Language
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The hidden theology of “our young people now leave us”
What is the spiritual impact on the congregation when children and youth depart for their groups near the beginning of a service? Why are the adults who remain in the main church building typically the ones who are seen to remain in worship and teaching?
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The words we pray shape who belongs in the Church
The language used in Catholic worship is not a neutral tool — it actively shapes who feels seen, welcomed, and addressed by God. When liturgical words no longer resonate with the lived experience of the assembly, the Church’s ability to gather all the baptised is quietly undermined.
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Honest talk can change the world
Habermas’s “ideal speech situation” required that all relevant voices be heard, that the best available argument prevail, and that no coercion — other than the force of a better reason — determine the outcome. It is a vision that many church reformers would recognize immediately.
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Language shapes power: Words matter
Brambilla’s historic appointment is shadowed by a telling detail: an invitation to male-only meetings addressed to her with a masculine title. This slip highlights ongoing resistance to recognising women as equals within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
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