What Pope Francis Thinks About Women in the Church

[cbayer]

http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/24/what-pope-francis-thinks-about-women-in-the-church/

Will he give them real leadership roles or just continue to placate them by idealizing their gender?

By Sister Simone Campbell Sept. 24, 2013


A nun prays in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 14, 2013, one day after the election of Pope Francis

Pope Francis is stirring up a lot of enthusiasm with his recent remarks about how the Catholic church shouldn’t focus excessively on issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Yesterday, I was asked if I thought he could be believed. My answer was, “Yes!” Anyone who talks of his own conversion is authentic in trying to communicate a spiritual journey. But one question remains. What about the role of women in the church? On that, my answer is less clear.

So far Pope Francis has said that women are different from men but should be included in all aspects of the church. He has idealized women by comparing them to the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is better than saying that women are “Eve in the Garden of Eden tempting men.” He has called for the creation of “deep theology of women.” I am not sure what he means when he says this, but I do know that there are already many women theologians all over the world writing about their experience and reflecting on the deep truths of our faith. It is possible that he is not aware of their work, in which case he and other leaders in Rome should be given the opportunity to read and reflect on it.

But I must confess that I am a little nervous about what will happen. Currently there are no women in significant decisionmaking positions in the Vatican. There are few in dioceses around the world. Our church has lagged in the acknowledgment of the role of women in shaping faith traditions and as leaders of prayer. In that institutional lag, many of us in religious life and our nonvowed sisters have found ways of supporting each other. The fact is that women are leading by example and witness to the Gospel in their lives and not within the formalized power structure, and that power structure has lost out from not having significant contributions of women. It is difficult for me to believe that women in significant leadership roles would have tolerated the sexual-abuse cover-up.

The question becomes, Will Pope Francis follow through by actually including women in the decisionmaking as he moves ahead with reforms? Or will the temptation to placate women by idealizing our gender remove us from consideration in wrestling with change in church politics?

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/24/what-pope-francis-thinks-about-women-in-the-church/#ixzz2fvZMIg4v

[TheDeputy]

1. Women can't be priests or bishops.

What else is left?

[cbayer]

2. The nuns have their own organized structures. The question is this - will the leaders of those

groups be given a stronger voice at the vatican.

[TheDeputy]

3. Aha! Thanks for reminding me.

This Roman Catholic had a major brain fart.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Separate but equal?

[cbayer]

6. Possibly. Having them in decision making roles at the Vatican or the ability to sit

on certain committees or boards would be a good start.

[Goblinmonger]

5. No

They won't. Not even close.

[skepticscott]

7. Of course they won't

Francis just gave their persecutor his full support. Apparently he's ignoring them "at his peril".

[MellowDem]

8. His thoughts are embarrassing to behold...

On this and many other subjects. A truly small mind, bound by dogma. The best that can be hoped for is the apologetics and excuses of such a limited perspective, and that's all the Pope offers, and that's enough for many jaded progressive Catholics, who still find themselves unable to relinquish identifying with a belief system they fundamentally disagree with or don't believe in.

[Humanist_Activist]

9. Frankly, I don't really care how the church organizes itself internally...

that they are misogynist is simply a fact, and that isn't changing any time soon. What I care about is when the Church affects those outside of it, and larger society, that's when these attitudes and positions pollute the rest of us, they should stick to staying in their gilded halls while proclaiming humility and poverty.

[cbayer]

10. That makes no sense. If there is ever to be change, it will have to come from

within the bureaucracy. That has everything to do with internal organization. Do you think they will just sprinkle some fairy dust and things will be different? Or do you think they will just take your advice and stop having an effect on the rest of the world?

[Humanist_Activist]

11. I don't care about the Catholic Church, its on the wane, and should continue on that path...

until its a footnote in history, where it belongs.

Until that point though, it should be opposed in areas it has undue influence, which includes pretty much everything outside the doors of every parish.

[cbayer]

12. Again, that makes no sense.

You say you don't care, then call for active opposition, which would indicate that you care a great deal.

At any rate, the catholic church isn't going anywhere and more women in the hierarchy would be a good thing, imo.

[Humanist_Activist]

13. I said I don't care about the internal politics of the Church...

I do care when that, and other things, spills over into the secular world, that is what I oppose, the Church outside of its walls. They can all rot in their Churches, for all I care, as long as they stay within them, literally or figuratively, I don't care.

Also, having women in the hierarchy with any real power is a pipe dream, at least the Church is actually waning.

[cbayer]

14. Since we all agree that it is rational to use actual data when making claims,

you might be interested in reviewing the demographics when it comes to catholicism.

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/

[Humanist_Activist]

15. Ahh crap, I'm too damned provincial, or hemispheric, not sure which...

We need to work on the problem areas, though at least the Church is losing its grip on Latin America, which can only be a good thing.

[cbayer]

16. It's a big ship and it's not going to sink, so

I think anything that promotes changes from within is a good thing.

I'm not sure what you mean by "work on problem areas", but supporting any change in direction or even tone seems a worthwhile cause to me.

[trotsky]

17. Actually, monumental changes in religion have come from societal/secular pressure,

not from within their well-established hierarchies.

It's funny you make the comment about sprinkling fairy dust when that seems to be how people like yourself think the new pope is magically going to make things better by simply changing the "tone."