By Astrid Lobo Gajiwala
Mumbai, Nov 2, 2023: A sign of hope for women is that for the first time in the “his-story” of the Catholic Church all the 54 women present at the synod were permitted to vote on the final document.
Another is the separate section devoted to “Women in the life and mission of the Church,” in the synthesis report.
This section draws attention to some of the banes of women’s existence in the Catholic Church – clericalism for instance, by which priests assume unquestioned, authoritarian power over their “flock;” the prevailing practice of treating nuns as cheap labor; and the structural conditions that abet sexual, spiritual, economic, institutional, power and conscience abuse by clergy.
In an attempt to delink governance from ordination there is a clear request for the active contribution of women to be recognized and valued, and for their pastoral leadership to increase in all areas of the Church’s life and mission.
In fact, Pope Francis’ appointment of women to the male dominated Curia is seen as an example to be emulated even if it calls for changes in canon law. There is pressure too to close the discussion on the entry of women to the diaconate.
However, the silence on the ordination of women to the priesthood is deafening. Women can go thus far but no further. We may be created, male and female, in the image and likeness of God, and “receive equally the variety of gifts of the Spirit” but when it comes to ordination “maleness” still remains the primary requirement.
(Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, feminist theologian and executive member of the International Church Reform Network.)
Rom16:1 speaks of Phoebe, the deaconess. Yet, this verse 1 is omitted and verse 2 onwards is read for the reading during Mass. This shocked me, when I noticed it.
Even what is written in the Bible we are blinded to see. The Holy Spirit must help us See the Reality.
There is nothing wrong in hoping for a change. However, what is 54 in front of the “male-dominated Roman Catholic Church”? The bitter reality in India today is that still a vast majority of the Catholic women are NOT awakened or not willing to be awakened. They are very much satisfied to recite rosaries, attend daily mass and novenas, say prayers, do fasting, attend retreats and celebrate Christmas and Easter “as usual”.
Denying priestly ordination to women and married persons has no theological or scriptural basis. It is merely a man made tradition that has long past its best before date.