I, too, struggle with the recent words and actions of the
Vatican,
especially when women defend positions that contribute to the pain
of so many
other girls and women, Catholic and non-Catholic, around the
world. But yet, to
some extent, I must wonder if all that we see unfolding -
as ugly as it is
- actually reveals the potential of what will
emerge.
For one, in being committed to our mission of renewing the
priesthood, I
do NOT want to be ordained into the official church tomorrow.
I fear that
Rome's acceptance of us too soon will actually obstruct many,
if not all, of
our current efforts to offer new models of governance, new
ways of
incorporating the powerful theologies of recent years into living
liturgies, and to
broaden our awareness of living sacramentally in
communities that
celebrate and honor our universal call to the priesthood.
We need time to not only
create new possibilities, but to live them so that
we may, in discovering
the mis-steps that happen when venturing into new
territory, further explore
and develop beauty we have not yet seen. As soon
as a "Roman" bishop lays
his hands on a woman in public, I fear that in then
being forced to choose
between their way or ours, we will face a situation
that will make our
current challenges with our sister priests/bishops seem
like nothing.
For another, as much as their words - and, especially,
Pope Francis'
attempts at humor - hurt, they reveal what happens when
people cling to
positions that lack merit or truth. More and more in their
attempts to cling and
defend, they must make claims that become ever more
nonsensical. As this
current leadership does just that, the emptiness of
their logic - and even the
danger within it - will be revealed for what it
actually is. Gradually,
then, they will be the ones seen, and known to be,
responsible for the collapse
of their system, since, as we well know, all is
resting upon fallacious
declarations of God's intention and
desire.
And so, even though my heart sincerely aches for the suffering
that is
created and sustained through their own willful ignorance, and as
much as I
mourn for those "Romans" as well, knowing that their own
experience of God and
life is so stunted and warped, I will trust that all
of this is what must
happen. I hope we women and men who have the courage
to ignore boundaries that
their mistaken dogma impose can fully embrace our
current freedom for what it
is so that we may draw upon the work of the
many, many theologians, mystics
and prophets who are nurturing and
developing such beautiful ways of
thinking about and experiencing God. And I
do hope that we have the time we need
so that when they system collapses,
our work will offer to all - and be
recognized and accepted as - a genuine
means for a renewed priesthood.
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Homily at Holy Spirit Inclusive Catholic Community 5OT B, Feb.8, 2015 by Beverly Bingle, RCWP
Today’s gospel passage is set
in the framework of Jesus’ first day of ministry,
with Mark showing the kinds of things that happen
when Jesus preaches the reality of God’s rule:
Jesus teaches with authority;
he casts out demons;
he heals the minds, bodies, and spirits
of the people who gather around him;
and finally he struggles to find a place to pray,
only to be called
to continue to spread the Good News farther afield.
_______________________________________
My first day as a priest was
two years ago this coming Tuesday, February 10,
when we gathered in the fellowship hall of Unity of Toledo
for our first Mass as Holy Spirit Catholic Community.
But my first day as a priest was not my first day of ministry,
just as I suspect that Jesus
did not go from not ministering to ministering
at the crack of dawn on that day Mark describes for us.
My first ministry may have been in 1948, when, at the age of four,
I frantically searched for my three-year-old baby brother
who had gone missing when the family moved
from the middle of the city to the country.
Or maybe it was before that, when we had the measles
and I tried to comfort him by letting him know
he wasn’t alone in that darkened room.
_________________________________________
Over the years I made decisions,
sometimes to help… but sometimes to hurt.
I made commitments and tried to keep them.
I tried out different lifestyles and different livelihoods,
keeping some and deep-sixing others.
Eventually, at the grand old age of 69,
I answered the call to service as a priest
and became your pastor.
That life experience suggests to me that Jesus, being human,
would have had to go through the same journey:
listening, learning, praying, taking action,
gradually becoming the teacher, healer, and pray-er
who still fills us with his loving, life-giving spirit.
Unlike me, unlike all of us, he responded completely
to the unique expression of the Divine Presence within him.
___________________________________________
We all try to form our lives the way Jesus did.
Sometimes we make mistakes.
Sometimes we just fail.
Or we intentionally do wrong—we sin.
We are not Jesus.
But we do try to follow his Way.
Sometimes we sit, like Job,
in the slough of despond, the depths of our despair,
because we are suffering.
Maybe it’s a failed relationship, or physical pain,
or the death of a friend or family member.
Maybe it’s sorrow at the state of our city or our world,
the war and violence and oppression around us.
