"Etched in Flesh" - Reflection by Denise Hackert-Stoner, ARCWP, on a Sermon by Walter Brueggemann

 “Behold the days are coming, says YHWY, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.  It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them up out of the land of Egypt – a covenant they broke, though I was their spouse, says YHWY. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YHWY:  I will put my Law in their minds and on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.

No longer will they have to teach one another or remind one another to listen to YHWY.  All of them, high and low alike, will listen to me, says YHWY, for I will forgive their misdeeds and remember their sins no more.”   (Jeremiah 31: 31-33, Inclusive Bible translation)

Such hopeful words from the prophet who mourned with his people over their exile in Babylon, and who brought them to task for abandoning their faith and straying from the law which stitched them together as a people!  Such healing balm from the prophet who depicted the mental image of “Rachel weeping for her children!”  And yet it is the same Jeremiah, who when all seemed and indeed was lost, saw hope.  I imagine how the message now fixed in these chapters was received by the exiled community.  Were they skeptical about the prospect of YHWY’s favor?  I think they probably were, and they probably believed that they could never earn that favor back after straying so far from their God and the law that defined them as a people.  But Jeremiah, speaking for YHWY, says nothing about earning.  Rather, Jeremiah depicts YHWY as a wronged spouse who despite betrayal and hurt is waiting with open arms, ready to renew the love-relationship.  And this time YHWY promises to make it easy for the people to be faithful by imprinting the beloved law onto their hearts.

In his sermon “Etched in Flesh” Water Brueggemann draws on Jeremiah’s hopeful words and expands our understanding of them.  He reminds us of Jeremiah’s conviction that it is God who yearns for new life with Israel, and that despite their infidelity God offers the people a completely new, slate-clean relationship.  Brueggemann’s term for this new covenant is “a new start-up of fidelity,” and I think that is very apt.  It is from scratch, nothing from the past dragged in. 

Brueggemann reminds us that the law which had been abandoned by the people and would now be etched in their hearts represented much more than religious practice, dietary regulations, etc.  Rather, the underlying law spelled out in the book of Deuteronomy is more about justice than diet, more about treating the poor with compassion than wearing the right clothing.  This was the law that would be etched into the hearts of the people of Israel:  economic justice for all, including the poor. 

This is the law which is etched onto our hearts as well, and the hearts of all who walk this earth.  We just need to listen to our hearts to know the only law that counts.

From Deuteronomy, to Jeremiah, to Jesus, to our lives today, the law may be expressed in different words, but is the same world-over.  It crosses all religions and cultures.  It is the call to treat others fairly, to love the people with whom we share this earth.

At the Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community, each week as the bread is being broken we as a community repeat this promise:  “Oh Holy One, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.  We will live justly.  You call us to be your presence in the world.  We will love tenderly.  You call us to speak truth to power.  We will walk with integrity in your presence.”  These are the words spoken by our mouths and etched on our hearts. 

At Baptism we welcome a new child (or adult) into our community.  As a human being sharing life on this planet we believe that the words of the law of justice are already there, within the heart.  But this is a time to speak the words aloud, to proclaim them.  And so we do this, and with great joy:  “By asking for Baptism within the Christian community, you are promising to teach (your child) to live justly, to love tenderly and to walk with integrity for all to see and celebrate.” (from the Baptismal Rite used at the Upper Room)  This is a new life, and with every new life comes new hope, a covenant written anew on the hearts of the whole community.  What joy!

At Confirmation we recognize the commitment made by the person being confirmed. This is another reason to celebrate, that the promises made on that person’s behalf at Baptism have taken root, and blossomed into a desire to make an adult commitment to justice.  Each commitment, each energetic YES to standing on the side of Love is another reason to celebrate.  All is not lost, no matter how dim the future of the world may appear, when the law of love and justice is etched and alive in so many hearts!

Denise Hackert-Stoner is a candidate for priesthood through the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. She will we ordained a deacon in Albany, NY with Julie Corron on Saturday September 7, 2019. This reflection is part of her ordination preparation program through the People’s Catholic Seminary.

Amazonian Synod- Exclusion of Women from Ordained Ministries Not a Solution- Women' s Ordination Conference

Yesterday, the Vatican released the working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for October's Amazonian Synod, with several lines relating to women and ministry. In particular, the document suggests identifying the type of "official ministry that can be given to women," and recovering aspects of the early Church, where women's charisms and gifts were recognized. It also asks that the voices of women be heard, and states that women should participate in decision-making processes.

While the Amazonian Synod is meant to discuss the challenges and hopes of that region, the urgent pastoral needs of the regional communities are not dissimilar from the rest of the Church: How do we as a Church care for one another and creation? How do we empower local voices and ministries? How do we model Jesus in challenging times? 

