RCWP
Canada Monthly Review
-- September 15, 2018
- Be
Careful How You Live
- Linda
Spear vivait à Sutton depuis plusieurs années lorsqu’elle a été
ordonnée prêtre, par l’entremise de l’association RCWP
- Dancing
My Life, Dancing My God
- Binding
The Strong Man
- International
Catholic Reform Network gather near Bratislava, Slovakia to hear from
former Czechoslovak underground church
- Eucharist
is an encounter of the heart, knowing Presence through our available
presence
- Women
and LGBTQ people must find solidarity in struggle for a just church
- Comments
to the Editor
- To
be church together
- As
a Catholic priest, I did the unspeakable. I called for the ordination
of women in the church
- Advocates
of women priests cite scandals to make their case
- RCWP
Canada Bishop's Message
- What
the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible and early church thought about God's
gender
- Soeur
Nicole Jetté, féministe tant qu’il le faudra
- Catholic
Women Called - Jane Kryzanowski
- Free
pdf down loadable books
- Ecclesiastical
structures established during the Council of Trent still govern the
church
- Trinity
School of Religion hosted the Wijngaards Institute panel discussion on
the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland
- Why
I'm not leaving the Catholic Church
- New
research shows that women’s ordination boosts trust and commitment
among some worshippers
- Francis,
the comic strip
RCWP
Canada Bishop's Message
|
[An email message of
clarification sent to an online news reporter]
Dear Chelsea,
Thank
you for the spin-off article (CBC News, July 8, 2018) from
Shauna Power's interview with me yesterday. We appreciate the
additional coverage for sure.
I'd
like to
make four observations mostly about the choice of words and phrases
that limp or are inadequate in expressing the reality of our movement
or my personal experience. There may not be anything you can
do,
or care to do, with this article but perhaps they would be helpful to
you in future efforts. These comments are brief. I would be
happy
to discuss them in further detail should you wish.
I
have copied the line and underlined the word/phrase that drew my
attention.
1. Meet the
Regina woman about to be ordained as bishop of a church
that defies
Catholic doctrine
Roman
Catholic Womenpriests (preferably Women Priests) is a movement within
the Roman Catholic Church not a separate church as this
implies.
We love the Church, we are not defying it. Our
actions are
contrary to a church rule, not doctrine. Canon 1024 says only
a
male can be ordained. This is a man made rule which can be
changed. Our actions are a call to do just that - to
recognizes
that men and women are created equal by God; that women receive the
same baptism as men and the same call to be disciples of Jesus; that
the call to ordination is from God and that God can and does call women
to serve the church as priests.
To
label
women as “defiant” casts a negative light on a struggle for
justice. It makes us look evil. Instead, we name
the evils
of sexism and misogyny that are behind the discrimination and the call
for justice.
2. RCWP
Canada is a grassroots women's ministry that ordains women priests on the basis
that the Roman Catholic church currently discriminates against women.
Our
ordination is based our call from God to serve God's people, especially
those who are marginalized by church and society. It is true
the
church discriminates against women and we object to that, but it is
hardly the basis of our ministry.
3. But her
path to becoming the new Canadian bishop has been a long and emotional
one because, for decades, she
bottled up what she describes as a "calling by God" to
become a priest.
The
“because” here is not the bottling up, but the refusal of the church to
acknowledge that God can and does call women to be priests, that my
call is real, that my call is true. This is not a pretend
call as
the “calling by God” in quotes implies.
4.
Kryzanowski was in elementary school the first time she discovered that
the priesthood she coveted
was unattainable to women within the traditional Roman Catholic church.
“Coveted”
is
an unfortunate word here because of its negative connotation as if the
call to priesthood were some covert operation or an
entitlement.
It was a dream, a hope, a desire. Yes, all of those. But not
a
sense of entitlement or some evil motivation.
I
trust this
will be taken in the spirit intended, not a personal criticism of you
or your work. It would be gratifying to have journalists
learn
more about our movement and be professional advocates with us and for
us.
[Jane
Kryzanowski, Regina, SK, is bishop for RCWP Canada.]
What
the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible and early church thought about God's
gender -- a scholarly study with links to other sources
David
Wheeler-Reed, Religion News Service | Aug 3, 2018
Perhaps
one
of the most remarkable things ever said about God in the Hebrew Bible
occurs in Exodus 3 when Moses first encounters the deity and asks for
its name. In verse 14, God responds, “I am who I am,” which is simply a
mixture of “to be” verbs in Hebrew without any specific reference to
gender. If anything, the book of Exodus is clear that God is simply
“being,” which echoes later Christian doctrine that God is spirit.