Maybe it’s losing a job and not finding work that pays a living wage,
or not finding work at all.
We have done the best we can,
and we’re hurt and suffering anyway.
Through the pain we ask why.
____________________________________________
Why is a question that Jesus doesn’t answer.
What he does do is heal, sometimes physically
but more often by his loving, accepting, insightful presence.
Jesus tells people the Good News that God loves them
and is with them.
Speaking in the middle of the awful reality of Roman oppression
he points to the larger reality of the love of God.
Jesus loves people and spends time with them.
____________________________________________
Down at Claver House on Wednesday one of the guests, Barney,
sat at the table with his head down,
talking loudly to himself.
It was as if he were possessed by a demon.
He wasn’t threatening anyone,
but it was obvious that he wasn’t okay.
I watched as Tom came out of the kitchen
and talked with him so very respectfully yet firmly,
figuring out with Barney what to do,
then taking him in his car for help.
The living Gospel, right there—
the demon in Barney exorcised by a follower of the Way.
I’m so impressed when I see that kind of commitment to the Way.
It echoes Paul’s message to the Corinthians.
It’s an obligation to preach the gospel, and—
as St. Francis of Assisi said, use words if you have to.
It’s being poor with the poor, weak with the weak,
offering service without charging for it.
__________________________________________
Claver House is my College of Christianity—
pretty much every weekday I sit there and drink coffee
and have a good time with my buddies,
and I see the guests,
with their street language and patched clothes
and worn or crippled bodies,
being kind and concerned for one another—
obviously not successful by the measure
that the world cares about,
but in the midst of their own suffering and destitution
able to pray for Mayor Collins’ recovery;
ready to listen to each other’s theory on the Super Bowl;
inquiring about whether their elderly neighbors need help
to make it through this bitter and snowy winter.
_________________________________________
And then I see the volunteers, six or seven of them each day,
from all walks of life and all different religions, serving—
like Paul, “free in regard to all”
but making themselves “a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.”
Their impact—the fruit of their gift of service—is obvious:
the random group of guests are black and white and brown,
Indian and Iraqi and Asian and American,
Catholic and Lutheran and Muslim
and Jewish and Buddhist and Hindu,
old and young and in-between—
and they treat each other with respect and concern.
They get along!
____________________________________
When I look around our Holy Spirit Catholic Community,
I see the same gift,
the same service to each other
and to others around the city and around the world.
I find it delightful to be among people
who care and act on their concern,
who give time and love
to their family and friends and neighbors
and to people they don’t know and will never meet.
_________________________________________
Just as Claver House has been my College of Christianity
over these two years since I was ordained,
so this Community—you, the People of God—
are the professors in my graduate school.
Thank you for being everything God created you to be!
Happy Anniversary!
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
at 3535 Executive Parkway (Unity of Toledo)
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774
in the framework of Jesus’ first day of ministry,
with Mark showing the kinds of things that happen
when Jesus preaches the reality of God’s rule:
Jesus teaches with authority;
he casts out demons;
he heals the minds, bodies, and spirits
of the people who gather around him;
and finally he struggles to find a place to pray,
only to be called
to continue to spread the Good News farther afield.
_______________________________________
My first day as a priest was
two years ago this coming Tuesday, February 10,
when we gathered in the fellowship hall of Unity of Toledo
for our first Mass as Holy Spirit Catholic Community.
But my first day as a priest was not my first day of ministry,
just as I suspect that Jesus
did not go from not ministering to ministering
at the crack of dawn on that day Mark describes for us.
My first ministry may have been in 1948, when, at the age of four,
I frantically searched for my three-year-old baby brother
who had gone missing when the family moved
from the middle of the city to the country.
Or maybe it was before that, when we had the measles
and I tried to comfort him by letting him know
he wasn’t alone in that darkened room.
_________________________________________
Over the years I made decisions,
sometimes to help… but sometimes to hurt.
I made commitments and tried to keep them.
I tried out different lifestyles and different livelihoods,
keeping some and deep-sixing others.
Eventually, at the grand old age of 69,
I answered the call to service as a priest
and became your pastor.
That life experience suggests to me that Jesus, being human,
would have had to go through the same journey:
listening, learning, praying, taking action,
gradually becoming the teacher, healer, and pray-er
who still fills us with his loving, life-giving spirit.
Unlike me, unlike all of us, he responded completely
to the unique expression of the Divine Presence within him.
___________________________________________
We all try to form our lives the way Jesus did.
Sometimes we make mistakes.
Sometimes we just fail.
Or we intentionally do wrong—we sin.
We are not Jesus.