The headlines from yesterday focus on the discussion on indigenous elders - married men - being ordained to provide the sacraments in regions with a shortage of priests. While we applaud greater access to the Eucharist and the opportunity for all people to answer their call, the continued exclusion of women from ordained ministries is not a solution. 

There is hope in this document, and moreover, a challenge for the institutional Church to recognize what is already happening on the ground: Women are ministering to the People of God.  If we are to "look for the helpers," as Mister Rogers liked to say, amidst the failures and disasters of our institution, we must look for and empower women. And as the Synod prepares to convene in October, we say: Give them a vote, too. 

For equality, Kate McElwee  Executive Director Katie Lacz Program Associate

Mary Mother of Jesus Liturgy: Liturgical Dance by Sheila Carey and Helen Duffy-March 23, 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpgia1W5I1U&feature=youtu.be

Sheila Carey and Helen Duffy performed this liturgical dance at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community at St. Andrew Church in Sarasota, Florida on March 23, 2010.

How could Bishop Bransfield misuse funds for years without raising red flags? by Ashley McKinless

I thought I had lost the capacity to be surprised by the misconduct of bishops after the past year of scandal. But as I read The Washington Post's report on the financial abuses committed by Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, who was recently removed as head of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia, I could not believe what I was learning. Fueled by revenues from a Texas oil field donated to the diocese over a century ago, the bishop in one of this country's poorest states was living a life of luxury and cutting four- and five-figure checks to fellow clerics-including certain priests who accused Bransfield of sexual harassment. I knew who I needed to talk to process this news: my mom. And not just because she is the reason I am Catholic. Kathy McKinless also happens to have served as the acting chief financial officer for the Archdiocese of Washington, served on the volunteer finance council of the Diocese of Arlington, was an expert witness in a banking fraud trial and, as a partner at the accounting firm KPMG, audited dioceses and religious organizations. If anyone could explain to me how exactly a bishop could travel by chartered jet and decorate his office with $100 worth of fresh flowers each day-or at least reassure me this was not normal behavior-it was she. I started by asking her if she, too, was surprised by the news. She said she was "shocked and appalled." An hour after we finished our conversation, however, she texted me, asking if she could "change [the] adjectives to disappointed and dismayed. Because it is really not that surprising given the lack of oversight in the church's current structure." Not exactly reassuring. But, she added, "a bishop being reimbursed by his diocese for personal gifts that he made and then accounting for the cost as salary is definitely an outlier." The fact is few dioceses have the kind of wealth Bishop Bransfield had access to because of the oil field royalties-which reportedly generated up to $15 million annually. In addition, the diocese had investment income on an endowment of $230 million-exceptionally rare for a diocese with fewer than 80,000 parishioners. I asked her how common gift-giving between dioceses is. "There are legitimate ways of giving gifts to other dioceses," she said, adding that, in fact, canon law explicitly allows wealthy dioceses to support needier ones: "When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, many dioceses that weren't affected sent funds to Louisiana and to Texas. Those were legitimate diocesan charitable contributions." "What was odd about [Bishop Bransfield]-and they clearly knew it was out of the ordinary in West Virginia-was the bishop making gifts to other bishops and other priests as individuals. They weren't charitable contributions by any definition, as they were not made to the church. They were personal gifts. And based on the reporting to date, this fact was acknowledged because the expense was ultimately characterized as 'salary' to the bishop-justifying his use of the funds at his personal discretion." She said that at the Archdiocese of Washington, such gifts were never made, to her knowledge, to individuals but to a diocese. The recipient diocese would then have the obligation under U.S. tax law to show that the funds were subsequently used for charitable purposes. "Part of any sound control for a charity making gifts is having evidence that the receiving party is a qualified beneficiary or an approved charity itself," she explained. "If it was a person, we just would not write the check." So how, I asked, could Bishop Bransfield misuse diocese funds for years without raising red flags? "It's just that there is too much authority over use of funds vested in the bishop," she said. The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, like a number of other dioceses in the United States, is set up as a corporation sole. "In a normal corporation you have stockholders, and in the corporation sole you have one stockholder," she said. The bishop, as the only stockholder, has complete ownership of all the assets in the diocese. Bishop Bransfield is reported to have repeatedly told people "I own this," in reference to the Texas oil fields. While that is technically true, saying so suggested a level of unquestionable authority over all spending decisions. "I'm sure I've never heard Cardinal Wuerl or Bishop Burbidge say, 'I own the cathedral.' Well, they do as a matter of law, but they understand they are stewards of assets for the benefit of the faithful. It doesn't appear Bishop Bransfield acted with that assumption." Ultimately, she said, the problem is not one of corporate structure but one of governance structure, and it is not limited to extreme cases like West Virginia. Under canon law, "It is the responsibility of the ordinary to carefully supervise the administration of all goods." That is, the bishop is both the pastor of his flock and the chief executive officer of the diocese. "In any for-profit corporation or a not-for-profit corporation-other than the church-the number one responsibility of the board is the hiring and firing of the chief executive officer," my Mom said. "The problem in the church is that that power exists only in Rome, not locally." Another issue, she noted, is that there is not a separation of duties. "Normally, let's say I wanted to buy a new cartridge for my printer at the office. I would initiate it, but I have to get I.T. to acknowledge that I really needed it and sign off on the same piece of paper." "It seems like in West Virginia, the bishop could initiate a payment to himself and approve it because he's the ultimate authority," she said. "Just one of the most basic of internal controls-separation of duties-is missing." Having worked in many different nonprofit and church settings, my mom also pointed out that a culture of deference can also lead to financial mismanagement. "Staff, volunteers and parishioners have been taught-and want-to believe the priest or bishop has been called by Christ and knows what is right, and they are more likely to defer to him," she said. "Some may even think it is wrong or sinful to challenge a priest's authority." Thoroughly demoralized by this point, I asked my mom what reforms she thinks could bring greater accountability and transparency to church finances. While the hiring and firing of bishops by a lay board of directors is a nonstarter, "we could have a situation where the temporal goods were overseen by the laity and the spiritual goods overseen by the cleric," she suggested. A lay diocesan administrator could essentially serve as the chief executive officer-and be subject to real oversight by a board. She admitted this would be a radical step and said she does not expect to see it in our lifetimes. There are, however, intermediate steps that could prevent abuses like those uncovered in West Virginia. She recommended a separation of duties so that a bishop could not initiate and approve payments. She also pointed to measures that some dioceses already have in place that could be more widely adopted. In Washington for example, the auditors recommended as a best practice that all payments initiated by the bishop be recorded and reviewed once a year by the audit committee. She held up Boston as a good model of financial transparency. Following the Boston Globe investigation into systemic abuse and cover-up there, the diocese brought in experts from major U.S. companies to help create a reporting document that is very similar to what public companies must submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission, providing in detail information like the pay of top executives and major financial transactions. "That is totally voluntary," she said, "and it should be a best practice, but I do not know any diocese that has gone to the same length as Boston." She said canon law on the administration of goods needs to be updated to reflect current practices. Currently, canon law requires all dioceses to have a finance council with at least three lay experts in areas like accounting and civil law. There are a limited number of activities that require the approval of the finance council, including major property sales; in other areas, the bishop is required to hear from the council but is not required to take their advice. She thinks updating canon law to give the council explicit authority over a wider range of financial transactions would be a good first step toward putting in place the checks and balances that are the norm at most nonprofits and companies. My mom said the resources are there for bishops who want to bring best practices to their dioceses. "The Leadership Roundtable, the Diocesan Fiscal Managers Conference and the accounting practices committee of the U.S.C.C.B. have a ton of talent that would be able to make recommendations, including how the separation of the administration from the spiritual realm could work," she said. "You'll be surprised how much guidance there is on the bishops' website about how the administration of a diocese should be," she added. "The problem was Bransfield didn't want to follow it." This week, the U.S. bishops are gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting where they will vote on procedures for holding themselves accountable for sexual abuse. After talking to my mother, it is clear to me that accountability-for both sex abuse and financial misconduct-will require delegating real oversight powers and authority to lay people willing to make sure bishops and staff are held accountable. Thankfully, there are plenty of faithful Catholic men and woman with the expertise to show them the way. I would be happy to pass along my mom's number URL Ashley McKinless is an associate editor at America.

