope is set to deliver live acceptance remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to in-person attendees and online at the center’s website.

Vince Stango, the center’s interim president and CEO, described Pope Leo as a “consistent advocate for religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and human dignity.”

“In formal Vatican statements and public addresses, His Holiness has affirmed that peace cannot exist without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression, principles that closely align with constitutional protections guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Stango said in a statement.

In its release, the center also noted that since his May 2025 election, the pope “has made interfaith and ecumenical dialogue a defining priority of his pontificate, engaging leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other religious communities to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.”

“His outreach reflects a broader moral vision that frames religious liberty not as an abstract right, but as a lived expression of human dignity, particularly for marginalized communities, including religious minorities and those affected by conflict,” said the center.

“As the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV brings a distinctive perspective shaped by democratic ideals and a lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue,” it added.

Pope Leo is only the second religious leader to receive the award, preceded by 2015 recipient the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Other past recipients include Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Senator John McCain, U.S. Representative John Lewis and human rights advocate Malala Yousafzai.

The Liberty Medal is typically accompanied by a prize sponsored by philanthropists Ira Lubert and Pamela Estadt, with contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

In a statement to OSV News, the center confirmed that the medal “traditionally includes a $100,000 prize,” adding that “the Holy See has not yet indicated how it may be used.”

“Any decisions regarding the prize will be made by the Vatican, and we will share additional information when it becomes available,” the center told OSV News.

A statement in the center’s press release attributed to the Holy See Press Office said Pope Leo was “deeply grateful” for the award during “such a meaningful anniversary for the American people, as they are called to reflect on the 250 years of their history holding the Constitution of the United States and Liberty as hallmarks of their heritage for future generations.”

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and condemned the “atrocious violence” of the U.S.-Israeli-led war on Iran, which has spread across the region.

After praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square March 15, the pope expressed his alarm about the deteriorating situation in Lebanon and called for “lasting solutions to the serious ongoing crisis for the common good of all Lebanese people.”

“In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: Cease fire! Let the paths of dialogue be reopened,” he said.

As the conflict enters its third week, Tehran accused the United States of launching attacks from the United Arab Emirates, further escalating tensions that have sent global oil prices into a volatile spiral.

According to a March 15 report by The Associated Press, President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. “obliterated” military sites on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the country’s oil infrastructure could be the next target if interference with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continues.

In response, Iran threatened to retaliate against U.S.-linked energy assets across the region, while Trump has called on international allies to deploy warships to secure the vital waterway, which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Pope Leo’s appeal for peace, particularly in Lebanon, comes after the recent death of Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi, who was killed March 9 after sustaining wounds from Israeli tank fire on a house in Qlayaa, a village in southern Lebanon.

“Thousands of innocent people have been killed, and many others forced to abandon their homes,” the pope told the faithful. “I renew my prayerful closeness to all those who have lost their loved ones in the attacks, which have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas.”

Calling the escalating conflict in Lebanon “a matter of great concern,” the pope appealed for an end to the war and for those involved to return to the negotiating table for the sake of the people.

“Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people await,” Pope Leo said.

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV moved into his new apartments at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace March 14, the Holy See Press Office announced that afternoon in Rome. Pope Leo’s new quarters include several rooms, among them the private study — where the pope appears at the window to lead the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square every Sunday — a library and a small chapel. According to Italian media, the apartment also includes a home gym.

With Pope Leo’s return to the Apostolic Palace, his rooms will be different from those of Pope Benedict XVI, the last pope to live in that space. Instead of occupying the traditional papal living quarters, Italian media has reported that Pope Leo will live in a loft, or attic, above the “Third Loggia,” or top floor, of the building. Vatican media has reported that Pope Leo will live with his private secretaries, Msgr. Edgard Rimaycuna and Father Marco Billeri.

Pope Leo’s choice to live in the Apostolic Palace marks a change from his immediate predecessor and a return to more than 100 years of tradition. Pope Francis lived his entire pontificate in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse, formally known as the Domus Sanctae Marthae, preferring to be residing within a larger community.