But we do try to follow his Way.
Sometimes we sit, like Job,
in the slough of despond, the depths of our despair,
because we are suffering.
Maybe it’s a failed relationship, or physical pain,
or the death of a friend or family member.
Maybe it’s sorrow at the state of our city or our world,
the war and violence and oppression around us.
Maybe it’s losing a job and not finding work that pays a living wage,
or not finding work at all.
We have done the best we can,
and we’re hurt and suffering anyway.
Through the pain we ask why.
____________________________________________
Why is a question that Jesus doesn’t answer.
What he does do is heal, sometimes physically
but more often by his loving, accepting, insightful presence.
Jesus tells people the Good News that God loves them
and is with them.
Speaking in the middle of the awful reality of Roman oppression
he points to the larger reality of the love of God.
Jesus loves people and spends time with them.
____________________________________________
Down at Claver House on Wednesday one of the guests, Barney,
sat at the table with his head down,
talking loudly to himself.
It was as if he were possessed by a demon.
He wasn’t threatening anyone,
but it was obvious that he wasn’t okay.
I watched as Tom came out of the kitchen
and talked with him so very respectfully yet firmly,
figuring out with Barney what to do,
then taking him in his car for help.
The living Gospel, right there—
the demon in Barney exorcised by a follower of the Way.
I’m so impressed when I see that kind of commitment to the Way.
It echoes Paul’s message to the Corinthians.
It’s an obligation to preach the gospel, and—
as St. Francis of Assisi said, use words if you have to.
It’s being poor with the poor, weak with the weak,
offering service without charging for it.
__________________________________________
Claver House is my College of Christianity—
pretty much every weekday I sit there and drink coffee
and have a good time with my buddies,
and I see the guests,
with their street language and patched clothes
and worn or crippled bodies,
being kind and concerned for one another—
obviously not successful by the measure
that the world cares about,
but in the midst of their own suffering and destitution
able to pray for Mayor Collins’ recovery;
ready to listen to each other’s theory on the Super Bowl;
inquiring about whether their elderly neighbors need help
to make it through this bitter and snowy winter.
_________________________________________
And then I see the volunteers, six or seven of them each day,
from all walks of life and all different religions, serving—
like Paul, “free in regard to all”
but making themselves “a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.”
Their impact—the fruit of their gift of service—is obvious:
the random group of guests are black and white and brown,
Indian and Iraqi and Asian and American,
Catholic and Lutheran and Muslim
and Jewish and Buddhist and Hindu,
old and young and in-between—
and they treat each other with respect and concern.
They get along!
____________________________________
When I look around our Holy Spirit Catholic Community,
I see the same gift,
the same service to each other
and to others around the city and around the world.
I find it delightful to be among people
who care and act on their concern,
who give time and love
to their family and friends and neighbors
and to people they don’t know and will never meet.
_________________________________________
Just as Claver House has been my College of Christianity
over these two years since I was ordained,
so this Community—you, the People of God—
are the professors in my graduate school.
Thank you for being everything God created you to be!
Happy Anniversary!
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
at 3535 Executive Parkway (Unity of Toledo)
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774
__._,_.___
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) Responds to Vatican’s Denigrating Image of Women and Lack of Women’s Voices at Assembly on" Women's Cultures: Equality and Differences" of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Rome 4-7, Feb. 2015
February 4, 2015The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) responds to Vatican’s denigrating image of women and lack of women’s voices at AssemblySee::Women’s Cultures: Equality and Differences”Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Rome 4-7 February 2015Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, D.Min. (Media)rhythmsofthedance 1@gmail.com 859-684-4247703-505-0004See: www.arcwp.orgToday at the Vatican men are meeting behind closed doors making decisions about women in the Catholic Church. The Assembly selected a 1936 "Venus Restored" sculpture by Man Ray of a plaster cast of a torso of a naked woman bound in ropes as their cover image.Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan wrote
on her blog (bridgetmarys.blogspot.com) that it “reflects the Vatican’s patriarchal, dysfunctional view that holds women in spiritual bondage. This image denigrates women’s bodies and souls and reflects a deep misogyny in need of healing and transformation.”“If we had women priests at the Vatican, do you think an image like this would see the light of day?” she asked.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) is a new model of priestly ministry that lives Gospel equality now. www.arcwp.org
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
" Sparks fly over choice of image for Vatican document for assembly on women"/National Catholic Reporter article
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/sparks-fly-over-choice-image-vatican-document-assembly-women
Soli Salgado | Feb. 3, 2015NCR Today
The Vatican Pontifical Council of Culture recently sparked controversy when the cover image for an online working document intended to advertise this week's annual plenary assembly in Rome on "Women's Culture: Equality and Difference" was Man Ray's 1936 sculpture, "Venus Restored," a plaster cast of a headless Venus bound in ropes. The work of art, according to anarticle at Crux, is meant to depict women as a subjugated sex object, but also as a creature who rises above men's depictions.
