feminine-genius

A most delightful story

Few know that the Anglican Church has nuns, and now they have ten fewer than before:

After seven years of prayer and discernment, a community of Episcopal nuns and their chaplain will be received into the Roman Catholic Church during a Sept. 3 Mass celebrated by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien.

The archbishop will welcome 10 sisters from the Society of All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor when he administers the sacrament of confirmation and the sisters renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the chapel of their Catonsville convent.

Episcopal Father Warren Tanghe will also be received into the church and is discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest. 

“For us, this is a journey of confirmation,” Mother Christina said. “We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time.”

When they say a long time, they mean it, for their discernment was the result of tremendous systematic study and investigation:

Mother Christina Christie, superior of the religious community, said the sisters are “very excited” about joining the Catholic Church and have been closely studying the church’s teachings for years... Members of the community range in age from 59 to 94.

Before deciding to enter the Catholic Church, the sisters had explored Episcopal splinter groups and other Christian denominations. Mother Christina noted that the sisters had independently contemplated joining the Catholic Church without the others knowing. When they found out that most of them were considering the same move, they took it as a sign from God and reached out to Archbishop O’Brien.

“This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit,” Mother Christina said.

It is quite fascinating that their faith hasn't changed over the decades (except their understanding of papal infallibility, which was more of a misunderstanding, most likely). They have consistently held to a faith that is substantively Catholic while living in a religious body that has slid out from under them. Heroically, they thought they could hold the line, but eventually the scandal of what their hierarchy was doing undermined their own work and confused the wider world about their mission.

It came down to the Icon they were called to image. While they were each individually faithful, zealous and industrious witnesses, they couldn't attach themselves unreservedly to their church as the perfect model of bridal fidelity. They discovered that their fidelity, even heroically lived, couldn't pull their church back on track, because the Anglican hierarchy has only the most ephemeral ties to its original identity. Ultimately, their personal vocations couldn't echo the deeper reality that the Church must be -- unless they were lived within the authentic relationship to the vicar of Christ, whose authority has been entrusted to him by the Bridegroom.

It's lovely that their priest is completing the journey with them and that so many in the Baltimore archdiocese are waiting with open arms (and liturgical accomodations). God is patient, because He is the perfect Lover. Welcome home, dears!

The other shoe drops

The hard-working Anchoress has put all the necessary pieces together to understand the visitation of Women Religious, save one element, perhaps. We must pray. There is the necessary guidance of the Holy Spirit to solicit so that this effort will bear the proper fruit. We cannot just sit on the sidelines as though this is a Catholic spectator sport. All the members of the Mystical Body are built up (or diminished) by these strong and essential communities which exist as eschatological signs for the rest.

Pieter Vree offers some different angles, which explain more of the logistics and administrative details, as well as quotes from Donna Steichen, who knows more than most about the rot that passes for some forms of religious life. As for this being 30 years too late, I agree that those with motherly hearts often see it this way. We don't see "trends" or "outcomes" as much as we see individual souls -- especially loved ones who are hurt by bad theology or broken trust. Successful administrators often operate with patient strategies that serve in the long run, while we want immediate action and accountability for this person now. Both are necessary and the Church thrives on such collaboration.

Ultimately, the visitation will benefit by our prayers and sacrifices, which I know you'll provide.

Praying for Il Papa

Our Sisters in Jordan are preparing with joy!

Source

Tokenism or effective strategy?

Is it possible that Benedict has been convinced that a little job parity will help the Church's image with women?

Pope Benedict is working on a plan to put more women in top jobs at the Vatican, his spokesman has disclosed.

Briefing journalists after visiting the Pope at his holiday retreat in the Alps, the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said the pontiff would give women "more space and more importance". At a debate late on Wednesday, the cardinal, who runs the Vatican bureaucracy, said changes would be introduced in an expected reshuffle of senior posts.

"We're drawing up the new appointments in the Vatican - everyone knows that - and in the context of the responsibilities of the women, there'll be posts that they take up", he said.

