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Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Why Study Theology? People's Catholic Seminary - Inclusive, Liberating, Empowering, Equal- Affordable and Transforming
The Contributions of Catholic Theologian Elizabeth Johnson CSJ, former President of Catholic Theological Society
Address life-long question for the Living God.
Countless articles
How to speak about God
Meaning of Jesus and salvation
Global Voices of Women/Feminist Theology
Mary, our Sister,
Communion of Saints
Ecological Theology for flourishing of earth
Theological speech always falls short in etxpressing the Divine Mystery of God
Female language drawn from experiences of women can help to fostering deeper insights into Divine Mystery
Her book, She Who Is. won major award in Catholic Theological world.
Archives in Notre Dame
"Free Air: 5 Cents", Questions from an Ewe
Serious family matters have interfered with me writing blog articles lately. However, many fascinating things in our Church have captured my attention during this lapse and have been rattling around in my brain. I’ve tried forming them into a single cohesive article but I think a series of vignettes might work better. Here are a few recent ones from my hometown, diocese and state:
1. My former pastor recently pleaded guilty to embezzling large sums from the parish’s accounts earmarked for helping the poor pay for education, food, housing, and utilities. He’s been sentenced to several years in prison but is still a priest because stealing money donated to help the poor does not merit defrocking. To be defrocked, it requires doing something really reprehensible like advocating for women’s ordination or reproductive health.
I feel rather sorry for the guy. I think he simply blurred the lines between schmoozing encouraged by the hierarchy, such as for acquiring golden chalices, and schmoozing that displeases the hierarchy…when caught, such as funding the trappings of personal pleasure. Due to weakly written and even more weakly enforced Canon Laws, pastors can get away with blurring these lines for decades. Kudos to the current pastor for his whistleblowing. However, he is frustrated because people’s lingering mistrust has impacted weekly donations. People don’t trust the system; it’s probably not personal.
2. Four of our diocese’s Catholic high school football players were not permitted to start in last Friday’s football match. Their crime? Stealing from the poor? Nah… Before the game, they respectfully kneeled during the playing of the U.S. national anthem as a poised social justice act denouncing the (sometimes deadly) biased treatment young men of color frequently receive from law enforcement officials.
It was very windy this past weekend so all I can figure is the wind tore apart diocesan officials’ Catholic theology books, blowing away all the pages covering Catholic Social Justice teachings which would justify these young men’s actions. I did not attend the game but I envision clergy and school officials scurrying about to collect, reassemble and study these pages during the game because, miraculously, in time to snatch a come-from-behind win, the players, including the star quarterback, were admitted to play in the game. Catholic Social Justice won in the end. But, praise Jesus, the 11thCommandment, “Thou shalt not lose sporting matches,” remained intact too. Kudos to the young men who schooled their school and diocesan officials in Catholic Social Justice.
3. My dad often tells the story of a service station in his youth that advertised this ironic slogan, “free air: 5 cents”…the air itself was no-charge but using the air pump to direct it where it was needed cost a person 5 cents. (For my non-US readers, 5 cents is 5% of one US dollar.)
I share that story because in the Detroit Archdiocese, we have one of these “free air: 5 cents” situations tied to the beatification Mass for Fr. Solanus Casey. The Mass will be held at Ford Field in Detroit, the sporting arena for the Detroit Lions professional football team. Tickets are “free” but you have to pay a $5.00 USD processing fee. I guess with over 70 years of inflation, free air now costs $5.00 instead of 5 cents.
Solanus Casey was a Capuchin friar who spent many years at St. Bonaventure monastery in Detroit. He lived a life of minimalism with almost no personal possessions and he gained local fame for interacting with people like my grandfather who brought a few alcoholic colleagues to Fr. Solanus for healing. Though Solanus’ life was noted for simplicity and poverty, his beatification Mass, it seems, will not. Tickets have been given for “free” at $5.00 per ticket to 60,000 people already, yielding $300,000 for “free” tickets. That’s some expensive processing. I assume further profits will be made in the name of this simple man because concessions will be open for the beatification Mass. Maybe instead of the typical sporting event concessions combo of a hotdog, popcorn, pretzel and a soda, pious participants attending the beatification Mass can get a hotdog, popcorn, rosary and some holy water to-go.