Pope Leo’s move takes place after months renovation at the Apostolic Palace — and accompanying speculation — during which the Holy Father continued to live at his apartment at the Vatican’s Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio, where he had already been residing while serving as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

In 1903, St. Pius X became the first pope to live in the apartments overlooking St. Peter’s Square. The apartments were completely remodeled by Pope Paul VI in 1964 and have undergone smaller modifications by each pope since, according to “Mondo Vaticano,” a Vatican-published mini-encyclopedia about Vatican buildings, offices and tradition.

On May 11, 2025, Pope Leo removed the seals that had been placed on the door of the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace on April 21, following the death of Pope Francis.

In St. Peter’s Square on the evening of March 14, it was business as usual as tourists milled around taking in the sights — mostly unaware that a major shift in the life of the pope was happening nearby. A group of Romans who learned from OSV News that the pope was moving into the apostolic palace that day were very excited to hear the news.
And though Pope Leo’s bedroom — for reasons of security and privacy — won’t be as public as that of his predecessors, a small light in the palace was visible from the square — an indicator that the space officially is in use once again.

Vatican News, Catholic News Service and Paulina Guzik, OSV News international editor, contributed to this report.

ROME (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV has highlighted how St. Joseph, who is never directly quoted in the Bible, is an example for Christians of the importance of “being present.”

In a speech March 12, one week before the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph, Pope Leo reflected on Jesus’ foster father’s exemplary role as a responsible guardian for the Holy Family.

“This is exactly what Saint Joseph did in caring for the family entrusted to him by the Lord,” Pope Leo told participants in an Italian conference promoting a culture of solidarity and hospitality.

“In him we recognize that welcoming is not only presence, but also guardianship. Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices and caring for them.”

The pope noted that this posture of watchful care reflects the very nature of God, who Scripture presents as the tireless guardian of his people, echoing the words of Psalm 121, which describes the Lord as one who never slumbers in his watch over Israel.

“Joseph shows us that presence and guardianship are inseparable dimensions,” the pope said. “It is not possible to guard without being present, and one is not present without assuming responsibility for the other.”

Pope Leo turned to the Gospel of Luke, recalling the moment when Mary and Joseph lost the child Jesus and spent three anxious days searching for him before finding him in the Temple, saying this “teaches us that the presence of the other is not automatic, but the result of constant searching.”

“It has happened to each of us to lose someone or something we were very attached to. At that moment, we realized how precious that presence was,” he said.

The same dynamic, he explained, can play out in the interior life. “We take for granted the presence of Jesus in our existence, until unexpectedly it seems that He is no longer where we left Him. We feel a sense of loss.”

“In reality, it is not He who is lost, but we who have strayed. When this happens, we are called to seek him with confidence, with the courage to travel unexplored paths, looking at the world with new eyes, filled with hope. In this way, we will stop looking for a God who suits us and instead encounter Him where He dwells,” Pope Leo said.

The pope spoke in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace with participants in the “Cattedra dell’Accoglienza,” a cultural and educational event organized in collaboration with Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University and held in Sacrofano, a town north of Rome.

Pope Leo encouraged the participants in the conference “to continue to create environments capable of promoting goodness and fraternity in the Christian community and in society.”

“Cultivate the charism of welcome by listening to the Holy Spirit, whose fruit, as Saint Paul tells us, “is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22),” he said.

“May Mary Most Holy and Saint Joseph watch over you and intercede for you.”

DUSHORE — The Altar & Rosary Society of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish invites all area faithful to participate in a special Lenten retreat, “A Day of Grace: In Honor of Our Lady,” on Saturday, March 14, to be hosted at the parish worship site of Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Mildred.

Offered as an opportunity for spiritual renewal during Lent, the day of prayer, reflection, and sacramental grace will be led by Capuchin Franciscan Father Pio Mandato and the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth.

