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The Forum > General Discussion > Women in the Christian church

Women in the Christian church

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Dear TBC,

A comprehensive report on the participation of women
in the Australian Catholic church was commissioned in
August 1996 by the ACBC (Australian Catholic Bishops'
Conference). The process involved the largest research
and consultation project ever undertaken by the
Australian Catholic Church. If nothing else, it
indicated that there was a realisation among some
of the bishops that something had to be done about the
relationship between women and Catholicism.

However in the years since the Report was published the
Australian church has done very little and the
alienation of women, especially younger women, grows
deeper, even though according to Dr Paul Collins in
his book, "Believers: Does Australian Catholicism
have a future?" tells us that 76 per cent of pastoral
care in the Australian church is carried out by women.
One of the most striking findings of the Report was
that women comprised 74 per cent of those undertaking
undergraduate studies in theology and almost 64 per cent
of post-graduate theological studies.

Therefore the church already has a highly trained cadre of
women to take part in the ministry and the priesthood
as soon as that becomes a possibility. This is an
enormous potential resource for the Church.

It does seem a shame that the Church doesn't see it
that way. The movement for the Ordination of Catholic
Women (OCW) is a very active movement,
and it will continue to call
for a renewed priestly ministry. They believe that:

"A renewed ordained ministry of both women and men
will function in a relational rather than hierarchical
manner...Our desire is to operate in a faith community
that nurtures values of equality, inclusiveness, understanding
and tolerance, one which encourages a transcendent
spirituality that is imbued with a sense of compassion
and the ability to reach beyond oneself...We believe a
renewed ordained ministry with women and men having an
equal role in leading the church is integral to
sustaining the precious gift of the Catholic faith that
has formed us. A renewed ordained ministry would revitalise
pastoral care and sacramental ministry."
Posted by Foxy, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 6:57:17 PM
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It is certainly true nairbe, that 'in my fathers house there are many rooms', some more decently furnished, others grubby hell-holes of base behaviour and abuse.

My own family experience was in the latter... not abuse in the sense that makes the flesh creep, the sort the Pope regards as being on-a-par with elevating women to priestly garb, but long standing abuse none-the-less, that has haunted my mother all her years.... simply by attending a Convent and being party to the outrages therein, and left its mark, by proxy, on our family years afterwards.

I am entirely suspicious of the Salvos, and always resented their payday appearances in the boozer when men were at their silliest and pulled out wads of notes to pay them off 'just in case'.

Given that these Heavenly trumpeters despised boozers and boozing, while of course, simply adoring the sinners who justified their very existence, it always struck me as a cynical and low act, to even enter a pub with a shaking-tin, never mind grinning inanely as the dollars were squeezed in.

I await Runners return, complete with thesis, to point us in the 'right' direction here.

It would be good if a few women added their bon mots too, on both sides of the 'understanding' scales.
Posted by The Blue Cross, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 7:04:42 PM
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TBC, You are right to be suspicious of the Salvo's. Never mind profiting from the drunks they profess to save but the extreme strain they put my family through over the years almost cost us each other many times. If not for the complete rejection of this organisation by all my brothers and sisters i would most likely not have them as part of life. Years of being told that you are a sinner and that it is evil to dance, have sexual feelings, mix with non Salvo's and heven forbid that you might challenge their interpretation of the bible. The indoctrination of children through little solders and youth group to bible study and choir we never had a chance. The list of things you are not allowed is endless but of course all the time in the shadows all the real evils were going on. It took many years of my life to resolve the damage done by this organisation and i don't consider them one of the bad ones.
I have noted in what i see as true to form they have changed much of their rules these days to be more attractive to the masses. Another problem churches have, they sell out their standards to get an audience. I understand many of the clergy are now trying to tell us that evolution and the church fit together. I am not making an argument either way but amazing that when all is lost they can always fit it in and pretend that they always had.
Posted by nairbe, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 7:34:45 PM
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Dear Foxy,
it's nice, but somehow discomforting to find you equivocal on this issue. The Catholic church has a long, indeed spectacular, history of corruption and decadence to do penance for, but it's male penance!
Thanks for the percentages on women's commitment to Man's church; 'twas ever thus!
Have you read Aristophanes' "Lysistrata"? Militant compliance! If only that were a tautology.

Women should be starting their own church and leaving men's to its decay.
Posted by Squeers, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 8:28:22 PM
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Foxy... I was aware of much of the detail you posted, but not its source. A colleague I knew was doing research on women in the Catholic church, still is in fact, and she gave me those rather sad figures.

"Therefore the church already has a highly trained cadre of women to take part in the ministry and the priesthood as soon as that becomes a possibility. This is an enormous potential resource for the Church"... indeed it might be, but probably will not be.

I'd be inclined to agree with Squeers suggestion, that women, and gay/lesbian people, and decent men for that matter, abandoned the Vatican to those dirty old men who regard women with utter contempt and loathing, to start a new church.

Since all this stuff is 'man' made anyway, there is nothing but fear, and tradition, the same in some situations I suspect, that holds people back from shouting in the Emperors ear 'ole, that the game is up.

I even think that God might be quite impressed if that were to happen.
Posted by The Blue Cross, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 8:40:28 PM
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WOW, you're an 'A' clASS troll.
Posted by StG, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 9:17:25 PM
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