http://www.freep.com/article/20110612/NEWS05/110612013/Archbishop-blasts-Ferndale-priest-s-leading-liberal-Mass?odyssey=nav|head
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Liturgical abuses, hardly--- more like liturgical practices that should be options in every Catholic parish.
At the closing liturgy of the American Catholic Council Gathering that met in Detroit's Cobo Hall, on Pentecost Sunday, the top three "so-called abuses" attracting the wrath of the Archbishop were:
1) red stoles were worn by the assembly as a symbol of the equality of all.
St Paul in Galations 3:27-28 preached that our baptism makes us all equals: "All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. In Christ, there is no Jew or Greek, slave or citizen, male or female, All are one in Christ Jesus.." (Inclusive New Testament, Priests for Equality).
I think the wearing of red stoles to symbolize our oneness in Christ was brilliant!
2) A woman preached the homily!
I bet this would be a refreshing change in Sunday Masses around the country. Talking about another perspective that is badly needed since women make up half of the church's membership! The Risen Christ commissioned Mary of Magdala, the first woman preacher, the pope and bishops need to affirm women's full equality in all areas of church life including ordination.
3 Inclusive language was utilized in the liturgy. You can pray using words for God such as "Creator, Mother, Sacred Spirit, Sophia, Holy Wisdom. " God is not a man, nor can male images for God reflect the fullness of divine mystery! The institutional church is blinded by its sexism and clericalism, sadly.
Archbishop, an investigation is not needed into these "so called liturgical abuses" but into the church's sexism and clericalism! Both are cancers ripping away at the heart of Catholicism. No wonder one in three Catholics in the U.S. have left the church!
As the people of God, we are the church and we are called to live and witness the Gospel. In my view this is a teachable moment not only for the Archbishop of Detroit but for the whole church to move forward with a Catholic Bill of Rights that includes the full equality of women as one of its major tenets.
Roman Catholic Women Priests are one of the movements in the 21st century leading the way in the renewal of our church by living the changes we want to see now. By using inclusive language in our liturgies, by giving women and men an equal voice in preaching through dialogue homilies, and by returning the Eucharist to the community as all recite words of consecration, we are renewing our church and offering ways to celebrate our baptismal equality now.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004
"You can pray using words for God such as "Creator, Mother, Sacred Spirit, Sophia, Holy Wisdom. " God is not a man, nor can male images for God reflect the fullness of divine mystery! "
ReplyDeleteYou claim that God is not male yet you go on to call God "Mother" as if He were female...
Why don't you just admit that you hate men and that you're desperately trying to reshape God into something you won't hate?
Mike --
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with inclusive language? Why do you want all language to be male? Why don't you just admit that you hate women? Of at least that you consider women to be second class citizens?
It's wrong to refer to God as "Father" (as Jesus Christ Himself told us to pray!) but it is acceptable to call God "Mother"?
ReplyDeleteYou hypocrite.
You didn't answer my questions.
ReplyDelete