It has been an interesting month for Catholic gender politics. First, the Pontifical Council for Culture announced that its 4-7 February assembly would be on “Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference”. The council produced a short video, encouraging women around the world to submit a photo or make a one-minute video about their hopes and dreams. A fluffy blonde who looked as if she were advertising feminine hygiene products assured us that "we want to know".
The video was greeted with derision for the timing as well as the style. Not only did it give each woman a minute in which to tell her story, it was also released on 23 December and the deadline for submissions was 4 January – the busiest time of year for many women. Moreover, the format limited it to women with access to the internet, ruling out millions of poor women. Doesn’t Rome want to know their stories too?
Then Cardinal Raymond Burke took time out from the ecclesial fancy dress parade to opine on manliness, radical feminism and “the dark confusion of gender theory” in an interview for a movement called “The New Emangelisation”. Apparently, the Church has been “assaulted” by radical feminism since the 1960s, which has left men feeling marginalised and misunderstood. Girl altar servers are partly to blame for the decline in vocations, given that being an altar boy was a traditional route to the priesthood. But, says the cardinal, “Young boys don’t want to do things with girls. It’s just natural.” The result of this is that men became confused, feminised and disordered, and when such men entered the priesthood, some of them sexually abused minors. So radical feminism led to the feminisation of the Church which led to the sex abuse scandal.
Pope Francis doesn’t share Cardinal Burke’s diagnosis of what is wrong with the Church. In the Philippines he told a gathering of mainly male students that they ought to include more women and girls, observing that society is sometimes too “macho” and doesn’t leave enough room for women. In an interview to journalists on the flight back to Rome he offered a pastorally sensitive interpretation of Humanae Vitae that avoided the moral absolutism of his predecessors regarding contraception. He has been widely quoted for saying that Catholics should not breed “like rabbits”, and for criticising a woman for “tempting God” by risking an eighth pregnancy when she had already had seven caesareans. Asked about the role of women in that interview, he replied, “When I say it is important for women to have a more prominent role in the Church, it is not just to give them a role, secretary of a dicastery … no, it is so that they can tell us how they perceive and see reality, because women look at reality with a different, a greater richness.”
Setting aside the problem of always referring to women as “them” (aren’t women included in the Church already?), Francis seems genuine in seeking to promote the role of women. However, the Synod on the Family in October will be his moment of judgement. Conservatives are said to be marshalling their formidable theological forces to launch an all-out assault on his reforming project, and he will need to be prepared to meet this with an equally robust theological defence. The strongest theological support for his vision comes from lay theologians – including women.
If Francis is to win the battle of the Synod, his best strategy might be to surround himself with such theologians. He recently described women theologians as “strawberries on the cake”. I do hope that there will be strawberries on the menu for the Synod on the family in October, and that some of them will be picked for their sharpness and not just their sweetness.
Tina Beattie is Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton
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Just wanted to say, I hope it felt really, really good speaking about women's equality and the Church on Church (indeed, Vatican) property. Maybe that will shut a few people up now.
Whether it’s women in the Church, LGBTI people in the Church, married/celibate clergy, contraception etc., Chris McDonnell’s point says it well: For many, the attitudes and understandings re such aspects are “rigid, uncompromising and rooted in an ‘historical’ perspective that allows no development in the light of our present understanding and cultural experience’. These attitudes and understandings do not reflect contemporary theological/biblical scholarship for example, and are boxed in a naive notion of God, faith, and ‘tradition’. Some would exclude women from the liturgy, old or new rites, as servers or other ministers, citing only ‘the Church’s tradition’, placing importance on traditions (and they are just that!) rather than sound theological and historical understandings, enabling enlightened functioning in the 21st century. Do we really believe that God is offended by females serving in the liturgy? John XXIII had it of the Church in 1958: “We are not on earth as museum keepers, but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life and to prepare a glorious future". The attitudes of some re women’s ordination highlights the narrowness and naivety of these attitudes. That women cannot stand at an altar and bless (consecrate if you prefer) bread and wine, displays the narrowness and limited understanding of God. We say that God is beyond human imagining, and yet too often we restrict God to our human concepts. THAT God, for many in and outside the Church, IS TOO SMALL!
Some of this is fair comment Tina. But if you are young and blonde with Italian accented English, aren't you allowed to participate? That is reverse stereotyping. What she said seemed reasonable to me.
"Pope Benedict XVI said people should not reject the gender 'ordained by God' for them."
[quoted today in The Tablet]
Unfortunately, the RCC has a reputation for rejecting the female gender en masse.
