Christina Moreira, Catholic priest: "I would tell the Pope that we would be a breath of fresh air for the Church"
- In 2002, three Catholic bishops ordained the first seven women priests, bringing the total to more than 300.
- They are excommunicated by the rules of the Catholic Church although they comply with the apostolic succession
Christina Moreira is a leading figure in the women's ordination movement within the Roman Catholic Church . Born in France, although she has lived in Galicia for over 30 years, she is an active member of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests(ARCWP), an organization that advocates for the ordination of women and aims to create inclusive Catholic communities . Moreira serves as a presbyter, celebrating liturgies and promoting the inclusion of women in all aspects of the church's ministry.
Christina is also involved in other groups advocating for gender equality within the Church, such as Toutes Apôtres ("All Apostles" in France) and the Comité de la Jupe ("Skirt Committee", a feminist and Catholic association, also in France). Her work focuses on challenging the traditional exclusion of women from sacred roles and on fostering a more egalitarian understanding of Catholicism. She is critical of clericalism which she sees as a barrier to true equality and calls for a rethinking of the structures of the Church to be more inclusive and representative of all its members.
Christina and her companions were received by the nuncio of the Catholic Church in France. ARCHIVE / EUROPA PRESS
Q: How is it possible that a woman can be ordained as a priest within the Roman Catholic Church, given that, according to Canon Law, it is impossible?
A: There are ordinations within the Catholic Church because we are Catholics, therefore, we belong to this church. We have been baptized in this Church, in it we move and exist. And baptism does not expire, it is indelible and leaves its mark. As for the Canon Law in force today, it should be noted that it only exists since the 19th century. Before, there was tradition, customs and unwritten rules.
“ Canon law has only existed since the 19th century; before that, there were traditions, customs and unwritten rules .”
This law says that only men can access sacred orders - diaconate, priesthood and episcopate - in a lawful manner or authorized by law. But there were some inspired, intelligent and courageous women who in 2002 decided to meet to ask some bishops, also courageous and inspired, to ordain them. First as deaconesses and then as priests. The first ordination of seven women took place in the Danube in 2002. We are now more than 300 and have communities all over the world.
"I am Catholic, Apostolic and Roman"
Q: This guarantees apostolic succession, because a Catholic bishop is the one who has presided over these ordinations.
A: Exactly. But it was not just one bishop, there were three. The thing is that we cannot reveal their identities because we want to protect them. The apostolic succession is transmitted by the presence of duly consecrated Catholic bishops. We have referenced and endorsed our apostolic succession, because the ordinations are always recorded before a notary and the apostolic lineage is established, otherwise they would not be valid. As I was saying, I am Catholic, apostolic and Roman. And for me and for my colleagues this apostolic lineage is very important. If not, I would be in another tradition.
Christina Moreira, considers herself a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. FRANCE PRESS
Q: And what does the official Church that has excommunicated them say?
“ We are automatically excommunicated along with child rapists and all kinds of abusers ”
A: Some of my colleagues received their official notice of excommunication or whatever you want to call it. The following ones have fallen under different decrees promulgated by Benedict XVI. Now Pope Francis has reinforced it with an article in book six of the Code of Canon Law which says that we are automatically excommunicated along with child rapists and all kinds of abusers. They tend to lump us together. This is what the official Catholic Church says. Otherwise, in our communities we care for the people, we each work in our own field and we live in peace with the local church.
Q: The 300 Roman Catholic women priests are married, widowed, single… What is their situation?
A: Well, I am married, I have a daughter from a previous marriage that was annulled for obvious reasons, and I remarried many years ago to a Catholic priest who decided to have this life project with me. We both take care of the community, which is a small preview of what we would like the Church to be in our dream of the future. Our spiritual and religious commitments have nothing to do with whether or not we have a family of a certain shape and color. That has no influence.
Q: I was going to ask you how your family was coping, but I understand that you have their full support.
A: My husband is my most faithful ally, my partner in ministry, in life, and, frankly, I think I am enjoying an absolutely privileged situation. It is a gift.
Christina Moreira presides over an open-air liturgical celebration. PRIVATE ARCHIVE CM
Q: Where is your community located and when do they gather to celebrate the liturgy?
A: To celebrate life, the word, the Gospel, the breaking of bread in joys and sorrows, a community of Christians meets every Sunday at 12:00 in La Coruña, near Juan Flores, in the heart of the city.
Q: How many are there?
A: Yesterday we were eleven or twelve, I can't remember. Sometimes we are 15 and sometimes we have been more. It fluctuates. People are free. So when you can, when you need to. But yes, we are usually between ten and 20.
Q: Well, Jesus started with twelve…
A: Yes, and some went wrong.
Clerical machismo
Q: What challenges have you faced as a priest in a traditionally male institution? Although the first Christian communities seem not to have been so sexist…
“ The role of women in the Church, from the first centuries, has been gradually erased and blurred ”
A: The first challenge is to face the historical reality that hits all of us women when we are interested in this topic. It means visiting the catacombs in Rome and seeing that since the first century women have been breaking bread and praying in public in a leading role. It is there, in full colour, on the walls of those ancient cemeteries that collected life and death. It means realising that the role of women in the Church, in the first centuries, has been little by little erased and blurred. The challenge today is to recover the visibility of women in the Church. Not only those of us who have more or less recognised ministries, but all of them: catechists, those who lead the singing, those who manage the finances, those who keep the registers of baptisms, those who welcome people in churches, those who celebrate funerals... The variety is so enormous! The challenge is to make them visible and to begin to create structures that are equal, fair and, above all, loving and of good treatment.
