By Noella de Souza
Mumbai, March 8, 2022: From east to west, north to south, Christian women across India have joined together this Women’s Day to sing out their protest in a creative way.
“Hear Our Voices,” they sing to the Church hierarchy who appears never to listen.
The song is the response of Indian women to the Synodal call of a listening Church. It is inspired by the iconic Bread and Roses Anthem, adapted by Marcia D’ Cunha, which recalls women’s struggles for the right to vote. We are painfully aware that even today, the Vatican denies women voting rights.
Singing, women – lay and religious — hope the Catholic Church is listening, as they have so much to say. They recall that in “hallowed” halls, women’s roles and choices are talked on, while the half that is being talked of cries, “Hear our voices. Hear our voices.”
They are also concerned that for a thousand years or more, all decisions about women have been taken by men. They find when even when men ask for women’s opinion, they are either not listening to the answers or they are not programmed to understand women! For nothing gets translated into the final discussions in the Vatican where they discuss only matters of women’s concern that suit them.
Marching on say women, together with the sister survivor, they’ve knocked on every door but ‘Mitres stand acquitted, midst shameless, brazen noises while helpless sisters whisper, “Hear our voices. Hear our voices.”
The song raises awareness about the silence of the Church on important issues – Clergy Sexual Abuse. Judgments regarding clergy sexual abuse have both reflected badly on the Church of Mumbai. When they approached the Church, the powers that be were too preoccupied to listen. Thus both the Missionaries of Jesus sister and the abused child went to court as a last resort.
We welcome caring priests the song continues, whose struggles with obedience, give critics all a feast while rapists get transferred and their children are in crisis. Gagged, the faithful murmur, “Hear our voices. Hear our voices ,” the song continues. Going forward, people must be told to get in touch with the police in cases of sexual abuse, even by Church-people who have to be treated as any other citizen.
Up till now there was no redressal in the Church, whose main aim still seems ‘to avoid scandal’ to safeguard the name of the Institution. On the Lawrence Johnson sentencing, for instance, the Cardinal expressed distress FIRST for the conviction……and only secondarily for the victim. The church continues victimizing victims.
But, the protest song continues, “we’re walking proud and tall in the footsteps of our Savior, who broke hierarchies all. Let’s go back to a sharing, of love and healing justice. Hark (even) the heavens join in chorus, “Hear our voices, Hear our voices”.
For more than the past ten years, women of Mumbai have urged Cardinal Oswald Gracias to announce a clear and transparent sexual abuse policy and set up a well-defined structure to deal with it. Nothing done. They have suggested as mandatory by law, that at least 50 percent of competent women should be involved at all levels to deal with issues of sexual abuse. Nothing done. They requested that parishes and church institutions with 10 or more employees ensure they have internal complaints committees in compliance with the POSH (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Nothing done. It’s time to walk the talk,” they appealed but when it came to the implementation of the Gender Policy of the Catholic Church (2010) and CBCI Norms to Deal with Sexual Harassment at the Workplace (2017), nothing ever happened other than “well-meaning speeches at the Vatican and mere tokenism.”
Well, now it is time to go public say the women. “Hear Our Voices.” This is one way to express their views to the Church which says it is listening but which even now meets in conclave without women’s participation.
Thus the video “Hear Our Voices” that some created in response to the call of the Catholic Church for renewal, through the Synod 2023. So far women have been silent spectators. It’s time our voices are heard. It’s also an example of the power of a few to make a difference. One person wrote the song. Others helped refine it. Some sang and others came forward to lend the strength of their videos. Most have used simple phone cameras but the variety of ideas expressed made the idea work.
Come, this Women’s Day let’s storm the world with the power of our Indian Christian women’s voices. Let’s pray that the Church hears our voices from the pews, the streets, the convents, old age homes, virtually from everywhere.
It’s already gone viral but will the Hierarchy listen?