Sexuality Policy Watch

Tag Archives: Vatican

This is our second and latest bulletin of 2025. It offers a broad overview of events and trends in gender, sexuality, and abortion policy throughout the year to complement the analysis developed in July that addressed the policies implemented by the Trump’s second administration and the US landscape.

by Sonia Corrêa [1] Anti-gender politics: Why the name and how to define it today? In September 2025, there is little doubt that the relentless

As soon as US-born Robert Prevost was chosen to be the new head of the Catholic Church at a conclave held in May 2025, SPW

English Pope Francis put women on a pedestal, where they could do no harm – Irish Times Pope Francis opened the door to the LGBTQ

Torreciudad, Opus Dei’s Shrine El Papa toma el control de Torreciudad, el ‘santuario’ del Opus Dei fundado por Escrivá de Balaguer – El Diario Conflict

Sonia Corrêa In April 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, the main doctrinal body of the Holy See, published the Declaration Dignitas Infinita. This

by Sonia Corrêa Introduction I was motivated to write this commentary after reading a series of articles that revisit the conditions in which a transnational

>> Read in PDF << Part 2 – Continuing anti-gender offensives Gender politics: good news Inevitably, the political situation described in part 1 of this

In the last Special Issue of last year we did a brief assessment of Vatican politics. Concomitantly, we published an article by the Italian political

2013 SPW Newsletter N.13 – July, 2013 – SPW 2014 Vatican Document: Gays Have ‘Gifts and Qualities to Offer’ Church – NBC News Catholic bishops

Since 2013, Pope Francis I has been making unexpected comments about homosexuality, which usually call for compassion and tolerance. While these speech acts erupt here

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican, A New Alliance Of Global Business Leaders, Launches Today – PR Newswire Council for Inclusive Capitalism launches

By Sonia Corrêa A new encyclical signed by Pope Francis I was published in early October 2020. Entitled Fratelli Tutti, the new papal exhortation was

Vatican says Pope’s comments on same-sex civil unions were taken out of context – CNN Vatican clarifies pope’s comments on homosexual unions – DW Vatican

MAY / JUNE Contesting science and misinformation Ofcom: Christian TV network aired Covid-19 conspiracies – The Guardian Nigerian pastor spread covid-19 conspiracies and disinformation –

Vatican Issues Document During Pride Month Denying Concept Of Gender Identity – NPR LGBTQ Catholics denounce Vatican’s document on gender identity – PBS Vatican rejects

Highlights Algeria and Sudan: A revived Arab Spring? –  Almost six years after the Arab Spring waned under the shadows of the Sissi regime, political

Full text Pope vs. Pope: How Francis and Benedict’s Simmering Conflict Could Split the Catholic Church – Vanity Fair Pope Francis Under Siege by Bannon,

GIFTS Statement on the World Congress of Families – Politesse Feminist resistance against the 2019 WCF: compilation World Congress of Families in Verona: An international

Sexual Scandals Sexual abuse summit Pope Francis describes feminism as ‘machismo with a skirt’ – The Irish Times Pope Francis Disappoints Sex Abuse Victims With

As 2018 reaches its end, SPW publishes a recollection of main events, trends, discoveries and challenges as we start 2019 and prepare for all the

By Jaime Barrientos Chile began 2018 with a visit from Pope Francis. The country still remembered the one paid by John Paul II who, in

After the Pennsylvania Report release Faithful Catholics Respond After Abuse Scandals: Commitments to Change and Belief in Pope Francis – The New York Times Why Changes

In fact, “gender ideology” is an invention of the right. It’s a hodgepodge of disparate ideas developed by a diverse group of thinkers over the past 50 years, linked mainly in the minds of its opponents. It doesn’t really exist beyond its creators’ manifestos and protest banners, but it’s already helped them score some very real victories.

Originally published on Catholics for Choice. Available at: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/news/pr/2016/PopeandPatriarchMisrepresent.asp On his way to Mexico, Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic church, met with Russian

The Synod on Family has ended in October 24 with a final document produced by the bishops gathered at the Assembly called by Pope Francis

Pope Francis’s meeting with Kim Davis disappointed the liberals he courted – The Guardian Vatican: Pope Francis Barely Knew Who Kim Davis Was When He

With his latest comments, Pope Francis has built a shiny new smokescreen to distract from the grave and immoral harms caused by the Vatican’s opposition to abortion and women’s equality.

by Juan Marco Vaggione Since his inauguration as the new pontiff, Bergoglio has generated new complexities for those of us who think that it is

On June 18th, the Vatican launched the encyclical “Laudato Si – On Care for Our Common Home”. The encyclical is the first one to have

Originally published on Rewire on 30/04/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/04/30/pope-francis-call-equal-pay-equal-work-toothless-promising/ by Erin Matson Sadly, the more Pope Francis speaks, the more things stay the same. (Philip Chidell

In January, reproductive rights have invaded the front pages and screens under the impact of Pope Francis’ statementurging the faithful not to reproduce as “rabbits”. 

