"Pope Demands Equal Pay for Women But Still Doesn’t Intend to Hire Any" Barbie Latza Nadeau/ Pay Equality is Great, So Are Women Priests

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/29/pope-demands-equal-pay-for-women-but-still-doesn-t-intend-to-hire-any.html

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Celebrates Liturgy in Sarasota, Florida

"Pope Francis defended pay equality today, calling it 

“pure scandal”

 to pay women less than men. 

But when will the pontiff make

 women equal in the Church?

Rome — "During his regular Wednesday blessing,

 Pope Francis called it “pure scandal”

 to pay women less than men for equal jobs,

 though he gave no indication that

 he would be testing that theory any time soon at the Vatican.

“Why is it expected that women must earn less than men?” he said.

 “No! They have the same rights. The disparity is a pure scandal.” 

He has also made what could be considered serious gaffes when

 referring to 

women in the past.

 He called a group of intellectual female theologians 

“strawberries on the cake” at a ceremony inducting them into the 

Vatican’s Theological Commission and he likened the

 European Union to a “grandmother who is no longer fertile or vibrant.” 

However, there is still no indication that the head of the

 Catholic Church

 is willing to put them on equal footing within the

 Church itself.

 The pontiff has recently championed for 

women in more leadership

 roles in the church, although on the issue of women’s ordination,

 the door is still closed.

 Last year he told La Stampa’s Vatican Insider

that he doubted ordaining women into the priesthood was a

 good idea.

“I don’t know where this idea sprang from,” he said.

 “Women in the Church must be valued, not clericalized. 

Whoever thinks of women as cardinals suffers a bit from clericalism.” 

AP Article

:http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_WOMEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT=

Bridget Mary's Response:

 Pope Francis calling for pay equality is good news.

Until Pope Francis affirms the full equality of women,

 including women priests, women will remain 

second class citizens in our church.

One of the Pope's arguments 

against women's ordination is mentioned above- clericalism.

A renewed priestly ministry is not about clericalism,

 it is about service in inclusive communities of equals.

 It is happening in our grassroots communities where we gather to 

celebrate Eucharist in a sacred circle of equals.

 Perhaps, Pope Francis could come and see for himself 

when he visits in Septembers. in addition, equal pay

 must be applied to the

 women the institutional church employs.

So, let us pray a spark of hope has been ignited and that

 this is the first step toward the full equality of women

 in a Spirit-filled community of faith. Let it be so!

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, 

www.arcwp.org