Editorial
 Important note about Section.

When the doctrinal watchdog office of the Church turned its judgment against  Sister Jeannine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent's Gay Ministry; they elevated a  specialized vocation into a major issue within Roman Catholicism.  In so doing, Cardinal Ratzinger repeated his 1995 feat of taking a quiet theological movement (Women's Ordination) and throwing it into the limelight.

SFBay Catholic covers important national and international Catholic Issues.  We provide clerics, religious,  seminarians and the Catholic laity with source documents and articles of responsible theological opinion.  We will always attempt to spotlight arguments supporting or opposing the issue in question.

It has been said by some that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is Progressive Catholicism's most potent agent of change.  Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent could never buy the publicity that the CDF Cardinal has brought to Gay  and Lesbian Ministry.  Likewise, Catholic Reformers working for the ordination of women received invaluable free publicity by the actions of our good Cardinal several years ago.  More importantly, both of Cardinal Ratzinger's actions have renewed theological interest in understanding individual conscience along with the  realization that public dissent to official fallible statements are sometimes necessary even if always regrettable.

As always responsible theological articles in support of or opposed to current official positions are actively solicited and encouraged.

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