In
fact, the
personal name of God, Yahweh, which is revealed to Moses in Exodus 3,
is a remarkable combination of both female and male grammatical
endings. The first part of God’s name in Hebrew, “Yah,” is feminine,
and the last part, “weh,” is masculine. In light of Exodus 3, the
feminist theologian Mary Daly asks, “Why must ‘God’ be a noun? Why not
a verb – the most active and dynamic of all.”
Read
More
Soeur
Nicole
Jetté, féministe tant qu’il le faudra. Cette religieuse
demandé
qu’à sa mort, aucune célébration eucharistique ne soit donnée, à moins
que celle-ci puisse être célébrée par une femme
Caroline
Montpetit, Le Devoir | 1 août 2018
Lorsqu’elle
nous reçoit chez elle, soeur Nicole Jetté porte un macaron sur lequel
est inscrit : « Féministe tant qu’il le faudra ».
Elle
ne
pourrait mieux dire. Cette religieuse de la Congrégation des
auxiliaires des âmes du purgatoire a en effet demandé qu’à sa mort,
aucune célébration eucharistique ne soit donnée, à moins que celle-ci
puisse être célébrée par une femme. Cela signifie que si, comme c’est
le cas actuellement, le partage de l’eucharistie chrétienne reconnue
par l’Église ne peut se donner que par un prêtre ordonné, une telle
célébration n’aura pas lieu.
C’est
sans doute sa façon à elle de militer pour une place plus équitable
pour les femmes dans l’Église.
Il
faut dire que soeur Jetté a l’habitude de défendre les marginalisés,
avec une approche qui lui est toute personnelle.
Lire la suite
Catholic
Women Called -Jane Kryzanowski
Catholic Women Called, Youtube video | July 27, 2018
Jane
Kryzanowski, who was ordained the second bishop for Roman Catholic
Women Priests Canada on July 21, 2018 shares how her call to priesthood
is a deeply true and real invitation to be the person of Christ to
people who are marginalized.
[Jane
Kryzanowski is bishop for RCWP Canada and servant priest of
Mary of Magdala Inclusive Catholic Community, Regina, SK.]
Ecclesiastical
structures established during the Council of Trent still govern the
church
Massimo
Faggioli, commonwealmagazine.org | August 23, 2018
The
approach taken by traditionalists, starting as it does with Vatican II,
tends to ignore the long history of institutions that presided over the
church’s failure to deal with clerical sex abuse. To understand their
role in the current crisis, one must look at three key elements that
made possible the “Catholic reform” that began with the Council of
Trent (1545–1563), elements that Vatican II did not change as much as
we tend to think: the formation of priests at seminaries, the diocesan
structure based on parish priest and bishop, and the role of the laity.
.
. .
This
new phase of the clerical sex-abuse crisis is more a crisis of the
Tridentine church than of the Vatican II Church, because the church in
which that abuse took place is, in terms of its institutional
structure, still essentially Tridentine.
Read
More
Trinity
School of Religion hosted the Wijngaards Institute panel discussion on
the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland
Editor,
RCWP Canada semi-Monthly Review | September 15, 2018
Catholic
theologians and campaigners discussed the topics below and the people
excluded from the World Meeting of the Families in Dublin on Monday,
August 20, 2018 at Trinity School of Religion, Trinity College, Dublin,
Ireland
The panel
addressed the controversial teachings and practices that have gone
unchanged and unchallenged, including:
- the
marginalization of women
- the
vilification of LGBT Catholics
- the
ongoing silencing of priests and theologians
- the harm
caused by the papal ban on contraception
- the abuse
scandal
The
Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research is a think tank dedicated to
academic research and education that examines and explores church
teachings and aims to bring about reform from within the Catholic
Church. The Institute coordinates reports by theologians and academics
from all disciplines to question the church's teaching where it is
based on prejudice and the misinterpretation of texts. We challenge
church policy where it constitutes injustice and causes harm.
[Contact: www.wijngaardsinstitute.com
or
miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com]
Why
I'm not leaving the Catholic Church
John Gehring, ncronline.org | Aug 24, 2018
My
faith is more naturally compared to the complicated bonds of family and
tribe. I've lost trust in some bishops and cardinals. I still believe
in the people of God.
Read
More
New research shows
that women’s ordination boosts trust and commitment among some
worshippers
Benjamin Knoll and Cammie Jo Bolin, religionnews.com | June 29, 2018
Those who advocate for greater diversity in the leadership of religious
congregations argue that diversity is important because it has an
empowering effect on those who are traditionally underrepresented. The
argument goes that when a religious leader shares an important group
identity with worshippers, those worshippers will be more likely to
believe that the leader is responsive to their needs. This, in turn,
can result in higher motivation to be active in the life of their
congregation.
