Quebec feminist unmoved.

Montreal--In May of this year, the radical feminist "Network for Women and Ministries in Quebec" published a new letter on women's ordination (reprinted in the July 7 edition of Catholic New Times without comment). Two years ago, the Network also published an Open Letter rejecting the Holy Father's May 1994 Declaration restricting ordination to men only.

Many of the Network's 2000 or more supporters are women--religious and lay--who hold Church positions in catechetics, religious education, seminaries, and faculties of theology (see C.I., Oct. 1994, pp. 12-16).

The latest feminist letter is no better than the earlier one. Catholic women throughout the world are in revolt against the Pope's decision, which was meant to sow confusion, it says. Furthermore, the papal declaration is not infallible, no matter what Cardinal Ratzinger may say. Rather, it is the result of hierarchical authoritarianism which denies dialogue and freedom of speech and, therefore, lacks credibility and authenticity.

The feminists encourage Quebec bishops to stand on their own feet and stop being Vatican puppets. Perhaps "the time has come to question the theological status of the authority of Roman congregations," it states. It continues: "Far from defying authority," such an attitude of opposition merely gives "concrete form to a dynamism which comes to them from the Holy Spirit."

Comment

One may and should feel sorry for the Quebec bishops, having to deal with such a large group of dissenters. They deserve our prayers. On the other hand, spokesmen for these same bishops have encouraged Church feminists for over two decades, placed them in important positions throughout Quebec, and instead of joining the Holy Father in the firm No on this and other matters, have consistently led them to believe that their chosen path of contradicting the Magisterium was honorable and pregnant with success. All that was needed was "more dialogue," they kept on saying.

Although the Pope called on bishops everywhere to remove dissident theologians from teaching positions in his 1993 encyclical Veritatis splendor, in Quebec the appeal has fallen on deaf ears. There seem to be so many of them that it may be necessary to wait until they retire or die. This would be a long watch.