Madam, – I wish to endorse Christine Gilsen’s letter (August 27th) proposing to women who care about the future of the Irish church to avail of sending the humble postcard to the Cardinal instead of a boycott on September 26th. My postcard, jumbo size, will read something like as follows: This is a time of crisis and opportunity for the Irish church. A cluster of issues needs to be addressed collaboratively: the church’s style of governance, its use of power, decision-making, the role of women, and the use of inclusive language.
Although women are moving into positions of leadership and collaboration in our secular institutions, the Catholic Church lags behind. It preaches equality, but practises exclusion. Pope John Paul II apologised to women and spoke passionately about their inclusion, but women have no place at the table where decisions are made that shape the church and their own lives.
It has been said that if the sin of men is pride, the sin of women is passivity! I can no longer be passive or silent regarding systemic injustice to women in the church. The real challenge for the church is the Christianising of its structures in a manner that calls forth the laity and especially women to play their God-given role. The role and place of women was clearly not a question for Jesus, but it is for the official Catholic Church.
As a woman and a religious member of this church of grace and disgrace, I long to be more fully respected, valued and included. Like many other committed women I responded to the call of Vatican II for personal renewal in theology, scripture and spirituality. Years of patient study have made us ready to play our part in nourishing the impoverished soul of the church, but offers of service are met with rebuff or deafening silence. As long as the official church ignores women, it will continue to fly on one wing and to flap round in endless circles, and its soul will wither. – Yours, etc,