The mission retreat, commemorating the special Jubilee Year of Saint Francis, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, will focus on prayer and sacraments to align with the spirit and intentions of the Jubilee Year.

The retreat day opens at 8:30 a.m. with registration in Saint Francis church hall, followed by recitation of the Rosary, celebration of Mass, and guest presentation in the church. A light lunch will be provided in the hall.

The afternoon portion of the retreat will offer adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacrament of Reconciliation, additional reflection, and benediction with the relic of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.

All faithful are welcome free of charge; a free-will offering will be accepted.

Pre-registration is requested for planning purposes. For reservations, call Karen at (570) 637-6607.

 

SCRANTON – The annual Saint Patrick’s Parade Day Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

All are welcome to attend.

The liturgy is traditionally held in conjunction with the city of Scranton’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Following the Mass, the Saint Patrick’s Parade is expected to take to the streets of the Electric City beginning at 11:45 a.m.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant for the Mass. Various priests from the Diocese of Scranton are expected to concelebrate.

The Mass will be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton due to the generosity of the Society of Irish Women.

It will also be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton YouTube channel and website. Links to view the Mass will also be shared on all of the Diocese of Scranton social media platforms.

The Mass will be rebroadcast several times the following week, including Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18.

Among the other local organizations that participate in the annual Saint Patrick’s Parade Day Mass are the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, Irish American Men’s Association, Irish Cultural Society, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Saint Patrick’s Parade Association of Lackawanna County.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., announced March 11 he has introduced legislation in the Senate that would ban mifepristone, a drug commonly, but not exclusively, used for first trimester abortion.

The Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, if enacted, would revoke the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.

However, the path forward for the legislation was not clear, as President Donald Trump indicated as a candidate for president in 2024 he would veto a national abortion ban if one reached his desk. Abortion restrictions have failed to gain traction in Congress since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned its previous precedent that held abortion as a constitutional right.

“We’ve known for years that mifepristone is risky, but it’s really just in the last few years that we’ve learned this drug is inherently dangerous, and it’s inherently prone to abuse,” Hawley said in remarks at the Capitol March 11.

Proponents of the drug argue it is statistically safe for a woman to take, and attempts to restrict it are an attempt to ban abortion outright. In contrast, opponents argue there are significant risks to those who take it, particularly outside of medical settings, in addition to ending the life of an unborn child.

Hawley argued, “Only Congress can address this situation.”

“Only Congress can withdraw the FDA approval rendered way back in the Clinton administration for this drug that has proved to be inherently dangerous and inherently prone to abuse. Only Congress can act,” he argued.

FDA officials pledged mifepristone would undergo a safety review. However, the status and timeline of the FDA’s review is unclear.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asked multiple judges to pause state lawsuits seeking to roll back Biden administration-era eased restrictions on mifepristone, arguing those court cases would interfere with its review. In one such filing in Louisiana, the Justice Department said such reviews often take one year.

The FDA also recently approved a new generic form of the drug.

Mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in a medication-based abortion, was approved by the FDA in 2000, and gained the moniker “the abortion pill.” Medication abortions, sometimes called chemical abortions, account for the majority of abortions in the U.S., according to multiple studies.

Pro-life opponents of mifepristone have pushed the Trump administration to roll back eased restrictions on the drug implemented by the Biden administration. Over a year into Trump’s second term, the Trump administration has thus far left that regulation in place.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death and, as such, opposes direct abortion. Church leaders have called for restricting mifepristone’s use in abortion, while noting that the drug’s more recent usage in medical protocols for miscarriage care, where an unborn child has passed away of natural causes, would be a morally legitimate scenario.

ROME (OSV News) – The Vatican has published the final report of the synod study group examining women’s participation in the Church, which calls for expanded roles for women in Church governance and leadership in roles not including ordained ministry.

The 75-page document, published in English and Italian on March 10, discusses women’s leadership in the Church, but not the specific question of a possible female diaconate.