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan wrote on her blog that it "reflects the Vatican's patriarchal, dysfunctional view that holds women in spiritual bondage. This image denigrates women's bodies and souls and reflects a deep misogyny in need of healing and transformation."
"If we had women priests at the Vatican, do you think an image like this would see the light of day?" she asked.
Micol Forti, director of the contemporary art collection at the Vatican Museums, defended the use of the image, telling Crux that the sculpture was chosen because it represents the past as an "anchor to generate new ideas." She added that while it is imperfect in fully articulating the purpose of the assembly, "it's not a headless or armless body, but a reflection on classic tradition and the possibility of rediscovering a role in contemporary life."
We Are Church of Ireland also took offense to the choice of images, saying that Man Ray was a misogynist who objectified women and viewed them as subordinates, targets of male desire and subjects to erotic fantasies.
"What is behind this choice of female bondage image by the (all male) Pontifical Council for Culture?" the group asked in a press release. "What message does it seek to convey?"
The image of "Venus Restored" was not alone in causing outrage over sexism at the Vatican leading up to the outreach initiative, scheduled for Feb. 4-7: A promotional video featured Italian actress Nancy Brilli asking women to contribute 60-second clips of their lives to be broadcast at the assembly.
"I am sure you have asked yourself many times, who are you are, what you do, what you think about your being a woman, your strengths, your difficulties, your body, and your spiritual life," the actress said, inviting submissions either through #LifeofWomen or through email by Jan. 4.
The video drew so much backlash, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister,removed the English version of the video from his department's website.
"Aside from the obvious -- sexy sell has long gone by the boards in developed nations and is totally unacceptable in predominantly Muslim countries -- the fact of the matter is that highlighting a stereotypical spokeswomen is not the way to ask for women's input," Phyllis Zagano wrote in a column for NCR. "Or is the Vatican convinced women's intellectual abilities rise only to the level of televised soap operas and cosmetics commercials?"
Cardinals and other Catholic prelates from around the world will cover a variety of women's issues at Wednesday's assembly, including domestic violence, plastic surgery and women's contributions to the church. Only men will be behind the closed doors.
[Soli Salgado is an NCR Bertelsen editorial intern. Her email address isssalgado@ncronline.org.]
More on the Naked Woman in Bondage image on Cover of Pontifical Council on Culture and Women , CEO's in the Catholic Church , " Happy Irony Week!!!" by Questions from an Ewe
Happy Irony Week!!
"Boys and girls, a strange week it is indeed, and it’s only Monday.
First, I read an article by Sr. Mary Ann Walsh in “America” magazine touting the Catholic Church as superior in offering career advancement opportunities for women as compared to secular industries. Then I gazed upon the bizarre female bondage artistic choice for the cover of the Pontifical Council on Culture’s working document regarding women. (see image below...)
It must be “happy irony week” in the Catholic Church because what else explains all this?
Let’s first enjoy the "America" magazine article’s irony in and of itselt. However, I will preface my comments with this thought: I work in the secular world as an executive and I’ve also done a lot of volunteering in the Catholic Church. “Career advancement opportunities for women” just has never been a phrase I use when describing the Catholic Church…never…not once.
Sr. Mary Ann’s article highlights statistics indicating the percentage of women CEOs for Catholic affiliated organizations such as hospitals is a higher than for secular companies. She fails to mention that those institutions cannot call themselves “Catholic” without the approval of the reigning bishop, the CEO of the local diocese. How many of those bishop/CEOs are women? The answer is “the empty set.”
Furthermore, many of those Catholic institutions were created by religious sisters – the same women who of late have been labeled by the reigning (male) hierarchs as being “radical feminists” as though they suffer from some incurable terminal disease. So, I’m trying to get this straight… Women who lead Catholic institutions are not radical feminists when they can be used as decoys for diverting attention from the church’s stifling sexism and discrimination? But when those women try to act in any way with which the local bishop/CEO disapproves, then they are labeled “radical feminists" and fired? Way to showcase those female leadership opportunities the church offers…
There’s also irony that an article about the virtual cornucopia of church female leadership opportunities appears in “America” magazine, a Jesuit periodical…because the Jesuits have precisely zero women in their organization. ‘Tis true; the Society of Jesus…an organization named after a guy whose society carried signature inclusion of women…does not itself permit women to join. Instead they adhere to a pre-US civil rights era segregationist’s mentality of “separate but equal.”