The Church officially prohibits charging for reception of the sacraments such as attending a Mass. To do so is called “simony.” To get around this prohibition and pretend no one is charging for access to the sacramental beatification Mass, the tickets are free, but the processing fee to order and receive the tickets costs $5.00. Yes, between hawking tickets at $5.00 apiece as well as hawking concessions, the money changerswill be in the temple!
I guess if it were a Mass for someone like the embezzling priest, the money changers in the temple wouldn’t seem so garishly vulgar as it does capitalizing on the good name and works of a man who owned one religious robe, one pair of sandals, a shaving mug and a violin. Forgive them God, though I think they know full well what they do…
Finally, a side note: I will be speaking at Call to Action’s regional conference in Detroit, MI on October 21. Here’s a linkfor more details. I look forward to praying and discussing spiritual journeys with those who attend.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Vatican Addresses Poverty, Violence and Human Rights of Women, Time to Address Connections with Women's Equality in the Church
| Poverty, violence hinder progress for women and girls, says Vatican nuncio to UN
UNITED NATIONS – Conditions in many parts of the world force women and girls to bear the burden of carrying out everyday chores for their families ...
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..."Addressing the violence women and girls face, Archbishop Auza again quoted Pope Francis in saying that eliminating violence is impossible "until exclusion and inequality in society and between peoples are reversed."
"Through poverty and exclusion, adolescent girls, especially those in rural areas, also experience heightened vulnerability to sexual exploitation, child marriage and other unacceptable forms of violence," the archbishop said. "The horrifying prevalence of violence against women, thus, remains a salient and sad example of the deep connection between economic exclusion and violence."
Archbishop Auza also discussed the current global migration crisis and its effect on migrant women and girls in particular, reminding the global community it has a responsibility "to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate" migrants and refugees.
"Millions of women and girls are fleeing violent conflicts or extreme poverty only to find themselves exploited by traffickers and manipulators along perilous routes and even in host communities," the archbishop said. "
Bridget Mary's Response: I welcome Pope Francis' analysis of the relationship between violence, poverty, and the sexual abuse of women in the global community. However, until the Roman Catholic Church treats women as equals and opens up priestly ministry to them officially, they will not be able to help heal the wounds of patriarchy in the church or world. Our international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is leading the way to a more inclusive church now, and we are making the connections between violence, poverty, sexism and women's human rights.
"Always in All Ways" Inspirational Music from Joy in Our Hearts by Karen Drucker
https://youtu.be/LXGfNWXU7xo
Contemplative Eucharist at The Healing Waters of Christ Sophia Retreat on Emerald Island, NC, Ann Harrington ARCWP , October 6-9, 2017
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| Ann Harrington ARCWP |
830pm Introduction, Anointing Service with
song: "Shepherd of My Heart", https://youtu.be/1w4AvSqow38
quiet
begins
Saturday 830am
Breakfast, quiet continues
1000am Guided Meditation, "Sophia Advocate for
Transformation "
1015am Individual Reflection Time
1045am Group Sharing
1130am Honoring the Sacred Feminine by Jan
Phillips https://youtu.be/OmAmEK26CcM
1200pm Group Sharing
1230pm Lunch and Cleanup
130-3pm Free Time
3pm Tai Chi on the beach
5pm Supper
730pm Movie (Fatso 1980)
9pm Leccio on "Woman at the Well",
quiet resumes
Sunday 8am Contemplative Eucharist, song for after communion-"O
Sun" by Peter Mayer
CONTEMPLATIVE EUCHARIST
SONG
READING
Presider: When the hour had come, Jesus took a place at the table and said to them, "I've longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, broke it and gave it to them saying:
All: "This is my body which will be given for you. Do this in remembrance of me".
