NCR Online: Women say they want church to talk to them, not about them, on diaconate
A group of pilgrims left the Eternal City Oct. 7, saying they are returning home to continue the push for women to answer their spiritual call as deacons. One of them, a Franciscan sister, said the Spirit would settle the issue, not antiquated church structures.
Some expressed frustration following statements from a Vatican official that the church will not, for now, consider their ordination to the office. More than 50 women, and some men, many of them from the U.S., but also from Brazil, Bolivia and Australia involved with the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (known as CEAMA) and Discerning Deacons, ended their 2024 Synodal Pilgrimage to Rome Oct. 6, with some disappointment, but also a determination that the matter is not settled.
“Our purpose really has just been to witness, to be here, to pray for synodality, to pray for the church, to pray for the synod delegates and to be able to witness to the reality that Jesus is asking a lot more of women,” said Ellie Hidalgo, the Miami-based co-director of Discerning Deacons.
The truth is that women, with their feminine “genius” are far too brilliant for the ordained ministries… One can only deduce this from the latest example of pontifical plámás.
Pope Francis’ new book, Sei Unica , is out today in all bookshops, coinciding perfectly with the opening of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, which will address the issue of the role of women, in the Church as well as in society. One of the central points and the most heated crossroads. In the pages of the book, a true manifesto of papal thought, Francis’ words are interspersed with those of writers and artists he loves to explore and celebrate the irreplaceable role of women.
“I know that you are brave, more than men,” writes the Pope, among other things, “if we want to weave humanity into the fabric of our days, we can only start from you. Your genius can make a decisive contribution to public life and plays an essential role in the family environment. There is no doubt that much more needs to be done on your behalf. It is important that your voice is heard more, that it always has more weight.”… “It is necessary that your authority be recognized.” An imperative, the Pope warns, that can no longer be postponed if we really want to move forward in building a world of authentic progress, prosperity and peace.
Quote from Pope Francis: “You are harmony, you are poetry, you are beauty. If we want to weave humanity into the fabric of our times, we can only begin with you. Your ‘genius’ can make a decisive contribution in public life and plays a fundamental role in the family environment. There is no doubt that much more needs to be done for you. It is important that your voice be heard more, that it always has more weight. Your authority needs to be recognized. We must learn from the gaze with which Jesus looked at you. We must learn from his consideration, which through you indicates a path that leads far. So far we have only covered a small part. We have not yet fully discovered the things that can be seen with other eyes. I know that your heart is more patient, more creative. I know that you have a peculiar sensitivity and tenderness. I know that you are brave, more than men, and in fact there, at the foot of the cross, they flee, but not you, you stay. I know that you are a true fortress, that you are the reserve of all humanity. I know that, whatever your name, your age, your condition, you, wife, loved one, mother, sister, friend, are unique.”
The 7 talents of women to make the world a better place, according to Pope Francis.
1 – Take life seriously. It is typical of women to take life seriously. And only those who look with their heart see well, because they know how to “see inside”: the person beyond their mistakes, the brother beyond his fragility, the hope in difficulties. When women can transmit their gifts, the world becomes more united. That is why an achievement of women is an achievement of all humanity.
2 – The grace that makes things new. Women bring to the world the grace that makes things new, the embrace that includes, the courage to give themselves. If we care about the future, if we dream of a future of peace, we must give more space to women: it is essential that their voice be heard more and more, it is urgent that they participate more and more in decision-making.
3 – The power of care. By gaining power in society, women can change the system. They can turn power from the logic of domination to that of care. The wisdom of ancient peoples affirms that Mother Earth has a feminine face. We need poetry and courage to care for our common home, we need to defend the harmony of creation and women know more about harmony than men.
4 – A look that goes beyond. The mothers’ look is an inclusion that overcomes tensions. It is a concrete look, one that does not let itself be overcome by discouragement, that does not become paralyzed by problems, but places them in a broader horizon. It is a conscious look, without illusions, that nevertheless offers a broader perspective: that of love that regenerates hope.
5 – Brilliance in short. In her actions, women know how to uniquely synthesize three languages: that of the mind, that of the heart and that of the hands. This symphony, which knows how to harmoniously embody a synthesis of the human being that no machine could achieve, is the genius of women.
6 – The example of determination. We must look at the example of those women who could have yielded to those who opposed their projects, or remained subject to the patriarchal norms of their time and resigned themselves, without fighting for the dreams that God himself had imprinted on their souls, and instead, with meekness and firmness, with prophetic words and determined gestures, they opened paths and fulfilled that to which they had been called. The example of their determination is a beacon.
7 – The strength that does not give up. Mary was the strong woman who said “yes,” who supports and accompanies, who protects and embraces. She is the great guardian of hope. From her we learn to say “yes” to stubborn patience and to the creativity that does not discourage and knows how to start over, that knows how to look at the horizon and go beyond, because there is always something beyond to go to. The strength of women is great. If a man is left alone, perhaps widowed, it will be difficult for him to move forward. He cannot tolerate such a great emptiness. A widow, on the other hand, transcending pain, continues with her family, her affections, her life, continues with everything. Where is the difference? The feminine genius is the difference.
To conclude:
“Eres único” is an extraordinary ode to the centrality of women and their fundamental contribution to building a world of true progress and peace. In these pages, the words of the pontiff – together with those of many writers, poets and artists – celebrate the irreplaceable role of the feminine genius. With the most beloved texts of Jane Austen, Hannah Arendt, Agatha Christie, Emily Dickinson, Frida Kahlo, Edith Stein, Sappho, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Anne Frank, Maria Montessori, Saint Catherine of Siena, Virginia Woolf and many others, “Eres único” is a manifesto to celebrate a better world: one in the hands of women.
My comment above was quoting from
https://www.religiondigital.org/red_internacional_de_mujeres_lideres_catolicas/Papa-Francisco-escribir-UNICA-verdadero_7_2714198563.html
Catholic Women Speak
@rc_women
No rush guys. Take your time. But have you considered that by the time you cease your patronising platitudes, the problem will be solved because all the women will have left?
From catholicweekly.com.au
7:13 AM · Oct 4, 2024
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