The top priority of Benedict's papacy is to tackle what Catholic leaders see as rampant secularisation in Europe. A key reason for this, in the view of many Vatican officials, is the disaffection of women who once formed the backbone of Catholic congregations.

Personally speaking, this does nothing for me. Besides the fact that I heppen to believe that Christ died for my sins and established the Church on the rock of Peter, I love the Church because of her teaching on women. I am in the image and likeness of God and find my dignity in the beautiful truth of authentic femininity.

Will women who are disaffected from the Church say, "Aha, the Pope takes me seriously" because of such a manoeuvre? Not a chance. Disaffected women (and men) usually disagree with the Church's view of human sexuality, the nature of the family, and/or the Church's uncompromising respect for all human life. Usually, people leave due to a personal choice or proclivity, and often it's related to a particular wound. The average Catholic -- disaffected or not -- hasn't a clue who's in the hierarchy and who's pushing papers in the Vatican.

Now, that said, it's entirely possible that if women push certain papers, they would push them along a trajectory that will end up engaging women to reconsider their dismissiveness of the Church, but even that is doubtful to me. When the Holy Spirit guides an apostle, good things happen, and there is no gender-game that makes things succeed. (In that case, all sorts of quotas would have to be used to attract souls to Christ.)

Sadly, even the notion of this seems to pander to the male-model that "power brokers" make things happen, and unless women have their hands on some of those "levers of power," women won't be taken seriously in the pews. The Church is not only a sign of contradiction, but should be a manifestation of nuptial love. Redecorating with pink chair setasides is dangerous because of the very premise, and utterly unnecessary, since the Church is the one institution on earth that has always taken women seriously.

And finally, we also know that tokenism is toxic to those trying to accomplish things, surrounded by folks who are suspicious of the "why's and wherefore's" of their very presence.

Benedict [hearts] women

Unlike the Valentine gift offered in NYC (condoms to help promote lust), Benedict offered his Wednesday audience on the gift that women have given to the Church over the centuries.

Vatican City, Feb 14, 2007 / 11:13 am (CNA).- The role of women in the history of the Church was the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for his catechesis at today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 20,000 people.  The Holy Father reflected on the thankfulness the Church should have for the countless “manifestations of the feminine ‘genius.’”

"Jesus chose 12 men as fathers of the new Israel, 'to be with Him and to be sent out to proclaim the message,'" said the Holy Father, "but ... among the disciples many women were also chosen. They played an active role within the context of Jesus mission.”

In the first place, the Pope began, “the Virgin Mary, who with her faith and her maternal care worked in a unique way for our redemption. Having become a disciple of her Son, ... she followed Him even to the foot of the cross where she received a maternal mission for all his disciples in all times."

After mentioning other women who appear in various parts of the Gospel - such as Susanna, and Lazarus' sisters Martha and Mary - the Pope pointed out that "the women, unlike the Twelve, did not abandon Jesus at the hour of His Passion. Outstanding among them was Mary Magdalene ... who was the first witness of the Resurrection and announced it to the others." Pope Benedict also recalled how St. Thomas Aquinas referred to Mary Magdalene as "the apostle of the apostles."

In the first Christian communities, Benedict XVI went on, "the female presence was anything but secondary." St. Paul "starts from the fundamental principle according to which among the baptized 'there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female.'"  [snip]  "The history of Christianity would have developed quite differently without the generous contribution of many women," said the Pope and he recalled how John Paul II had written: "The Church gives thanks for each and every woman ... for all the manifestations of the feminine 'genius.'"

"We share this appreciation, giving thanks to the Lord because He leads His Church, generation after generation, indiscriminately using men and women who know how to bring their faith to fruition ... for the good of the entire body of the Church.”

I'm stunned

It would seem that the Church is turning a corner, but I'm not at all sure where the new road leads.

THE Catholic Church will give greater leadership and ministry roles to women on the proviso they take a vow of celibacy.

Bishop David Walker, from the Diocese of Broken Bay, has created the scheme, which stops short of ordaining women.

When it is launched next year, it will create a new vocation in which women will take a vow of celibacy and be consecrated ministers to help in the pastoral care mission within the diocese.