Up until recently, however, no one had examined whether this is the
case with women’s ordination in American congregations. In our new
book, She Preached the Word: Women’s Ordination in Modern America
(Oxford University Press), we directly tackle this question.
Read
More
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Be
Careful How You Live: To take Jesus into ourselves, is to
take also
Jesus’ love of God’s creation into ourselves and our actions should
reflect our love
|
Victoria
Marie, Wild Lectionary | August 16, 2018
 |
There
is a disconnect between my Roman Catholic tradition’s
interpretation of today’s gospel (20th Sunday in Ordinary Time) and an
interpretation that would be more indicative of the inclusive holistic
teachings of Jesus. I think the second reading from Ephesians gives us
an insight to the gospel, including today’s passage.
"Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making
the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk
with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit."
(Ephesians 5:15-18)
So
when Jesus says, those who eat his flesh and drink his blood have
eternal life and that his flesh is true food and his blood is true
drink, |
perhaps
Jesus is saying if you internalize what I have taught
you, you live in me and I live in you. Could it be that what we
ritualize in our liturgies is meant to signify our commitment to drink
in the teachings and practice the commandments that Jesus gave to us.
“Because the days are evil,” there are ample opportunities for us to
practice the commandment to love our neighbour. Today, I want to bring
attention to justice for our non-human neighbours. Any of us who have
pets know, these animals are beloved members of our families. We need
to extend that care and concern to all animals and creatures.
Governments on both sides of the Canada/US border are bowing to the
demands of money rather than the demands of environmental justice or
the common good.
In the United States, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which has been
in place for nearly fifty years, aims to protect species that are under
serious threat from habitat loss, climate change, overhunting or other
challenges. Under the ESA, species are scientifically evaluated to
determine if they are in jeopardy, and, if so, “reasonable and prudent”
measures are instituted to limit the causes of that jeopardy. Few of
the protected species have been restored to a healthy status but 99% of
species listed as endangered have been saved from extinction. “The
[Trump] administration and the [U.S.] Congress want to change ESA rules
so that political officials evaluate evidence, not scientists, and
economic considerations are given greater weight in deciding whether to
save a species.”
In Canada, the scales of justice are unbelievably skewed in favour of
corporate impunity. Kinder Morgan, a Texas energy giant that
specializes in owning and controlling oil and gas pipelines and
terminals, was charged with 4 separate infractions of the Water
Sustainability Act after illegally tampering with salmon spawning by
placing snow fencing in salmon spawning streams. Kinder Morgan was
recently cited several times by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
for pile driving in Burrard Inlet at levels much louder than those
permitted during construction and failing to report the violations as
required at the time. Preservation of the acoustic environment has
become critical for Southern resident orca whales. On the other hand,
the Coast Protectors, who engage in non-violent civil disobedience
protesting the Trans Mountain pipeline and tanker project, now face up
to $5,000 each in fines. It is a worrying time when a law-breaking
corporation is fined $920 and an individual engaging in non-violent
civil disobedience is fined $5,000.
You may ask, what has all this environmental and political stuff to do
with the gospel when there’s so much injustice towards people
happening? A lot, is the answer. First, species injustice is not seen
as newsworthy because current news reporting tends to favour
sensational news over important news. Secondly, thank to
social
media, there is an awareness of abuses that are taking place against
immigrants of colour, indigenous people and people of colour, in
general. But most importantly, in the economy of the gospel, whatever
we do to the least, we do to Christ himself. Jesus tells us that God
cares about the ‘lilies of the field’ and the ‘birds of the air’. If
these are important to God, they should be important to us. Please
note, I’m not saying one is more important than the other. I’m saying
God’s love makes us one—human, animal, plant, water, stone—all loved by
God. Each one is a part of the whole that is Creation. Injustice
towards one part impacts the whole.
To take Jesus into ourselves, is to take also Jesus’ love of God’s
creation into ourselves and our actions should reflect our love.
Wherever we see injustice, part of our Eucharistic living is to work to
see that justice is restored or established. "This is the bread that
came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they
died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." (John
6:58) If we take in (eat) the Living Word of God and drink in
the
Spirit of Jesus teachings, we become part of the circle of love and
life that abides with the Source of All being, the Eternal Word and the
Holy Spirit.
