Vatican groups report progress, and tensions, on women and LGBTQ inclusion

After Pope Francis’ death, the study groups he created to address some of the most hot-button issues facing the Catholic Church, including the role of women, polygamy and inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics, received an extension to publish their final reports by the end of the year. And on Monday (Nov. 17), the study groups published a rare update on their work, with some areas showing progress and others facing challenges.

The study groups consisting of experts, clergy and laypeople were established in March 2024, after the Synod on Synodality, a gathering of bishops and lay Catholics at the Vatican to promote a more welcoming and missionary church. Since then, the groups have worked with the Vatican on implementing decisions made at the synod.

The group charged with reflecting on women in the church consisted of members of the Vatican’s department for doctrine. They plan to publish their final report in the coming months, to be divided into three parts: the first an overview of the study group; the second presenting its findings; and finally information gathered about women in church history, current experiences of women in church leadership and the curia, theological reflections, tensions regarding “clericalism and chauvinism” and the contributions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV regarding women’s roles in the church, according to the update.

Religion & Politics

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Devotees pray with lamps during a ritual of Rakher Upobash, a Hindu religious festival that involves a daylong fast and overnight prayer seeking spiritual purification, honoring Hindu saint Loknath Brahmachari, at a temple in Chakla, West Bengal, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

In Opinion

And finally, Bible sales keep growing, even as many Americans lose their religion

Many Americans may have lost faith in organized religion, but according to recent data, they still love the Good Book.

As of September, Bible sales were up 11% this year over 2024, part of a continuing boom in Bible sales. That includes 2.4 million sold in September 2025 as part of a surge that coincided with the death of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, according to data from Circana, a company that tracks book sales. All told, more than 18 million Bibles have been sold so far this year.

“Sales for Bibles have been steadily growing in the U.S. since 2021 and have set unprecedented annual sales records since 2022,” Brenna Connor, an industry analyst at Circana BookScan, told RNS in an email. “2024 marked a 20-year high for Bible sales in the U.S., and 2025 is on track to surpass these levels, underscoring the growing interest in religious content among U.S. consumers.”

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