Presider: Then taking the cup of wine Jesus gave thanks and said:
All: "Take this and share it among you. This cup is the New Covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you". (Luke 21)
I give you a new commandment: Love one another the way I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, that you truly love one another. (John 13)
Presider: (lift bread and cup) Through the sharing of this bread and wine may we awaken to the sacredness of our lives and the beauty all around us. May we experience your divine presence, O Creator God, so deeply, that our lives become reflections of Jesus. Amen
All: This is the Body of Christ for the Body of Christ. (Pass the bread and cup in silence) (EACH PERSON WILL "BREAK" THEIR PIECE FROM THE BREAD)
(Begin Centering Prayer)
Blessing
Presider: May the Love that passes all understanding be our guide. Take what you have received and share it lovingly with all you meet. All: Amen
Dismissal
Presider: Christ has no body now but yours. Go be the eyes, ears, arms and feet of Christ Sophia. All: Thanks be to God!
9am Breakfast, quiet is over
1115am Closing
Sharing-was this retreat helpful for you?
Dance to
"Let Your Light Shine In Us"
1130am Cleanup and Departure
Monday, October 9, 2017
A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
So that we may live deep within your heart.
So that we may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in this world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
To believe that you can make a difference in this world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
Amen.
"Eucharist in the Convent Basement" by Francine Dempsey
http://globalsistersreport.org/column/ministry-spirituality/eucharist-convent-basement-49511
..."At an early-evening "midnight" Mass in the Syracuse jail, pieces of bread pass from hand to hand. The guitar intones, "Silent night, holy night."
All sing.
Pizza boxes carted into the jail and up to the tiers yield large slices dripping spicy tomato sauce and melting cheese. The volunteers' full hands reach through metal bars to the waiting hands of locked-in, grey-garbed men and women. The guitar plays "Jingle Bells."
All eat.
______
Holy Thursday supper, the opening meal of this year's Triduum retreat, loaves of bread in all sizes and shapes overflow straw baskets on each table. Hands, most gnarly from a lifetime of giving, break the bread and share it. Thus fed, we enter anew into the sacred days' rituals.
Sated, I return to my convent home. Built 60 years ago for the 24 nuns who staffed the parish school, this tired building today houses just four. All are approaching 80 years of age.
The convent chapel with its priceless stained glass windows, once a site of daily Communion, sits empty, hungering for bread and wine.
Down the hall, Marlene, Kathleen, Honora and I gather at the kitchen table to share the meal we take turns preparing for each other."
"Five Ways Pastors Unconsciously Reinforce Abuse, and How to Do Better" by Natalie Collins
https://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/mutuality/five-ways-pastors-unconsciously-reinforce-abuse-and-how-do-better?platform=hootsuite
This is a must-read article on domestic violence written from evangelical Christian perspective with wisdom for spiritual leaders in every denomination. It shines a light on the impact of a literal interpretation of the bible and the lack of discussion about patriarchy and its negative effects on women in church and society.
The full equality and flourishing of women is the will of God for all times! Anything less does not reflect the infinite love of the Divine in our beings and our world. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
This is a must-read article on domestic violence written from evangelical Christian perspective with wisdom for spiritual leaders in every denomination. It shines a light on the impact of a literal interpretation of the bible and the lack of discussion about patriarchy and its negative effects on women in church and society.
The full equality and flourishing of women is the will of God for all times! Anything less does not reflect the infinite love of the Divine in our beings and our world. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
..."Gender stereotyping and sexist jokes are often used to build rapport, either in personal conversations or during teaching. I recently attended a youth event where the speaker praised his “hot wife” and “beautiful daughters” and told us about the time he evangelized to a woman he described as a stripper. He made sure to let us know that, “I told myself to look at her face, not her chest.”