While the scheme will also be open to men, the emphasis will be on formally recognising women in greater ministry roles within the diocese.

Bishop Walker emphasised that the move was not a precursor to the ordination of women as deacons or priests. "This is a legitimate way of women entering in a full-time way into the Church," Bishop Walker said.

This has got to be a strictly local initiative, just for this Australian diocese. I cannot imagine what the thinking behind it is, because it only leads to confusion. It is a surrender to the notion that "bureacracy = Church" or some such. It also says, by default, that until now women haven't been taken seriously or been full-fledged members of the Church -- also nonsense. Not only have women always been taken seriously, they have been the paradigm for the very institution that is called to mother us.

Even the title of the article, "New Role ... With a Catch" implies that the total gift of self is a negative thing, or a trick. Of course, we cannot judge an initiative strictly by the nature of its supporters, but I also find this worrysome:

Bernice Moore, NSW convenor of Women and the Australian Catholic Church, an organisation that agitates for greater inclusiveness in the Church, said she welcomed the scheme.

"I see this whole proposal as positive action to include women in the life and leadership of the Catholic community," she said. "The path is made by walking and this is definitely a step on the path of being a more inclusive church and to using the gifts of all of us."

Maree Kennedy, a member of WATAC, said she saw this as a step in the right direction. "But I think it's a very slow step in something that needs to be moving a bit faster," the mother-of-two said.

I've always thought that the "gifts" some folks find rejected by the Church were not welcome for a reason -- perhaps because they conflicted with the mission of the Church, or contradicted Catholic theology. Authentic femininity has always been welcome in the Church I joined, and it doesn't need a title or a stipend to give it legitimacy.

Poor Bishop Walker may be priming himself for an enormous headache -- this is one experiment I think we could have all done without.

A time of shadows

From AsiaNews:

At the start of the month of May, dedicated to Mary, Benedict XVI entrusted to her "the needs of the Church and the whole world, especially at this time, when it is marked by not inconsiderable shadows". He was addressing more than 30,000 people who turned up in St Peter’s Square for the recital of the Regina Caeli that, he recalled, will be prayed instead of the Angelus until Pentecost.

The pope reiterated the "truth" of the Resurrection to counter those who, in the past as well as the present, would deny it. "The resurrection of Christ is the central fact of Christianity. It is a fundamental truth to be upheld vigorously at all times, since denying it in various ways, as some have tried to do, and continue to do, or seeking to transform it into a purely spiritual event, is to negate our very faith. ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.’ (I Cor. 14:15)" Some saw his words as an indirect reference to the "Da Vinci Code".

"In the days following the resurrection of the Lord, the Apostles stayed gathered together, comforted by the presence of Mary, and after the Ascension, they persevered with her in prayerful anticipation of Pentecost. Our Lady was, for them, like a mother and teacher, a role she continues to undertake with Christians of all times. Every year, at Easter time, we relive this experience more intensely and perhaps this is why popular tradition consecrated the month of May to Mary, as it normally falls between Easter and Pentecost. This month, starting tomorrow, is useful for us to rediscover the maternal function she has in our life, so that we will be ever more meek disciples and courageous witnesses of the Risen Lord. To Mary we entrust the needs of the Church and the whole world, especially at this time when it is marked by not inconsiderable shadows. Invoking also the intercession of St Joseph, whom we remember in a special way tomorrow when we focus on the world of work, we turn to Her in the Regina Caeli prayer, which allows us to savour the comforting joy of the presence of the Risen Lord."

Prayers for women

The monthly prayer intentions of the Holy Father are a means by which all the faithful can join together to lift up particular needs in collegiate fashion. They are all-encompassing and remind us of the vast needs of the Mystical Body of Christ. The general intention for the month of April is as follows:

That the individual, social and political rights of women may be respected in every nation.

How very wonderful. We join whole-heartedly in this prayer for the universal needs of women and appreciate his brotherly affection and concern.