Originally published on Rewire on 21/01/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/01/21/pope-francis-remarks-birth-control-methods-offend-pro-choice-catholics/ by Martha Kempner January 21, 2015 – 1:15 pm Pope Francis, on his way home from his

In 2007, the Pope’s visit to Brazil mobilized groups in opposition to the Vatican’s moral dogmatism. In support of these groups, SPW, in close collaboration

The Vatican was questioned this week at the UN Committee against Torture in relation to cases of sexual abuse and violence that have been reported

Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) has launched analysis on the role and coordinated actions that Conservative forces played during the 58th Commission on the

Read J. Lester Feder’s article published on Buzz Feed in which the author discusses how “Pope Francis’ softening tone on LGBT issues does not appear to

Read article “Does Pope Francis Have a Woman Problem?”, from the Daily Beast, which points that pope Francis is undoubtedly forward-thinking—except for when it comes

Reality Check brings Adele M. Stan’s article about how Pope Francis “when it comes to inequality of the sexes, enthusiastically embraces Rome’s status quo, using

Human Rights Watch send a letter to Pope Francis asking that Catholic Church  to “condemn violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)

During his apostolic journey to Rio de Janeiro for the 28th World Youth Day, Pope Francis did not repeat the Vatican’s old rhetoric. Instead, he

Pope Francis, once more, came with new remarks on issues related to sexual and reproduticve rights. His messages prompted reaction all over the world. What

SPW Newsletter No. 13 landscapes the implications of the new papacy of Francis the First for the sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America. We invited five SPW partners: Daniel Jones, Diana Maffía and Juan Marco Vaggione, from Argentina; Edgar Ruiz, from Mexico; and Maria José Rosado, from Brazil to share their views on how this political shift at the Vatican will affect sexual politics in the region. We choose three authors from Argentina because we wanted critical assessments made by analysts more closely acquainted with Bergoglio’s trajectory and political style. Edgar Ruiz in his article provides a sweeping view of the new papacy from a wider Latin American perspective, and Maria Jose Rosado’s interview speaks more directly of the Brazilian context including concerns about the papal visit and its potential negative impacts.

Read more on Vatican’s financial scandal.

Maria José Rosado Sociologist. Teacher at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo. She founded the Brazilian NGO Catholics for Free Choice. Her field of

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. Check more information on the agenda regarding the women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health at the Rio+20 Summit.

> To Sinead O’Connor, the pope’s apology for sex abuse in Ireland seems hollow, by Sinead O’Connor at The Washington Post > Should There Be

2.5 Sexuality and religion Vatican: Read the article The Great Catholic Cover-up, by Christopher Hitchens, a columnist for Vanity Fair and the Roger S. Mertz

Read the article “Abortion and Human Rights: the current Brazilian controversy”, by Sonia Corrêa, on the important setbacks in regard to abortion that Brazil has been experiencing in recent years.

In this issue, you find information on the main activities which SPW has been involved since June. The first one is the Latin American Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geoplitics that took place in Rio de Janeiro, in August, and gathered close to 50 researchers and activists to reflect on the sexual political landscape in the region. The other important activity is that SPW’s is involved in the global research EroTICs: Sexuality and the internet – an exploratory research project, organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC WNSP). Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

In the last few months one main legal and policy regression has been registered in relation to legal abortion. Read more about it in the section “Around the world – The abortion front lines” of the Newsletter n.7.

Fourth Session – Sexuality, Religion and Politics Afternoon – August 25, 2009 The last session of the Dialogue, coordinated by Gloria Careaga, started with the

First Session – Sexuality, States and Political Processes Morning—August 24 , 2009 The first session of the Latin American Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics was

In this issue read the first article of a series produced by SPW about the Pope Benedict XVI visit to Brazil on May 2007 and its implications for national political debates on sexuality and human rights. See also the proposal for the SPW participation at the 6th International Conference organized by International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS) and check the suggestions about publications, events and opportunities.

By Daniela Colombo* There are many reasons to consider Italian abortion law a success story. It was passed in 1978, only six years after the

-6/58
Skip to content