Pope Francis presides over the opening mass of the Synod 2021-2024. EFE FILE
Q: What would you say to people who think that the Church is an institution that has its laws and that if they don't like them they will have to look for another religion?
A: To begin with, the Church is not an institution. The Church is the family of the people of God, that is, of all baptized people. The Church as an institution is only a tool that allows us to manage and situate in time and space this great family of the people of God.
“ Let us remember that the Church supported slavery and it cost a lot to undo that rule ”
But the Church, above all, is a family of faith and heart. A family that adheres to the project of Jesus and his Kingdom. So, the institution that is that tool, creates rules. But we must remember that those rules can change. They have changed in the past. Let us remember that the Church supported slavery and it cost a lot to undo that rule. In the past, the Church doubted whether women, Indians or blacks had a soul. The Church can change its rules, because that part of the “church” with a small letter, which is the institution, can change because we, human beings, have created it. We have the hope that God will go through all those institutions and rules in some way, that the Spirit will be there working and will give us the strength to change what needs to be changed because it is not fair. And it is not fair that half of all that people of God, who are the daughters of God, are separated from preaching his Word, from announcing the Good News, from breaking bread, from reconciling communities, from bringing comfort… Because it is necessary. Because we are needed.
Christina Moreira with a protest sign in St. Peter's Square. PRIVATE ARCHIVE CM
Q: With this great Synod 2021-2024, Pope Francis seems to want to renew the Catholic Church. Has the issue of women's priesthood played any role? Because you attended the initial celebration and were arrested by the police.
A: We know that women have spoken about ministries, about equality. Now comes the second part of the Synod in October. At this time it is known that the subject of women's ordination will not be touched upon in the working document and Pope Francis has already announced, in an informal interview, that the diaconate for women, if it existed, would be without ordination. The whole problem that is being presented now is that of the privilege of sacredness.
“ The problem that is being presented now is that of the privilege of sacredness ”
The privilege of sacramental ordination, which, according to the old dogmatics, transforms a person into an interstellar being, super-holy, marvellous, closer to God, God himself on earth. Which is absurd. This stumbling block of the priest's sacredness is really a privilege of men and must be revised because it is not fair. We are in the 21st century and we must be able to debate about it and unravel everything that it contains that is impure and toxic for half of the baptized.
Q: Do you think the Catholic Church is afraid of women?
“ We would like to provide the DNA of Mary Magdalene who had the courage to go to the tomb knowing that there were Roman soldiers there. ”
A: The first bishop of the Church (Saint Peter) - on whom we founded this Catholic Church - had already betrayed his friend and Lord (Jesus Christ), and he was overcome with fear. That fear is in the DNA of the Church. And we would like to bring another DNA. The DNA of Mary Magdalene, who had the courage to go to the tomb knowing that there were Roman soldiers there, deadly soldiers like those who had killed her Lord. That is the courage we want to bring into the Church. But yes, the feeling is that they are afraid of us. One cannot speak of the fear of others, but we can smell it. And that is what happened when I was arrested in Rome.
Christina Moreira dressed in alb and stole in St. Peter's Square. PRIVATE ARCHIVE CM
Q: What exactly happened?
A: We were actually filming a movie and doing a little experiment. I was dressed in the alb and stole to see how people would react. It was extremely beautiful. All the reactions were positive. People asked me if I was really a priest, if I could celebrate Mass and what it was like. There were even people who asked me to bless them. Others have taken photos with me. What you could see was that the voice of the people, which is the voice of God, was saying: 'Hey, it's happening, it's happening, it's about time.'
Q: It was in St. Peter's Square, right?
A: In St. Peter's Square, just after the opening Mass of the Synod. A policeman passed by and was annoyed. A lot of them had passed by before. But this one was annoyed and had a hard time accusing me of anything. He had to gather seven more policemen to find an old law in the Italian Penal Code that prohibits people from dressing in something they don't wear when walking around the street. It's fear. They are afraid.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) behind a banner at the Vatican. ARCWP
Q: Would you like to send any message to Pope Francis regarding the ordination of women?
A: I'm going to tell you something very clearly: listen to us. Those of us who are in this are not here just for fun, or to get publicity or because we like to appear in the press. We are here because we have been called.
“ We would love to contribute in the most loving way to the growth of the Church and to bring that courage of which we are specialists ”
The women priests I know are living the realization of an authentic, discerned vocation, and above all, one that has been through the crucible of suffering, waiting, patience and faith. And we want to put these vocations at the service of our Church with love, affection and respect. We only need you to listen to us and to be able to tell you what we are doing in our communities. We would love to contribute in the most loving way to the growth of the Church and to bring the courage of which we are specialists.
Q: Has Pope Francis never received you to listen to you?
A: No, never. He has received Episcopalian bishops and some Lutheran ones. He has also received Anglican bishops from Scotland, all of them companions of other Christian families, but not us.
Q: It doesn't seem to fit in very well with this pope's effort to unite Christian churches.
A: Francis has wonderful projects. From time to time we hear things and other times we are surprised because we do not understand why he does not call us. We have told him this actively and passively. We send him messages through all channels. I have written to him several times and I have sent him a letter through the nuncio who received me in Paris. Not a wink, not a sign, not a response, not a word. Nothing at all. Why is he afraid of us? Why does he receive so many people and listen to everyone except us?
Q: What would you say if you received them?
A: That we are here, that we would be a breath of fresh air to enter the Church now and that we can contribute our experience of these 22 years in our circular communities.
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