[Victoria
Marie is
is co-founder of the Vancouver Catholic Worker, on unceded Coast Salish
Territory. She is a priest, spiritual director, and pastor of the Our
Lady of Guadalupe Tonantzin Roman Catholic Women Church Community and
author of Transforming Addiction: The role of spirituality in learning
recovery from addiction (Scholars Press, 2014). This reflection is a
shared or dialogue homily where Vikki gives a short “homily starter”
then those present offer their reflections. Vikki was arrested on May
18 in front of the Kinder Morgan tank facility and goes to trial in
November.]
Linda
Spear vivait à Sutton depuis plusieurs années lorsqu’elle a été
ordonnée prêtre, par l’entremise de l’association
RCWP.
J’aime être une catholique parce que nous avons une tradition
merveilleuse dans le domaine du travail de bienfaisance.
Caroline
Montpetit, Le Devoir | 20 août 2018
|
À
l’âge de quatre ans, Linda Spear rêvait d’être prêtre. Soixante-dix ans
plus tard, elle a finalement réalisé son rêve, mais au prix de son
excommunication de l’Église catholique.
Linda Spear, qui a
été élevée à Winnipeg par une mère catholique et un père protestant, me
reçoit dans la maison du Sutton où elle habite depuis plusieurs années.
Dans
quelques jours, elle s’envolera pour l’Allemagne, où elle rejoindra
plusieurs représentantes de l’association Roman Catholic Women Priests
(RCWP), qui réunit plus de deux cents femmes prêtres partout dans le
monde.
Lire
la suite |
 |
Judith
Pellerin's Dancing My
Life, Dancing My God uses the metaphor of dance to
describe how life can be lived joyously and with fulfillment.
The concept of dance as prayer, as communication between self and God,
is introduced in an engaging and accepting way for those seeking to
discover deeper meaning in their communion with the Divine. |
Balanceing
information on the history of dance as Spirit-led
communication with more personal anecdotes of the meaning of dance for
people today, Dancing
My Life, Dancing My God offers a starting place for
discussion and discovery of dancing a Spirit-filled life.
[Judith
Pellerin, Regina, SK. has given permission to serialize her book.
Click
here to read up to and including Chapter 4.]
 |
Binding
The
Strong
Man |
Radical
Discipleship, radicaldiscipleship.net | Ordinary
Time, 2018, Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary
As
we transition into the summer months of Ordinary Time, we are
celebrating the 30th anniversary of Binding The Strong Man,
Ched Myers’ extraordinary
political reading of Mark’s Gospel.
[For
each Sunday of Ordinary Time, RCWP
Canada semi-Monthly Review posts links
to Myers' comments.]
International
Catholic Reform Network gather near Bratislava, Slovakia to hear from
former Czechoslovak underground church about positive resistance.
Tribute paid to Bishop Felix Davidek who ordained married men and women
ICRN
press release | June 16, 2018
Fifty
Catholics from 18 countries and 4 continents gathered near Bratislava,
Slovakia from June 11 – 15, 2018. Formed as the International
Catholic Reform Network (icrn.info) in 2013, the participants of this
year’s conference learned from members of the former Czechoslovak
Underground Church about positive resistance.
The
group was inspired by the testimonials of the people who endured severe
oppression under the communist regime of that time.
“We
value the courageous acts of Bishop Davidek and others who recognized
the pastoral need to bring the sacraments to communities of faith,”
said Peter Krizan of the group ok21 – Society for Open Christianity for
the 21st Century. “We need to endure and be vigilant, so that we do not
miss 21st Century’s Pentecost,” Krizan added.
Read
More
Eucharist
is an encounter of the heart, knowing Presence through our available
presence
Richard Rohr, Center for Action
and Contemplation | July 24, 2018
All
my life as a Catholic, I have held the orthodox belief that the “Real
Presence” of Christ is communicated in the bread and wine of the sacred
meal (rather shockingly taught by Jesus in John 6:35-58). This is not a
magical idea, but simply the mystery of incarnation taken to its
logical conclusion—from creation itself, uniquely to Jesus’ body, to
the human Body of Christ that we all are, and then to the very elements
from the earth and human hands like bread and wine to serve as food for
the journey. Why believe the universal Presence is “Real” if it is not
also real in one concrete ordinary spot? (We are meant to struggle with
this realization, as we see in John 6:60-66.)
Read
More
Women and LGBTQ people must find solidarity in struggle for a just
church
Jamie
Manson, ncronline.org | June 25, 2018
In
June 2017, when Jesuit Fr. James Martin was promoting his then-newly
published book Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT
Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and
Sensitivity, one of many interviews he offered was with Kaya Oakes,
published on the website Religion Dispatches.
