Five minutes with the Pope A word in your ear, Holy Father
If you had the opportunity of a one-to-one with Benedict XVI, what would you discuss with him? This is the question we have put to a variety of individuals over the past weeks. As Pope Benedict arrives in Britain, the last in the series brings together writers, theologians and a survivor of abuse
Three women theologians – Mary Grey, Lisa Isherwood and Ursula King –would use the opportunity to address the Pope directly to press the case for women’s ordination
It does not need spelling out how painful these days are for women in the Catholic Church. On the one hand, revelations about sex-abuse scandals still appear and the fallout from the announcement that ordaining women was to be counted among majora delicta (major sins/crimes) still reverberates; on the other hand we watch the Anglican synod voting to ordain women as bishops. Not only that: those of us who supported the campaign for women priests in the Church of England in the 1980s, and rejoiced at the Synod’s vote on 11 November 1992, have watched numbers of ordained Church of England women priests mature into positions of authority and make enormous contributions to church life in many directions. We take heart that, despite official humiliating opposition, our movements have not stood still since 1992. As well as the official campaigning through various groups, women are active as theologians, spiritual counsellors and retreat leaders, as well as in certain clearly specified – but limited – pastoral roles. It is also true that many people in the
Church, men as well as women, clergy as well as laity, are in solidarity about the
Sixty-three years ago, I was sexually abused by a Catholic priest, who was the headmaster of a choir school where I was a 12-year-old boarder. He soon started grooming me for later sexual advances. At the time I did not know that what was happening to me was sexual abuse, nor that he was also abusing other boys. I didn’t tell anyone and suppressed the memories until I suffered a depressive illness at university. Then I felt very angry and was able to tell family and close friends. Finally I confronted the priest, who was now working as chaplain in a Catholic old people’s home. Sadly, his reaction was simply to plead that I should not tell others, as all he had was his reputation.
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discrimination against women and especially over the ban of silence regarding discussion or meaningful dialogue on the issue. It is the latter that brings such a sense of despair and removes any glimmer of hope. It seems that secular society has far more respect for the human rights of women – of course this is not universal – than does the Catholic Church. Nor can anyone imagine what the psychic wounding over the centuries has meant for the spiritual journeys of women. The mystery is, given the level of wounding, not why to leave the church, but why to stay? But there are enough beacon lights in this darkness to convince us to hang on. For one thing, the people who continue to inspire us – for example, the liberation theologians – still walk in faith despite continuing Vatican criticism and restrictions. There are
Christian communities in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq, who try to keep the light of faith alive in the midst of persecution, and who need our solidarity simply to survive. There are the saints – like Catherine of Siena and Francis of Assisi – who challenged the structures of the Church successfully. There are theologians – now dead – the precursors of Vatican II, who were discredited in their lifetime, but now turn out to be prophets of their age – like Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac, and more recently, Edward Schillebeeckx. But in fact no one believed that it would be that easy to topple patriarchy, a system reigning triumphant for nearly 3,000 years. It was obvious that the very enormity of the task would be a catalyst for retrenchment on a massive scale, which we note has come to pass. And it is not only women who suffer and feel a deep shame at a clericalised, top-down system that has lost touch with the grass roots: the heart and soul of the Church is wounded. It has frequently been women in the past, like Julian of Norwich, who tried to fight corruption with her mysticism of love. And she, who tells us to keep faith in the ongoing redeeming love of Christ, for, in the end, all will be well.
■Professor Mary Grey teaches at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, London. Professor Lisa Isherwood is based at the University of Winchester and Ursula King is Emeritus Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol.
‘At the time I did not know that what was happening to me was sexual abuse’
In his five minutes with Pope Benedict, Michael Short would urge the Holy Father to make two profound changes to the character of the priesthood in the Church
I lapsed from the Catholic Church for 40 years, but still prayed to Jesus for guidance. Fortunately I fell in love with a young woman 46 years ago and we have been happily married ever since. I want to reassure those who have suffered abuse more recently that it is possible to recover and lead fulfilling lives. An excellent Catholic priest helped me
return to the Church and I decided to work within it rather than complain from the outside. I think that it is now time to make the following two changes.
First, the prompt removal of paedophile priests from the Church: it is clear that the scandal of sexual abuse by some Catholic priests has spread worldwide. It must be stated in clear and simple language that
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