The Vatican’s #LifeofWomen video project: the bad, the ugly and the good

From National Catholic Reporter‘s Jamie Manson, the WOC Blog, The Table is linked in her article. Excerpt below:

I would like to believe that the Pontifical Council for Culture has the best of intentions in soliciting the reflections of women, even if it is in the most inadequate and most virtual of ways. But the obscurities surrounding the video selection process, the exclusion of the voices of disadvantaged women, and the reality that, ultimately, the male hierarchy will still have all of the decision-making power leaves me wondering whether the dicastery is more interested in pacifying the church’s critics than it is in making an authentic, humble attempt at listening to global experience of women.

Now, all of this said, I do admire the women who have taken the time to create so many meaningful, powerful videos. New Facebook communities and thoughtful Twitter feeds have quickly popped up around the #LifeofWomen hashtag. As I have viewed some of tweets and clips, I have come to realize that the importance of the #LifeofWomen campaign does not rest on whether or not it succeeds in establishing genuine dialogue with the hierarchy. Instead, its true value lies in the deeper conversations, connections and momentum that it is generating among Catholic women.