Oakes
asked Martin whether he believed there is "a common struggle in the
church between women and LGBT people." Martin said that while there is
an "interesting parallel" between the issues, ultimately "that analogy
fails, because LGBT people are the most marginalized people in the
church today. And even though many women feel marginalized, you still
have conferences at the Vatican on women, or Women's Day at the
Vatican. You don't have an LGBT Day at the Vatican."
Read
More
In
gratitude for the two articles, "female disciples wiped from history"
and "Roman burial art." (RCWP
Canada semi-Monthly Review, September
1, 2018) Both appear to be academically valid, validate women
leadership, and demonstrate that history is almost always told by the
vantage point of the "winners" - in this case, men. "The one who tells
the story rules the people," and for too long, our hearts and minds
have been ruled by a stultifying and limited patriarchal perspective.
It's important to uncover women "Christian" history, as it has the
potential to empower, inspire, broaden, embolden and align our spirits
and our movement to Jesus of Nazareth's egalitarian and just vision for
our world.
[Craig Van Parys, Regina, SK]
Thanks
very much to the international bishops for their statement (RCWP
Canada semi-Monthly
Review, September 1, 2018).
What
I miss here, as in so much of the commentary, is a call to investigate
the deeper causes of clergy sexual abuse of children and vulnerable
persons. I am convinced that some deep taproot underlies not
only the systematic sexual abuse of persons considered weak or
inferior, but also how women's bodies and women's moral agency in
regard to their own bodies never entered into Catholic moral
theology. And then there's the powerful fear of women's
bodies at the altar, touching holy things and speaking holy
words. Somehow it's all connected. The abuse didn't
just emerge from nowhere.
[Concerned
Catholic, Ottawa, ON]
Great
job on the news. I noticed that the posts from Ched Myers
will end at the 21st Sunday of Ordinary time. Will you be
able to post the links as Ordinary time continues? At first I thought
that he was publishing excerpts from either BINDING THE STRONG MAN
or SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN.
But as I looked at a number of his postings, they seem to be originals
(with many connections to the BINDING
THE STRONG MAN). Keep up the good work.
[David
Jackson, Edinburg, TX]
Editors
note: As far as we can tell, Ched Myers comments will
continue for most of Ordinary Time.
The article concerning the
removal of female disciples from Christianity (RCWP Canada semi-Monthly Review, September
1, 2018)
brought to my attention the biblical historians, Taylor and Bond. Their
observations are fascinating and such research challenges long held
beliefs. I was particularly impressed by the concept of "duo duo",
whereby female and male disciples worked and travelled together
spreading Jesus's word and healings. Fascinating stuff.
[Carol
Cote, Ottawa ON]
The
article by Wayne Holst and the RCWP Ordination (RCWP Canada semi-Monthly Review, September
1, 2018)
was so on target, and though I was present at the ordination, I could
not have said it any better than this Lutheran Pastor. That is an
open-minded Christian and one who is guided by the Holy Spirit.
[Fred
Williams, Calgary AB]
To
be church together
Joan
Chittister, Benetvision | August 21, 2018
Joan
Chittister began writing about the issue of sexual abuse in 2002. In
light of the recent release of the Grand Jury Report on Sexual Abuse of
Children within Six Dioceses of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, we
have excerpted from two of her articles that dealt with the issue.
I’m
beginning to wonder if we’ve been overlooking the real meaning, the
ultimate impact, of two of the most powerful lines of scripture: “And a
little child shall lead them” or, alternatively, “Let the little ones
come unto me.” Pedophilia, the abuse of children, has finally unmasked
for all to see the operational principles of an organization that has
been able for years to ignore, reject-- even disdain--the cries of
multiple other groups of the ignored and abused.
Read
More
As
a Catholic priest, I did the unspeakable. I called for the ordination
of women in the church
Roy
Bourgeois, triblive.com | August 23, 2018
As a
Catholic priest, I did the unspeakable. I called for the ordination of
women in the church. The Vatican was swift in its response. The
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith informed me that I was
“causing grave scandal” in the church and that I had 30 days to recant
my public support for the ordination of women or I would be expelled
from the priesthood.
I told the
Vatican that this was not possible.
Read
More
Advocates
of women priests cite scandals to make their case
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | August 23, 2018
Advocates of ordaining women as Roman Catholic priests are citing the
church's unfolding sex abuse scandals as powerful arguments for their
cause, while acknowledging the high unlikelihood of achieving their
goal anytime soon.
Even with extensive grassroots support for letting women become
priests, Pope Francis and the Vatican's male-dominated hierarchy have
stressed repeatedly that a men-only priesthood is a divine mandate that
cannot be changed.
Read
More
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September
15, 2018
