RBG, the Pope, and Two Cardinals

What I wish is that someone in Rome can get Pope Francis to watch the new documentary, RBG. Those who made this movie have chosen brilliantly from the briefs and opinions of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to express clearly the argument for women’s equality and how any different treatment harms them. For men’s equality, too, and how both are hurt by discriminatory practices. In addition, the film presents a deeply loving family with two working parents who share roles in an untraditional manner. This would be a profound lesson for those who believe the most nurturing parent is always the woman. (I hope I have not given too much away.) With only a couple of exceptions, the quotes from Ginsburg rely on justice principles, not arguments from the Constitution or American law. They are universal and might convince the Pope to rethink complementarity.

We can look at Ginsburg as a model strategist to educate the Pope about gender equality. Ginsburg is brilliant in the way she structured her arguments before the Supreme Court—like explaining to kindergarteners, she says. We have no such forum in which to broaden the ideological framework within which the Pope operates, except perhaps the press – see Mary McAleese and the Voices of Faith. Where else might our arguments be presented? The PrayTellBlog suggests an answer in a March 31, 2018 post. (I do not know whether the comments beyond the quotes are from PrayTell or the Die Presse or some combination of both; maybe a reader of this blog can enlighten us.)

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna Austria, who was editorial secretary for the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, recently sat for an Easter interview with Die Presse out of Vienna. [I love the subtle credentialing—the catechism! RB] …

On the subject of women’s ordination, the cardinal chose his words very carefully. His remarks could be understood as opening the way for further development, or also as putting the brakes on any movement for now.

Asked about change in the church, Schönborn said,

“One of the key questions is the role of women in the church. In this, religious organizations as a whole are in need of development… The question of ordination is a question that surely can only be settled by a council. A pope cannot decide this by himself. This is too large a question for it to be settled from the desk of a pope.”

(This echoes comments Cardinal Schönborn made in television interviews in the 1990s to the effect that it would require an ecumenical council for the church to ordain women to the priesthood. His comments were considered noteworthy at the time because he seemed not to consider the question absolutely closed.)

Die Presse asked Schönborn if his remarks applied to priesthood, diaconate, or the office of bishop. He said,

“Pope Francis has at least not excluded female deacons… I would not consider it good [that he introduced this alone]. The church is a community; large decisions should be addressed in a communitarian way.”

Asked if he hoped for such a council, the cardinal said,

“I hope that we go further down the path of synodality, which the pope has strongly encouraged. I trust in the next council, whenever it comes. In his time John XXIII recognized the right moment, when no one expected it. I trust in the Holy Spirit.”

It is noteworthy that Cardinal Schönborn does not state that ordination of women to the episcopate, priesthood, and diaconate is a closed matter that can never be changed. He addresses the question in the context of development of doctrine. But as a practical matter, if Schönborn’s hypothesis is true that only a council (or perhaps synod?) can approve female deacons, this could mean that Pope Francis’s hands are tied and female deacons will not be coming anytime soon in the Catholic Church. …

On the difference, sometimes large, between the last three popes, Schönborn  said this:

“There is a traditional Catholic principle, the development of doctrine… There are distinct levels of doctrinal development. Today it is taken for granted that girls may be altar servers. In many other churches it is still unthinkable that a female steps foot in the altar sanctuary.  Or another example: Pope Francis stated a year and a half ago that the feast of Mary Magdalen must be celebrated on the same level as the other feasts of the apostles. Mary Magdalen was the first witness of the Resurrection. She is the apostle of the apostles. One can say that this is a tiny matter. But it indicates a changed situation of consciousness.”

I am quoting this at such length because I tend to agree with this Cardinal. The issue of women’s ordination is not closed but it is complicated, and the best way to address it is communally. Some surprises have come out of the synods on the family (as distinguished from the World Meetings, a JPII holdover mass entertainment production—snide, RB). Who knows what will come out of the synod on youth? Certainly the questions the young people are raising have been more far-reaching than anything discussed inside the Vatican to date. And I like that Schönborn relates to the issue on the level of the practical – altar servers – and the theological – Mary Magdalene.

Of course, a recent post on the PrayTellBlog is about the soon-to-be Cardinal Ladaria and the CDF,  which is why I went searching back for Cardinal Schönborn. I alluded to the Ladaria statement last week. Here’s another article by Christopher Lamb from The Tablet, which has a slightly different rehash of the whole sorry history.  Last week, I speculated that the Irish referendum is why this CDF document is promulgated now; Anthony Ruff on the PrayTellBlog has three other “speculations”: one, a rebuke to Schönborn; two, recent statements in favor (see Mary McAleese, above); three, reassurance (to whom? RB) before a positive report about women deacons.  So many possibilities. What do you think? What do you hope for?

And just to move the thing along, maybe we could send the Pope and the two Cardinals RBG when it’s released beyond theaters. Their understanding of the moral argument for equality needs expanding, and who better than Ruth Bader Ginsburg to do it. Kindergarten, anyone?