It can seem like harmless fun to joke about men being terrible at looking after children or women being bad drivers. But what are we telling the man in the room who shirks his parenting duties, driving his wife beyond the point of exhaustion, then shames her for being a bad mother if their children misbehave? What about the man who drives recklessly, endangering and frightening his family, but refuses to let his wife drive because women are “bad drivers”? When pastors praise their “hot wives,” what are they telling the woman whose husband treats her as his trophy, forcing her to always dress up but constantly telling her she’s ugly and disgusting?
Offhand comments and sexist jokes are not harmless. They feed a culture that reinforces an abusive man’s views. They tell a woman who endures abuse that his behavior is normal and justified.
How we can do better:
Avoid these types of comments and jokes. Instead, make a joke that highlights the absurdity of a gender stereotype. Humor can be a good way to challenge a cultural norm without appearing confrontational.
Call out others when they make this type of comment or joke. You don’t need to be mean or self-righteous about it. Just make sure people understand that those comments aren’t welcomed in your church community and explain why.
Talk about this issue. In sermons, exhort your congregation not to engage in this behavior. In staff meetings and trainings, make it clear that this isn’t acceptable. When guest speakers come, ask them to refrain from these kinds of remarks.
Headship and Submission
Many complementarians are clear that they are also seeking to address male violence towards women. I do not doubt that complementarian Christians can be pastorally sensitive to those who have been subjected to abuse, but can they address the root causes? I’m not so sure.
The most basic complementarian belief is that even though women and men have equal worth, God prescribes roles. In those roles, men lead and women submit. This is justified by poor teaching on headship and submission. Many pastors teach that this is the foundation of a healthy family.
Regardless of good intentions, this contributes to a view that men are superior to women. It is a pastoral imperative that any teaching on headship and submission assumes that some of the men present are abusing their wives. And that some of the women present are being subjected to abuse. This ensures that we filter our teaching through a lens of safety and an intention of not colluding with abusers.
How we can do better:
Not only is gender-role theology harmful, it’s unfaithful to the Bible. Pastors need to do a better job with the biblical text.
A good exposition of the Bible’s words on headship and submission would make it clear that Paul calls for reciprocal submission. Point out that the household codes in Ephesians 5 actually demanded that men lay down power and dominance over their wives in a way that was unheard of. The takeaway should be mutual submission and the laying down of power, not a call for men to be nicer patriarchs.
Every time you preach on headship and submission, use the opportunity to speak specifically about domestic violence. Call out ways these teachings have been manipulated to justify abuse. No one should hear about headship and submission without also hearing about mutual submission and co-leadership.
Forgiveness and repentance
Research has found that religious women are not less likely to be subjected to abuse, but they are likely to endure abuse for longer.5Why? One reason is our focus on forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a dominant theme in Christianity, but we must be careful! Often, forgiveness is equated with reconciliation. Or, it is said to nullify the consequences of someone’s sin. This can be deeply harmful, because forgiveness does not fix everything. Forgiveness can only enter the picture when the one being abused is safe.
How we can do better:
When teaching on forgiveness, make it clear that forgiveness does not mean enduring further abuse. When Scripture talks of suffering, it is in the context of persecution for faith, not suffering through abuse.
Similarly, when we talk about repentance, we need to ensure that we are not colluding with the manipulative tears of an abuser. The person repenting has no right to demand forgiveness from those he has wronged. True repentance means an abusive man must lose the power he has over his wife. And she, in turn, must gain liberation and fullness of life.
Prayer
How we talk about prayer can either hurt or help women being subjected to abuse. We cannot simply teach that “prayer changes everything.” Prayer doesn’t always change everything.
When we extoll the value of prayer and waiting on God, what does this tell the woman whose husband is systematically raping her? We give her hope that he will miraculously stop. If he doesn’t, what will she think? Perhaps that she is not faithful enough for her prayers to be answered? Perhaps God wants her in this situation so she can grow spiritually? Or perhaps God is okay with what’s happening?
