Image by Annett_Klingner from Pixabay 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. Dear Pope Francis,
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:
Thank you for the great sacrifice of your ministry and leadership. In prayer, Father Anne + |