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Monday, March 4, 2013

"Catholic Patriarchy: What the Papal Transition Means and What Feminists Can Do About It" by Mary E. Hunt

  "The obvious question is why any self-respecting
feminist would worry about the Pope, the Roman
 Catholic Church, and its machinations. My simple
 answer is POWER. Religion is one of the many sources
that shape how power is shared (or not) in this world.
Feminists need to pay attention to the sharing of power
 if we think we are going to reshape the world in a
more just and egalitarian way.
As someone who speaks “Catholic,” indeed as a
theologian rooted in the tradition, I think there is a
 lot of power in the balance at the moment, and
I want to see it shared.

The papal transition underway in Rome is a classic

example of patriarchy prancing for the world to see
live and in color. It is without a doubt the biggest
religious news story thus far in the 21st century, and
 there is not a woman in sight. Think about that in
 light of the media coverage. Apart from the many
women reporters now in Rome, the players in this
story are all men, all the time....


 Several feminist strategies are important for

 countering this approach and creating
constructive new ways of
being church that focus on participation, safety,
and accountability. Keep it simple—
stop, look, listen—as we say to children when
 we teach them to cross the street.

STOP the process.
There is no reason that the papacy cannot remain

vacant for a time. Church history includes examples
ofdeadlocked conclaves, lengthy meetings that lasted
months unto years. Pope Benedict’s own resignation
and subsequent change of conclave rules are
evidence of the elasticity of customs and laws.

The current situation of the church is grave: sexual

abuse and cover-ups, financial problems, loss of trust
 and transparency, tawdry sexual conduct, and most
importantly, the wholesale exclusion of most members
of the community, especially women, from decision-
making. Given this gravity, the best solution is simply
to call off the conclave. The energies and resources
saved can be channeled into envisioning and
constructing new, more inclusive ways of being
 church where safety and accountability are
 paramount.

LOOK at the facts.
Contemplative Catholic spirituality invites “a long

loving look at the real.” Despite the pomp and
pageantryof the papal transition, institutional
Catholicism is in tatters. No amount of white smoke
can obscure the corruption and infighting. No Gregorian
 chant can drown out the cries of those who have been abused. No reading of the Gospel can excuse the
 oppressive treatment of women and same-sex loving people.

By contrast, small base communities, some parishes, and many religious communities are robust places where sacraments and solidarity are the norm. Groups across

the globe work on social justice, education, and health
care based on Catholic commitments without institutional connections. The disconnect is profound between
hierarchy and laity. Nonetheless, educated, willing, and capable Catholics abound who embrace the responsibility
to be church despite the scandalous actions of the leaders.

LISTEN to the Spirit.
Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit infuses the world

with grace. Rather than watch a new pope emerge
fromthe delegates who have been handpicked by
 the previous two popes, it is time for new ways of
organizing and governing the more than one billion members of the Catholic community. Contemporary
 culture of inclusion and participation demands it,
and technology makes it possible.

One new model of church would include a team of
people from around the world who represent various
 and sundry national/regional groups, different
styles of worship and ministry, various lifestyles
 and families, religious and secular people.
 It would be a democratic assembly of
equals, a global network of the people of God,
who delegate the fruits of their decisions to ministers
whocarry out the will of the body in teaching and
preaching, sacraments and social justice, finances
 and public
witness.

For those who are not Catholic, this is a time to stop worrying about charges of anti-Catholicism and join

voices with those of Catholic feminists who cry foul on
 the process and the product of the upcoming
conclave. Those who have no stake in Catholicism
 can be helpful by asking the obvious questions
 of who is not included, involved, able to minister, make decisions, and otherwise exercise adult faith.
There is no need to settle for the answer, “They do this because they are Catholic,” and be told if it is not your tradition to have no voice.

The stakes, when examined in global terms, are simply

 too high. If religions shape worldviews, then everyone
 has the right and responsibility to look critically at it
 and go about the communal task of creating something better."





[1] Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. Wisdom Ways: Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2001, pp. 118-122.

Mary E. Hunt is a Catholic feminist theologian and co-director of WATER.


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