Antonio Aradillas: "Married priests and women priests, evangelizing tasks"

https://evangelizadorasdelosapostoles.wordpress.com/2019/06/16/antonio-aradillas-curas-casados-y-mujeres-sacerdotes-tareas-evangelizadoras/

Pope with a group of married priests, their wives and children

On left: Diane Dougherty ARCWP, Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, Clare Julian Carbone ARCWP, Janice Sevre Duszynska ARCWP

Episcopal Ordination of Jean Marie Marchant, RCWP

Jean Marie Marchant was ordained a bishop for the Eastern Region of the Roman Catholic Women Priests on June 15, 2019 at the Wellseley Hills Congregational Church in Wellesley, MA.

Ordaining Bishops were Andrea Johnson, Nancy Meyer, Suzanne Thiel, Jane Kryzanowski and Jane Via. 
Participating Bishops were Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, Bridget Mary Meehan, Denise Donato, James David, William Manseau.

Where Do We Go From Here ?- by Jan Phillips

This video looks at why we think of God like we do, what's troublesome about that, and what we need to do to update our consciousness and theology. Will make you think, for sure.

Jan will be presenting at the St. Joseph Provincial House in Latham, NY (a suburb of Albany, NY) on Friday evening June 21st at 7:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. To join the Saturday retreat, please see flyer below.