Italian RCC Bishop Speaks Out in Favor of Women's Participation in the Mass
The Archbishop of Modena called for granting women the right to preach and read the Gospel.
The Archbishop of Modena, Erio Castellucci, has proposed introducing the practice of "liturgical co-presiding" into Catholic worship, granting women the right to lead the first part of the Mass and deliver sermons. This is reported by Life Site News.
At a conference in the city of Carpi, the bishop stated that women could take on the Liturgy of the Word, following the example of Mary Magdalene's witness to the Resurrection of the Savior. According to the proposed scheme, male priests would retain only the right to celebrate the Eucharist, while the reading of the Gospel and the instruction of the community would pass to women.
According to him, such an initiative would allow bypassing the "deadlock" that arose due to the Vatican's official refusal to introduce a female diaconate. Castellucci emphasized that supporters of reform are now choosing alternative liturgical proposals in order to avoid theological questions about the male symbolization of Christ during the sacrament. Castellucci's project also provides for the creation of teams of laypeople whose decisions on parish governance are to become binding.
The archbishop's initiative echoes an Italian synodal document that calls for a "profound renewal" of the liturgy and the creation of experimental forms of worship. Previously, Bishop Castellucci had already found himself at the center of scandals due to his support of a blasphemous art exhibition in 2024 and his active promotion of LGBT events in June 2026.
As the UOJ reported, an RCC archbishop in Milan celebrated a Mass for the LGBT community.