And then there’s the irony that the woman who wrote the article takes a check working for the Society of Jesus. But then Sr. Mary Ann also works as the Media Relations Director for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops…another group which has had precisely zero female CEOs. Therefore, in both of her communications roles, Sr. Mary Ann answers to men. I guess it’s actually more a case of tragic irony than comical irony that she whose public voice requires male approval wrote an article boasting about the church’s advocacy for women. That perhaps signifies the extent to which male hegemony can impact some people’s thinking.
But, the most exquisite irony comes from the timing of the article’s publication - the same week that the Pontifical Council on Culture holds a four-day Plenary Assembly to discuss women’s culture. The council’s members include how many women? Oh, that would be zero again! See, women have advanced so far in church leadership that a Pontifical Council can gather...completely straight-faced...without women members and feel they are qualified to make decisions about women. Nothing says “we really value you gals” like excluding them from the pontifical council that’s going to discuss them.
I don’t mean to complain or be fussy but let me just give a quick demographic run-down on the council’s members and you decide for yourself just how in-touch these guys are with women around the world… There are 13 Cardinals, 5 Archbishops, 8 Bishops, 1 Monsignor, 1 Rector (yes, he’s a priest; did you even need to ask…) and 3 Laymen.
Since these guys are…well guys…and they wanted to get together for four days and do nothing but talk non-stop about girls…they had a bright idea. No, it was not to invite women to join their council as members…what, are you drunk? No, they had some Italian actress make a video asking women to submit one minute or shorter videos about who they are…because evidently they believe nothing of importance about women requires more than a minute to explain. By the way, I sent them a link to my blog but I did not get an invitation to participate in their meeting.
The irony of the 31 all-male membership writing the following statement as the opening salvo of their working document about women just kind of says it all…“In our Plenary, the invaluable contribution of our Members and Consultors will allow us to gather some aspects of women’s cultures in four thematic stages, in order to identify possible pastoral paths which will allow Christian communities to listen and dialogue with the world today in this sphere.” You see, they’re going to “listen and dialogue” about women by not listening to or dialoging with them. This is clearly miracle fodder.
That’s really the high-point of the working document. It just goes downhill from there with sexist ideas and language.
In fairness, I must mention that 7 of the 35 Consultors are women – 2 religious and 5 laywomen. So the members are 31 men and then there are 28 more male consultors bringing the male attendee count to 59 as compared to 7 women consultors. I just have this sneaking suspicion that those 7 women have been carefully vetted and chosen based upon their parrot-like ability to repeat what the hierarchy says about women. I am not expecting them to contribute in a way that represents me or women like me or pretty much the majority of women in the world.
The four themes they will discuss are:
Theme 1: Between equality and difference: the quest for equilibrium
Theme 2: “Generativity” as a symbolic code
Theme 3: The female body: between culture and biology
Theme 4: Women and religion: flight or new forms of participation in the life of the church
As a woman, albeit one whose voice is not desired to contribute to this discussion since we have those 31 male council members who are way more qualified to talk about being female than me, the themes tell me more about the men who wrote them than about women. Are you really struggling with the concept that equality can exist within a diverse population? Do you really think that women who leave the church (often with the kiddies in tow) are forming a new way of participating in church when they say, “this place has a toxic sexist culture that I can’t tolerate anymore?” By the way, there are women who are doing this; they’re called women priests. You’re not too keen on them the last I recall
The theme regarding the female body doesn’t mention anything about correcting the mountains of theological conclusions drawn from scads of inaccurate understandings about human biology. Instead it talks about that really pressing woman’s issue…plastic surgery??? And quite frankly, I’ve read and re-read the section about "generativity as symbolic code" and it truly beats the ever-loving shit out of me as to what that’s supposed to be about.
So, I wish the council well in its discussions. I imagine its meeting outcomes will be more a source for entertainment than theological insight about women because it begins on faulty ground: it’s a meeting about women called by men in a council with exclusively male membership to provide guidance to an exclusively male clerical population. If this truly were about listening to and dialoging with women, it would be led by women, with a majority of council members as women. It would consider new ways of being church including female ordinations. It would talk about more substantive topics related to female human biology than plastic surgery.
