55 Years of Struggle for Women’s Ordination in the Catholic Church by Ida Raming RCWP- Reviewed by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Ida-Raming/dp/364391265X

(Translated from German to English by Dr. James A. Turner)

This book is a must read for anyone interested in women’s ordination and the  historical foundation of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement. Theologian Ida Raming presents a comprehensive collection of historical documents about  the 55 year struggle for women’s ordination. This book is a treasure trove of information, documents and footnotes from 1962 to  the present time. 

Ida Raming, together with her friend Iris Mueller, were pioneers for the admission of women to priesthood and to all church ministries. She recounts enforced manipulation and brainwashing by the Vatican to stifle open dialogue including their attempt to pass on this discriminatory teaching as dogma binding for all times. Dr. Raming  states  that Vatican resistance to women priests has no theological justification.

 One of the major issues for the all-male hierarchy is the question of power. She writes: “Men do not want to share the power that is associated with ministries and service…I am not giving up, because I trust and believe that “Truth will overcome- the truth will prevail in the end- and not lies!” 

In order to achieve gender justice, Ida  believes that women will need to challenge the unjust law. This happened in 2002 when several women from Austria and Germany, including Raming and Mueller, decided to be ordained by a Catholic bishop, contra legem. The women involved “in illegal ordination, she believes,  are a “prophetic sign of protest  against discriminatory teachings and laws.”

According to Dr. Raming, Pope Francis’ theology of women is a major obstacle in the struggle for equality in the Church.  His theology of women- his vision of the church (‘she is a woman.’) is a paradox because the Church is represented only by men in ecclesial office. 

 

I love Ida’s passionate challenge to Catholic women to affirm the dignity of women, their human rights and work for full equality of women in all ministries in the Church: “Hear my call my dear Sisters! Embrace your responsibility for this important task."

All of us in the international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement owe Dr. Raming a depth of gratitude for her brilliant, articulate advocacy for  gender justice.