It is the third of 15 final reports expected from the study groups of the Synod on Synodality in the coming weeks. Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, has characterized these reports as “working documents” which will be used to form proposals submitted to the pope for consideration.

— A ‘charismatic path’ for women

In the document, the study group calls for “new spaces” for women to exercise leadership in evangelization and administration in collaboration with ordained ministers.

“Alongside the sacramental path and distinct from it, there is also a charismatic path that can be fruitfully pursued to open new spaces of participation for the lay faithful, particularly for women,” it states. “It follows that even in the exercise of governance within a Diocese, opportunities of this kind may arise and should be employed.”

The report argues that laywomen possess distinct charisms from the Holy Spirit that demand recognition.

“Today laywomen have the right to affirm their participation in the mission of the Church not only on the basis of their equal human and Christian dignity but also on the basis of the charisms given by God,” it says.

“A new evangelization has become urgent,” it adds, “One that depends less exclusively on priestly resources and is enriched by the presence and contributions of women.”

— ‘New forms of exercising authority’

The synod study group calls for theology and canon law to “explore new forms of exercising authority grounded in the Sacrament of Baptism and distinct from those deriving from Holy Orders, so that adequate canonical forms may be found to make effective the participation of women in roles of leadership within the Church.”

“There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church,” the report states.

The document also recommends a “reformulation of the areas of competence of the ordained ministry,” suggesting that redefining those boundaries “could open the way to recognize new spaces of responsibility for women in the Church.”

— Female diaconate not addressed

Notably, the report does not address the specific question of a possible female diaconate, a controversial topic of debate within the Synod on Synodality. During the second session of the synod, Pope Francis reactivated a commission studying women’s access to the diaconate under Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi. That commission’s conclusions, published in December 2025, stopped short of recommending the female diaconate but approved by a wide margin a proposal to broaden women’s access to instituted ministries, like that of catechist.

— The Virgin Mary as a model

Drawing on Scripture and Church tradition, the report invokes both the Virgin Mary and St. Mary Magdalene as paradigms for female authority in the Church.

“Mary is the supreme model of the charismatic dimension. Though she does not belong to the hierarchical structure, she possesses within the Church a unique authority and spiritual fruitfulness,” it states.

The document also notes that Christ chose a woman, Mary Magdalene, to first announce the Resurrection, “The Apostles themselves received this proclamation from her.”

— Pope Leo’s appointments of women to Roman Curia

The report outlines appointments made by both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV as evidence that women can and already do lead at the highest levels of the Church.

It cites the Apostolic Constitution “Praedicate Evangelium,” which allows the possibility for a laywomen to head a Vatican dicastery, “depending on the power of governance and the specific competence and function of the Dicastery or Office in question.”

At the same time, the report states that women working in the Roman Curia have indicated “that certain attitudes marked by clericalism persist” in which “women, even in positions of responsibility, sometimes struggle to be involved and listened to on equal footing with male colleagues, particularly in interactions with ordained ministers.”

The study group highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s appointments of Trappistine Mother Martha Elizabeth Driscoll, and Sister Iuliana Sarosi, a member of the Congregation of the Mother of God, as consultors to the Dicastery for the Clergy and of Cristiana Perrella as president of the Pontifical Insigne Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuosi al Pantheon.

The report also cited Pope Leo’s comments in an interview in July 30 in which he said that “the role of women in the Church has to continue to develop” and expressed his intention to continue “in the footsteps of Francis, including in appointing women to some leadership roles at different levels in the Church’s life.”

— Women in the Bible and Church history

The synod final report is organized in three parts. The first recounts the history of the study group and the second offers a “synthesis of the themes” emerging from the synodal process.

The third part is an extensive appendix containing six sections: female figures in the Old and New Testaments; significant women in Church history; contemporary testimonies of women in Church leadership; the Marian and Petrine principles; ecclesial authority; and the contributions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.

Among the examples of women highlighted by the document are St. Catherine of Siena, St. Joan of Arc, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Maria Montessori, and Servant of God Dorothy Day.