Well, I better get off this merry-go-round of irony lest it make me any more dizzy than it already has. But my parting thoughts are these. What were you thinking when you chose the headless woman's figure with breasts and pubic region tied up in ropes as your report cover artwork? Just exactly what message are you trying to convey? Are women's minds so inconsequential to you that a beheaded woman was ok provided her reproductive parts were on full display? Could I please get a psychological analysis read-out on each council members' attitudes towards women because that image on your report cover makes me wonder if you all start from a very, very twisted sick mental attitude towards women."
Posted by Questions from a Ewe at 10:31 PM
Great article! the Vatican is in deep trouble on women's issues and clueless about going forward. If women were in decision making roles and had real authority, then, things could change. Until this happens, the prelates will have no credibility and sadly are so out of line with the vision of Jesus in the Gospels, they will continue to alienate more and more women and men who believe in gender justice and Gospel equality. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org, www.marymotherofjesus.org
"Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" Documentary on Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement Was Held at Venice Interfaith Community Assn. Program with Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
This was one of the programs offered on world religions sponsored by the Venice Interfaith Community Assn. Program . Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP answered questions about the movement and participated in a dialogue with those who attended the program. ,
Monday, February 2, 2015
Naked Woman Image by Pontifical Council Reflects the Vatican's Sexism Holding Women in Spiritual Bondage
Another ill-advised move by the Vatican!This naked woman
image put out by the Pontifical Council
for Culture reflects the Vatican’s patriarchal, dysfunctional view that holds
women in spiritual bondage. This image denigrates women's bodies and souls and
reflects a deep misogyny in need of healing and transformation. If we had women priests at the Vatican, do you think an image like this would see the light of day?
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com
www.arcwp.org,www.marymotherofjesus.org
http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/02/02/vatican-effort-to-talk-about-womens-issues-stirs-controversy/
The Vatican is clueless on women's issues. This article below with the defensive explanation indicates that the headless Venus tightly bound in ropes is totally inappropriate and that the explanation by Micol Forti , director of the Contemporary Art collection of the Vatican Museum, is a huge stretch!! Once again, men are making decisions about women's issues, and they have come up an image that insults all women who believe that they are equal spiritual images of God. When will they ever learn? Only women can provide the help that is needed!
"From the article: “Adding fuel to the fire, the website of the general assembly is illustrated with an image of “Venus Restored” by artist Man Ray, a plaster cast of a headless Venus tightly bound in ropes. The 1936 sculpture is intended to depict woman as a subjugated sex object, but also as a creature who rises above men’s depictions. Critics have questioned the wisdom of using such an image for aVatican
discussion of women, suggesting it may send the wrong signal about the Church’s
support for female emancipation. Micol Forti, director of the
Contemporary Art collection of the Vatican
Museum
http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=831
http://www.smh.com.au/world/a-little-misunderstanding-as-vatican-runs-into-trouble-for-using-sexy-blonde-actress-in-video-20150202-133nu4.html
http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/02/02/vatican-effort-to-talk-about-womens-issues-stirs-controversy/
The Vatican is clueless on women's issues. This article below with the defensive explanation indicates that the headless Venus tightly bound in ropes is totally inappropriate and that the explanation by Micol Forti , director of the Contemporary Art collection of the Vatican Museum, is a huge stretch!! Once again, men are making decisions about women's issues, and they have come up an image that insults all women who believe that they are equal spiritual images of God. When will they ever learn? Only women can provide the help that is needed!
"From the article: “Adding fuel to the fire, the website of the general assembly is illustrated with an image of “Venus Restored” by artist Man Ray, a plaster cast of a headless Venus tightly bound in ropes. The 1936 sculpture is intended to depict woman as a subjugated sex object, but also as a creature who rises above men’s depictions. Critics have questioned the wisdom of using such an image for a
http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda/?p=831
The Pontifical Council for Culture has an agenda on women: the same tired old cage
"In fact, they don’t really want women’s input in this initiative on “Women’s Culture.” As Soline Humbert informs me, “The Pontifical Council for Culture has 32 permanent members, all male, appointed for 5 years. Almost all are cardinals, bishops and priests, and a couple of lay men (“men of culture”…No “women of culture”…) There are also Consultors who are appointed by the pope… There are 27 male consultors, and 7 women, ( if I remember correctly), appointed last Summer by Pope Francis.”
In other words: that’s zero females among the 32 permanent members of the Pontifical Council, while in the outer circle of Consultors the ratio of men to women is 4:1, for a total of 59 men and 7 women. This is who is going to issue a definitive statement on “Women’s Culture” — and they expect that to pass for change, in their initiative to engage Catholic women.
