"Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin Criticizes Judgmental Attitudes That Drive Away People" Future Church News Notes

"The Archbishop of Dublin criticized the judgmental attitudes that have been applied to single mothers and minorities. During his Good Friday Way of the Cross reflection he blamed the scandals within Catholicism as well as "judgmentalism" for causing people to reject their faith. He asked, "How can we be so judgmental and hurtful towards those whom we decide have failed and those who drift outside our self-made ideas of respectability?" He warned that Christianity has been turned into "a faith of prohibitions" and stressed that "sin is not a failure to observe rules and norms but a failure to love."

Bridget Mary's Response: I agree. Sin is a failure to love, and the Catholic hierarchy's list of prohibitions is a failure in love. For starters, the Catholic hierarchy's sin of sexism is a failure of love that have alienated millions of women and girls throughout the world and contributed to global poverty and the abuse of women everywhere. In order to live in love, the hierarchy must change its sexist teachings that prohibit women priests and birth control.  Presently, the door is closed to women in top leadership positions because these positions are linked by Canon Law to Ordination.  Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, www.arcwp.org