When we teach carelessly about prayer, we plant the seeds of these ideas. In truth, all research suggests that abusers need to work with an accredited perpetrator program if they are to sustain any change. We have to do better.
How we can do better:
When you teach about prayer, make it clear that God’s gift of free will makes prayer a partnership between the power of God and the power of human beings.
Don’t just teach it, do it. Encourage and help women get to a place of safety. Connect them with professionals who can respond effectively. Find trainings on responding to domestic violence and require your staff to attend. Connect with advocates and ask for advice on how to make your church safe for women who are abused; and then follow their recommendations. Prayer is important, but needs to go hand-in-hand with tangible actions.
Sex and Family
In our eagerness to preserve sexual morality, we have painted a simplistic picture of sex, where morality is all about where it happens—outside of or within marriage. Sex before marriage is always bad, and sex within marriage as always good. What does this communicate to those who have been abused?
Those who have been subjected to abuse outside of marriage hear that they are tainted and have sinned, when in fact they have been sinned against. It fosters guilt, shame, and secrecy instead of safety, healing, and freedom.
Within marriage, the truth is that sex is not always bliss. Sex after marriage can be abusive, coercive, unsatisfying, and immoral. Rape can be committed within marriage. When subjected to abuse within marriage, women may believe something is wrong with them if sex is not perfect like is “should” be.
To make matters worse, we stigmatize single parents, divorce, and separation, assuming these conditions result from immorality. This creates pressure for women to marry and stay married to men who abuse them and their children.
How we can do better:
Teach more holistically about sex. It’s not just about whether you’re married or not. Talk to young people (and adults) about consent, coercion, and intimacy. Define rape, domestic violence, and healthy sexuality. Acknowledge that rape is usually perpetrated by boyfriends, husbands, and even church leaders. Talk about these issues in youth groups, premarital counseling, small groups, and Sunday gatherings.
When you preach or teach, present a true picture of sexual morality and immorality from Scripture. For instance, don’t teach that Bathsheba seduced David. It’s simply not true, and feeds assumptions about gender and sexuality. The truth is he saw (stalked?) her from his palace, used his power to coerce her into sex, then arranged for her husband to die in order save face. Call this out for the evil that it is. Challenge men to consider whether they are using their power to take advantage of women, and state unequivocally that it must stop.
Don’t make offhand comments lamenting divorce rates or the tragic state of single mothers. When you talk about these topics, do it with care. Be clear that there are very good—and moral—reasons for people to find themselves in such a state. Make sure your congregation learns to welcome and support people without judgment or suspicion.
The church has endless opportunities to influence how people form and maintain relationships, from preaching to parenting classes, teen relationship lessons, premarital counseling, marriage enrichment sessions, and more. Being sensitive to how our communications can either collude with or challenge abusers, and support or alienate those subjected to abuse, can only strengthen our ability to make a difference and ensure the gospel is good news for all people.
This article appeared in the printed version of Mutuality as "From Collusion to Correction: Five Ways Pastors Unconsciously Reinforce Abuse, and How to Do Better."
Notes
1. Charlene Aaron, “Domestic Abuse in the Church a ‘Silent Epidemic,’” CBN News, Feb. 5, 2016, http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2016/January/Combating-Domestic-Abuse-in-....
2. “Statistics,” National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http://www.ncadv.org/learn-more/statistics.
3. See footnote 44 of Steven R Tracy, "Patriarchy and Domestic Violence: Challenging Common Misconceptions," JETS 50, no. 3 (September 2007) 573–94. http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/50/50-3/JETS_50-3_573-594_Tracy.pdf
4. “Broken Silence: A Call for Churches to Speak Out,” Sojourners and IMA World Health, 2014, http://www.imaworldhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/PastorsSurveyRe....
5. Renee M. Malina, “A Biblical Response to the Abused Wife,” Mending the Soul, 2010, http://www.mendingthesoul.org/research-and-resources/research-and-articl....
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