This is a familiar pattern of high priestcraft: barring women entirely from the core of power, and admitting a few carefully screened females to an outer circle, where they are greatly outnumbered (and outranked) by men. Soline adds that “there has been a mention of a group of women working on the outline discussion document now released, but I have not seen the names of the members of that group (anonymous women?) nor how they were selected. In addition, while they mentioned there would be an ‘Open Day’ it seems it’s again by invitation only for a select few….”
Venus in bondage: the hierarchy’s vision of Women’s Culture
The image selected for this initiative is highly symbolic: a naked, headless, armless, legless woman in bondage. It is Man Ray’s 1936 photo “Venus Restored.” This is their idea of Women’s Culture?!? Soline Humbert sums it up well on the We Are Church Ireland blog:
“Man Ray had a strong interest in Sade and sadism and there is a recurrent sadistic streak in his artwork, as well as in his relationships with women, characterised by domination and aggression. Man Ray photographed women wearing implements of bondage and enacting scenes of torture. He also helped others, like William B Seabrook realise in real life his fantasies of women bondage.
“What is behind this choice of female bondage image by the (all male)Pontifical Council for culture? Is it the choice of the group of women (Who are they?) behind this document? What message does it seek to convey?”
We may well ask.
The same goes for Pope Francis’ recent scoldings of Pilipina women for their high birth rates, after decades of churchmen steadily advocating the rhythm method! As if abstinence is a real option for most married women in this world. He does not have the least clue about the reality that they live. When it comes to women, nothing has changed..."
http://www.smh.com.au/world/a-little-misunderstanding-as-vatican-runs-into-trouble-for-using-sexy-blonde-actress-in-video-20150202-133nu4.html
Vatican
assembly on women equality without priesthood talk 'a joke':
Universal Society of Hinduism
Zed
urged His Holiness Pope Francis to introduce some "real equality" by
reconsidering favorably the ordination of women priests. As women
were ...
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Zed
dubs Vatican assembly on women equality without priesthood talk “a
joke”
Vatican
assembly on women's equality in Rome from February 4-7 despite big
fanfare seemed like a joke as there was no discussion proposed
on ...
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Vatican
hits sour note with women, but progress may come
VATICAN
CITY – A new Vatican outreach initiative to listen to women hit a sour note
before it even ... No, there is no talk of ordaining women
priests.
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Hindu Leader Dubs Vatican assembly on women's equality without priesthood talk “a joke”/"Vatican image reflects a church that holds women in spiritual bondage", Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Bridget Mary's Response: I agree with Hindu Leader Rajan Zed that it is time for the Vatican to affirm a renewed priestly ministry with women priests The good news is that the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests is serving inclusive communities where all are welcome to receive sacraments. The image illustrating Vatican equality is disturbing. The Vatican image reflects a patriarchal, dysfunctional church that holds women in spiritual bondage. This image denigrates women's bodies and souls and reflects a deep misogyny in need of healing and transformation. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org, www.marymotherofjesus.org
For immediate release
For immediate release
Vatican assembly on women's equality in Rome from February
4-7 despite big fanfare seemed like a joke as there was no discussion proposed
on women priesthood, religious statesman Rajan Zed stated in Nevada (USA)
today.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism,
pointed out that the outline document of this “equality” assembly clearly stated
that “There is no discussion here of women priests, which according to
statistics is not something that women want”, without mentioning the source of
such “statistics”. But this document irrelevantly and strongly denounced plastic
surgery, quoting it as “burqa made of flesh”.
Rajan Zed further said that Holy See being the largest
religious organization in the world with about 1.2 billion adherents should show
exemplary leadership in women equality to the rest of the planet by ordaining
women priests.
When Church of England could consecrate a female bishop
(January 26) overturning centuries of tradition, why can’t Roman Catholic Church
ordain women? Zed asked.
Rajan Zed stressed that women could disseminate God’s message
as skillfully as men and deserved equal and full participation and access in
religion. What was the relevance of such assemblies on “equality” when the
Church’s Cannon Law 1024 clearly said—Only a baptized man validly receives
sacred ordination.
Zed urged His Holiness Pope Francis to introduce some “real
equality” by reconsidering favorably the ordination of women priests. As women
were equal partners in the society, they should be equal partners in Church
also, Zed added. He urged Vatican to be more kind to Roman Catholic women as
exclusion of women from some religious services, just because they were female,
was very unfair and ungodly.
Quoting Hindu scriptures, Rajan Zed says: Where women are
honored, there the gods are pleased. Men and women are equal in the eyes of God
and religions should respect that, Zed notes and adds that time has now come for
the women priests and bishops.
