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VATICAN CITY – Two modern American suffragists had a plan.
At this month's Synod of Bishops, Deborah Rose-Milavec and Kate McElwee, who led groups dedicated to promoting the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican, ensured that Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod, was presented with a heavy pink folder.
Inside was a petition with more than 9,000 signatures and a specific request: Allow the religious superiors of the synod to "vote as equals alongside their brethren in Christ".
The request for the petition, said Mrs. Rose-Milavec, executive director of Future Church, and Ms. McElwee, who holds the same position at the Conference on the Ordination of Women, was a minor fly in what appeared to be a insurmountable battle to get the man. Catholic Church centric to pay special attention to women, who represent about half of the 1.3 billion Catholics in the world, but do not count much for what matters in life.
Vatican synods take place every few years. Women have become a major concern of this community, which opened earlier this month and explains how the church can better serve today's youth in this period of school emptying.
"The presence of women in the church, the role of women in the church" was repeatedly mentioned at the plenary meeting of the synod and in smaller working groups, Sister Sally said. Marie Hodgdon, Superior General of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Chambery and a participant in the synod. "The young people are talking about it, as well as some bishops and cardinals."
"Obviously," she added, the women's issue will be included in the final document, which will be put to the vote on Saturday.
But women, who make up about a tenth of 340 or more synod participants, will not be among the electors. Until this synod, only ordained men had the right to vote on recommendations on the working paper, the final draft of which is given to the pope, which can include as much as he or she wishes in his own reflection. post-Synodal.
This year, however, two men who are not ordained but who are the superiors general of their respective religious orders have been granted the right to vote. Sister Hodgdon is also a Superior General, but she has no voting rights.
For some Catholics, the difference is clearly a sexism that "highlights the serious marginalization of women in the church," said Lucetta Scaraffia, editor-in-chief of monthly insert on women in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. "It's a blatant injustice. This shows that the criteria they use are not between priests and lay people, but between women and men, "she said.
The cover of the October insert, "Women, Church, World" depicts a woman screaming angrily. Ms. Scaraffia said that the purpose of the problem was to encourage debate and to ensure that women "protest whenever there is a reason to protest".
"What are they afraid of?" Honestly, a woman voted! "Said Ms. McElwee, of the Conference of Women's Orders, who helped draft the petition and organized a demonstration that coincided with the opening of the Synod, October 3rd.
In front of the doors that lead to the synod hall in Vatican City that day, several dozen women and men chanted, "Hit, hit." "Who's there?" "More than half of the church. The protest was peaceful – "a prayer The groups are more disturbing," said Ms. McElwee, while drawing the attention of the police, who ended the protest, identified all the protesters and forced some of the protesters. among them to remove footage from the demonstration of their mobile phone.
The petition authorizing a synodal vote to female superiors was a "strategic" step toward more equitable participation of men in solving church problems, said McElwee, adding that she realized that this confirmed the "Ultimate fear" of some religious who see it as an important step. "A slippery slope that could eventually lead to the ordination of women" as priests.
According to McElwee, such an ordination was "the last door closed to women", even though there are many doors in between. The teaching of the Church says that women can not be priests because Jesus chose only men as apostles.
Various studies on religious affiliation in the United States show that young people leave the Catholic Church in greater numbers than before for many reasons. Women have always been the cornerstone of the faithful, but a study conducted last year by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) on Catholic Women showed that they were less engaged than previously.
These figures have not sounded the death knell they should have had in the Catholic Church, according to critics.
"For the first time in history, the rate of departure of women is higher than that of men," said Rose-Milavec. "It's a deep dive."
Pope Francis has often spoken of a moreincisive presence for women in the church and six women occupy positions of responsibility in the five dozen departments that constitute the governing body of the Catholic Church, the Holy See. Critics say that he must do more.
In 2016, Francis appointed a commission to review the place women deacons occupied in the early church, an approach considered by some as likely to pave the way for women deacons of the Modern era. But the commission did not make public its conclusion and the cardinal who directs it made it clear Last June, advising the Pope on modern women deacons had never been on his agenda.
"By his positive statements, Pope Francis has really aroused the expectation of women about the changes he plans to make to bring more women into leadership roles," said Petra Dankova, Advocacy Director of Voices of Faith. , in a written answer to the questions. "But concrete actions followed slowly and without a global plan."
Voice of Faith, based in Liechtenstein, insists that women hold full leadership positions in the Catholic Church. She urged the group of very united cardinals who advises the pope on various issues to create a special advisory committee for women, said Ms. Dankova.
The question of their involvement in the church, she added, "is too complex and we can not expect that it will be resolved in any way or in any way. Another without concentrated attention and without the collaboration of the women themselves ".
This suggestion fell on deaf ears, although some of the leading prelates of the synod showed their support for women.
On Wednesday, at a press conference in the Vatican, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishops' Conference, said that the issue of the role of women in the church was "important for all ages". church ", which must include the evolution of women's equality. as a gift from God.
"We would be stupid not to use the potential of women," said Cardinal Marx. "Thank God, we are not so stupid."
The male religious superiors of the synod also provided support, and the coordinating groups of the superiors general, men and women, developed a concrete proposal to enable senior women to participate as voting members in future synods. If it were ratified by their respective councils, the proposal would be presented to the pope, said Sister Hodgdon.
Sister Hodgdon, an American, lived in Rome for eight years and stated that she had learned that the ways of the Church were taking time. Women generals could probably not vote at this synod, she conceded. "But do I think that will happen for the next? Yes, I really believe it. "
The next synod is scheduled for October 2019, and will focus on issues related to the Amazon region.
