a letter on discernment to Pope Francis

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I sent the following letter to Pope Francis in early January.
The letter offers feedback on the discernment process used to
discern the role of women in the Church. 
I did not receive a response. 

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Dear Pope Francis, 
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I am deeply thankful for your leadership and the extraordinary interior freedom you demonstrate each day in the face of immense pressures that the vast majority of us never see. I pray for you daily.
 
As a woman trained by Jesuits and deeply rooted in the Spiritual Exercises, I write to offer important feedback on the discernment regarding the role of women in the Church. As you know, the way a discernment question is phrased profoundly shapes how the discernment unfolds. Only a proper question permits access to the full availability of possible invitations from God. 

When it comes to the ordination of women, the Church seems to be asking the question: “Can the Church ordain women?” However, this phrasing is problematic because it centers the discernment on the institutional Church rather than on God. Phrasing the question in this way prompts the Church to look primarily at itself—its past behavior and interpretations—for the answer. From the outset, the question narrows the information gathering stage of discernment before it even begins, making a good discernment impossible. 

Instead, the better question is, “Is God calling women to ordained ministries in the Roman Catholic Church?” This phrasing centers the discernment on God’s action in the life of the Church, and makes the Holy Spirit the protagonist of the discernment. This question inspires the Church to look with fresh eyes and hearts upon the relevant scripture, tradition, and lived history of the Church–as well as any current signs of the times–which will naturally lead to new insights. This question gives the Church the freedom to gather all the information relevant to the question–including information that has thus far been missing from the synodal process. Information such as: 

• (1) The voices of women around the world who are called to priesthood (a proper discernment must center the voices of those most marginalized by the doctrine, for God leads us through the voices of the  marginalized to God’s vision of flourishing for all creation); 
  
  
• (2) An accurate history of the leadership, participation and ordination of women in the Church (which has been made hidden until recent decades as scholars have started to uncover the rich history of the ongoing struggle of women for full participation in the Church);
  
  
• (3) Total transparency of where vowed religious and ordained deacons, priests, bishops and cardinals stand (there are thousands of religious and ordained around the world who are in favor of holy orders for women, but they are silenced. This silencing is not only a true obstacle to a proper discernment, but a hallmark of the Dark Spirit. Religious and ordained must be given the freedom to speak plainly, and the entire Church must see where those with institutional privilege and power stand.)
   

You know better than anyone how much the discernment question matters in making a proper discernment. If the Church truly wants to hear what God desires for women and for the Church, then the Church must ask the question that enables a proper discernment to unfold. I urge you to please introduce the proper question on the ordination of women, so that the Church can uncover God’s invitation, without which we cannot follow. 

Thank you for the great sacrifice of your ministry and leadership.
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In prayer, 
Father Anne +