Zed suggested that theologians and canonists of the Church
needed to address women ordination issue urgently; re-evaluate Church doctrine,
theology, male hierarchy and history; and give women a chance. Women should be
ordained to priesthood and should perform the same functions as male priests.
Treating women as not equal to men was clearly a case of discrimination
promoting gender inequality.
Even the image illustrating this Vatican “equality” assembly
was disturbing, which showed a naked woman without head-arms-legs in bondage
bound with rope, which seemed some kind of erotic fantasy. Vatican should
display more maturity, seriousness and responsibility towards women, Rajan Zed
indicated.
Litany of Thanksgiving for the Ordination of Women adapted by Patty Zorn, Original text created by Ruth Meyers
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| Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Ordination of priest Judith Bautista , Colombia, |
Litany of Thanksgiving
for the Ordination of Women
for the Ordination of Women
Response is: Our Spirits rejoice in God!
Let us give thanks to God, who has created
us and is transforming the Church. Our souls proclaim the greatness of God. For
the gifts of leadership which you have bestowed upon women and men in the
Church, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Florence Li, ordained an Episcopal
priest in Hong Kong in 1944, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Dr. Eleonora Marinaro ordained a
Catholic Woman Priest in 1992, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Phyllis Bracco ordained a Catholic
Woman Priest in 1999, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Pamela LeClerc ordained a Catholic
Women Priest in 2003 and consecrated a bishop in 2007; first female Bishop,
OCCNA, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Peg Ioannone-Nethery ordained a
Catholic Woman Priest in 2004, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For Rev. Patricia Zorn ordained a Catholic
Woman Priest in 2005, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For the first seven women ordained as Roman
Catholic Women Priests on the Danube River in 2002, Our Spirits rejoice in
God.
For Bridget Mary Meehan ordained a Roman
Catholic Woman Priest in Pittsburgh in 2008 and consecrated a Bishop in 2009;
first female Bishop of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, Our
Spirits rejoice in God.
For the ministries of ordained women -
bishops, priests, and deacons - who serve and lead in your Church, Our
Spirits rejoice in God.
For the courageous leadership of those who
envisioned the possibilities of a priesthood that includes women as well as
men, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For the persistent vision of those
denominations where women cannot be ordained, who long to experience the
ordained leadership of women as well as men, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
For our children who are growing up with an
image of ordained leadership which includes both women and men, Our Spirits
rejoice in God.
For ordained women who have died and joined
the larger communion of saints, Our Spirits rejoice in God.
Good and gracious God, you have done great
things for us:
Holy is your name.
We thank you for the gifts we are receiving
through the ministry of ordained women,
and above all; for the gifts of salvation and new life
offered through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be praise and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Holy is your name.
We thank you for the gifts we are receiving
through the ministry of ordained women,
and above all; for the gifts of salvation and new life
offered through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be praise and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
(Original
text created by Ruth Meyers, Seabury-Western Theological Center
http://arc.episcopalchurch.org/women/two/litany.htm, adapted by Patty Zorn, ARCWP priest on anniversary of her ordination)
Sunday, February 1, 2015
"Deflation and liberation" Homily by Richard Svosko
https://richardsvosko.wordpress.com/
...."While some people were suspicious of what Jesus said the man in the story, with an unhealthy spirit, was not. He had been sitting in the synagogue for years and heard nothing from the scribes that would help change anything in his life. Jesus, on the other hand, was announcing a new way to live which countered false prophecies. He was demonstrating God’s victory over evil. One might say he took the air out of the demon.
Scholar Brendan Byrne suggests the demonized man represents everything that holds us back from moving forward with our lives. Jesus’s teachings and the exorcism of the unclean spirit both were acts of liberation. [2] Jesus freed up the man so he could regain his dignity as a human being."
Saturday, January 31, 2015
"The Trial of Judas Iscariot" by Roberta Meehan, D. Min.
Spread the Word!! The book is officially available both from Create Space and from Amazon.
Create Space eStore: https://www.createspace.com/900001063
The Trial of Judas Iscariot Authored by Roberta M. Meehan, D.Min.Looking for a new and exciting way to present a tough scriptural dilemma to your group? Put Judas Iscariot on trial for whatever crimes he may have committed! This reading theater, scripturally based presentation with every event carefully cited and cross-referenced is suitable for any denomination and any group -- from high schoolers through senior citizens. The Trial of Judas Iscariot will have everyone thinking about what else is behind the Judas story.
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Create Space eStore: https://www.createspace.com/900001063
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