Catholic Women’s Ordination Supporters Respond to New Vatican Letter on Women

The Vatican’s latest statement released on Saturday, July 31, "Letter to Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World," demonstrates the Catholic hierarchy’s dramatic misconceptions of women and understandings of the lived relationships between women and men. "The Vatican’s letter perpetuates a misunderstanding of feminism as antagonistic and a competition for power. In reality, feminism embraces the Christian value of equality, where all people — men and women– are treated with respect, dignity, and value," said Joy Barnes, Executive Director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, a US organization promoting women priests in the Catholic Church. "The goal of feminism is not to seek power, but to equalize the current power structures." Barnes continued, "Catholic feminists derive our understanding from the very Gospel teachings of Jesus that call on every Christian to speak out and act on behalf of the poor and oppressed. The church’s own documents from the Second Vatican Council declare that ‘all discrimination is to be eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.’ It is the Church hierarchy that is not fulfilling its true potential of creating a just, loving institution where all people are treated equally." The document, which condemns the "lethal effects" of feminism, actually seems to embrace the same ideals that Catholic feminists have been declaring for decades, such as the "active collaboration between the sexes" and allowing women to "have access to positions of responsibility (in the workplace) which allow them to inspire the policies of nations and to promote innovative solutions to economic and social problems." "The letter’s assertion of these positive ideals is a step in the right direction and these concepts need to become a reality in the Catholic Church. With its call for "active collaboration" and "access to positions of responsibility to inspire policies it seems as if the Vatican’s most recent letter has laid out the best argument for women’s ordination in the Catholic Church!" said Barnes. Calling for equality in the workplace and respect for women choosing to work inside the home is clearly valued by feminists— and Catholic women assert that the same respect should be true for men choosing to work inside the home. Barnes said, "Fathers should also be encouraged to be the primary caregiver in the family if this is their gift and call. The ideal should be for both parents to take an active role in rearing children and maintaining a faith-filled, Christian household." The Vatican is "speaking about women, without women’s voices." If they truly believed in equality they would enlist the perspectives and experiences of Catholic women theologians when issuing a document about women and how women should live their lives. ### The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) is the oldest US-based Catholic organization working solely on the issue of women’s ordination. WOC, which will be celebrating its 30 th Anniversary in 2005, serves as a "voice for women in the church" and has been one of the leading voices of the Catholic feminist movement in the United States. For more information on WOC contact 703-352-1006 or www.womensordination.org.