Having assiduously studied his many and varied utterances over the years I am convinced that Cardinal Raymond Burke and I live and move in parallel universes.
His Eminence seems to have no awareness whatsoever that his claims that women, women's issues, female servers, et al. have driven males away are utterly risible and cannot possibly be substantiated [Feminised church and post Vatican II liturgy is alienating men – Burke]
It is the experience of most pastors, particularly in the Western World that the largest and most alienated group of former committed Catholics are well educated and talented women. The Church has in fact had so little to say to them that, despite all the promise and hope of Vatican II, they have run out of patience.
The cardinal's views would simply cause wry amusement if it wasn't for the fact that they can also be quite destructive.
I will never forget dealing pastorally with an 80 year old religious sister and former teacher who came to me weeping openly after her parish priest had ordered her to desist from arranging sanctuary flowers, a task she had performed for 50 years, on the stated grounds that female persons are not allowed in that sacred space.
Edward Butler, County Donegal
Your brief mention of the interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke to the founder of the 'New Emangelization Project' [The Tablet, 17 January] gives the misleading impression that the Cardinal's disparaging comments relate only to the use of girl altar servers. In fact his words are more far-reaching and deeply disturbing, especially as his position as cardinal might give some weight to his views.
Cardinal Burke takes little pains to hide his dislike (and fear?) of women, save perhaps in the traditional role of mother and home-maker. In his opinion the Church, and all men therein, have been "assaulted" by "radical feminism". He holds the resulting demise of "manly men" to be responsible for sexual promiscuity, pornography and clergy sexual abuse.
He complains that “apart from the priest, the sanctuary has become full of women. The activities in the parish and even the liturgy have been influenced by women and have become so feminine in many places that men do not want to get involved. The feminised environment and the lack of the Church’s effort to engage men has led many men to simply opt out.”
And in an amazing statement he contends that “in the mid-1970’s, young men [were] telling me that they were frightened by marriage because of the radicalizing and self-focused attitudes of women that were emerging at that time. These young men were concerned that entering a marriage would simply not work because of a constant and insistent demanding of rights for women.”
More space was needed to highlight these extraordinary views as the snippets given tell only a fraction of the story.
Anne O'Connor, Timperley
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