To Martin:
The Church's tradition at one point supported slavery - it doesn't now;
the Church at one point was not against the death penalty - it is now;
Many in the Church wre not so sure that women were fully "in the image and likeness of God" - that traditional position has also changed;
Church choirs were encouraged to have only male members - does anyone still hold with that exclusively male position?
"Tradition" can and does change. No reason at all why women should not be in the sanctuary, as altar girls; Readers of the Word or as Eucharistic Ministers. Or are those roles to be denied us too?
Where is the proper place for women, Martin? In the kitchen? Doing the flowers? Cleaning the church? Ironing Father's vestments and the altar linen? I am quite happy to do these jobs (not the flowers - I have no ability in that area) but why may I not read the Word of God at Mass? I can even do it in Latin if you would prefer.
We are excluded from taking positions of leadership in the Church because so many such positions are reserved for ordained clerics. Open these up to all members of the Body of Christ and see our gifts flourish and see how we can use those gifts and our insights to advance the cause of our faith and make our Church better.
I believe that Cardinal Burke could not have been more off beam in his diagnosis of what is ailing the Church. As I see it, it is the fact that the Church is bereft of female voice and influence in places of leadership which has left it rather compromised and underachieving in the good that it does in the world.
A people on pilgrimage will encounter many new and challenging situations, that is the nature of a journey. Such an experience changes us as we re-examine where we are, where we have come from and where we might be heading. We are indeed blessed by the Spirit to walk in the company of Francis who personifies the Gospel words "Do not be afraid" .
The tone of some comments here in response to Tina Beattie's posting is rigid, uncompromising and rooted in an historical perspective that allows no development in the light of our present understanding and cultural experience.
Which is a pity
The "Fathers of the Church" (who all had mothers) would have squirmed or even been shocked by that video. There was severe cognitive dissonance re RC tradition in the people who made it. Mind you I am on Prof. Beattie's side. Keep on plugging! I agree, the Pope is blind to his own misogyny.
I respect the aspiration to recognise women's abilities and allow them to exercise responsibility. I wish, though, that people would stop beating the drum in relation to the liturgy and in particular the priesthood. It's not in accordance with the Church's tradition to allow girls to be altar servers, for instance, and this was only permitted in the 1990s because the Vatican gave up trying to stamp out disobedience (it is still not permitted for the old rite). As for the priesthood, it's not going to happen. It's an impossibility. If the Church ever did purport to allow it it would drive those of us who hold to orthodoxy out. Please give up on it and focus on areas where women's talents can be properly employed - the sanctuary is not the correct arena.
the magisterium says women are not to be priests..period !! the church is not a place for politics - it's time women deal with their inferiority complexes and stop destroying society
"Then Cardinal Raymond Burke took time out from the ecclesial fancy dress parade ... "
I didn't bother reading any more of Tina Beattie's article after this snide, nasty and unnecessary comment.
Good luck to you as a theologian, but the odds are against you...without a miracle.
Pope Francis is clearly unaware of the underlying misogyny in his thinking...but who can blame him.
"Every woman should be filled with shame by the thought that she is a woman".
Saint Clement of Alexandria, Christian theologian (c150-215)
" I fail to see what use woman can be to man, if one excludes the function of bearing children".
Saint Augustine, theologian and Bishop.
A massive re-education programme is needed. Go for it Professor...with our blessing.
The crucial issue for the church as a family is the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate. It is for many a visceral issue, but the church will have to face it, with reasoning and discerning prayer. Reasoning alone will not do it, so we better pray. Via the following link, may I share a summary of my current understanding of the situation in the Catholic and Orthodox churches:
Ordination of Women in the Sacramental Churches
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv11n01supp6.html#section9
Prayers,
Luis
Many people are puzzled by the Catholic Church's teaching against contraception. But, if one takes the time to truly understand what the Church teaches, the teaching makes a lot of sense.
For those who are open-minded and wish to learn more about the Church's teaching on contraception, an excellent commentary and further resource links can be found at the link below.
Readers will also find information on Natural Family Planning which is an effective, healthy, and natural alternative to artificial contraception, an alternative that is, importantly, fully compatible with Catholic teaching, ethics, and morality.
The link:
http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2014/10/blessed-paul-vis-prophetic-gift-to.html
"A fluffy blonde who looked as if she were advertising feminine hygiene products assured us that "we want to know".
What a sadly contemptuous comment.
"If Francis is to win the battle of the Synod"
Which battle do you think he is trying to win?