Given that his monthly missionary intention is specific enough to pray for the Church in China, we can see that he is pin-pointing particular challenges to the faithful that are not only contemporary but urgent. In this wise, it is entirely possible that his concern for women takes into account the particular difficulties that Islam proposes, given its restrictions on women in all the areas mentioned above. In fact we would name Islam as one of the two gravest threats to women's legitimate freedoms, along with the sexual utilitarian heresy which has gripped the West, reducing women to objects and inhibiting their ability to be appreciated as integral beings fundamentally equal to men.

Whatever his "intentions behind the intentions," we appreciate this month's focus and will pray sincerely for God's will to be manifest in the lives of all women.

The Marian precedes the Petrine

The Vatican Information Service relays the Pope's homily from Saturday, in which he distributed the rings to the new cardinals. This is essential information for all, but especially for women, who model their lives after the Bride:

After the Gospel reading, the Pope pronounced his homily which he began by recalling how the celebration coincided with the liturgical Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in which, he said, "we recognize the origins of the Church."

  "Everything began from there," he added. "Every historical achievement of the Church and every one of her institutions must be shaped by that primordial wellspring. They must be shaped by Christ, the incarnate Word of God."

  Later in his homily, the Holy Father dwelt on the word "beloved," with which the Archangel Gabriel addressed the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation. "Origen observes that no such title had ever been given to a human being, and that it is unparalleled in all of Sacred Scripture. It is a title expressed in passive form, but this 'passivity' of Mary ... implies her free consent. ... In being loved, Mary is fully active, because she accepts with personal generosity the wave of God's love poured out upon her."

  Referring then to the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, which explained how Christ came into the world to fulfil the will of the Father, the Pope affirmed that the mystery of the double 'yes' to God from Christ and from the Virgin must illuminate the lives of the ministers of the Church, and support the cardinals in their mission as the "Senate of Peter's Successor."

  "Today's event," the Pope said, "emphasizes the Petrine principle of the Church, in the light of the other, Marian, principle which is even more fundamental. The importance of the Marian principle in the Church was particularly highlighted, after the Council, by my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II, in keeping with his motto 'Totus tuus'."

  "Everything in the Church, every institution and ministry, including that of Peter and his successors, is 'included' under the Virgin's mantle, within the grace-filled horizon of her 'yes' to God's will. ... The theme of the relationship between the Petrine principle and the Marian principle is also to be found in the symbol of the ring which I am about to consign to you. The ring is always a nuptial sign. ... [It is] a reminder to you that first and foremost you are intimately united with Christ so as to accomplish your mission as bridegrooms of the Church, ... which you are called to serve with the love of a spouse. So the two dimensions of the Church, Marian and Petrine, come together in the supreme value of charity, which constitutes the fulfillment of each."

  "Everything in this world will pass away. In eternity only Love will remain," said Pope Benedict who went on to recall how the Virgin, after receiving the Angel's message, went to he cousin Elizabeth "'in order to be of service to her.' ... Those who love forget about themselves and place themselves at the service of their neighbor.

  "Here we have the image and model of the Church," the Holy Father concluded. "Every ecclesial community, like the Mother of Christ, is called to accept with total generosity the mystery of God Who comes to dwell within her and guides her steps in the ways of love. This is the path along which I chose to launch my pontificate, inviting everyone, with my first Encyclical, to build up the Church in charity as a 'community of love'."

This is our call, ladies. Our model, our paradigm, our essence. In this nuptial mystery in which we live, look to the Church for your inspiration, and Our Lady who was its first fruit and most perfect image.

Catechesis on the Church I

Today begins the catechesis of the Holy Father on the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. This will be an excellent topic which we will follow closely, and one which intimately affects women, who image this spotless bride. He ended today by saying:

'Yes to Jesus, no to the Church,' is completely irreconcilable with the intentions of Christ. Between the Son of God made flesh and His Church there exists a profound, unbreakable and mysterious continuity, by virtue of which Christ is present today in His people, and especially in those who are the successors of the Apostles.

And so it begins. The Church was borne from the side of Christ during His passion and her mission ever since has been to make her Beloved known among men. We live each day, modeling our lives on hers, whose most perfect image was Our Lady. (Full text here.) Ladies -- we have an essential role to give flesh to this mystery -- stay tuned!