THIS MAGAZINE WILL TABLE OF CONTENTS SHOWCASE THE STORIES Opening Speaker - Fidelis Götz pg 06 AND DISCUSSIONS FROM Part 1: Story Telling THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL Mary McAleese pg 08 Ssenfuka Joanita Warry pg 14 WOMEN’S DAY - WHY Zuzanna Radzik pg 18 WOMEN MATTER Nivedita Lobo and Gayatri Lobo Gajiwala pg 22 Joana Gomes pg 30 Costanza Alvarez de Castro pg 34 Part 2: Power to Transform: Will the Catholic Church Survive the 21st Century? pg 36 Professor Tina Beattie — Moderator, Theologian and Director Catherine of Siena College Mary McAleese — President of Ireland, 1997-2011 Father Luke Hansen SJ — Jesuit and Writer Nicole Sotelo — Journalist and Author Alina Oehler — Theologian and Journalist Elise Orbananos Hernando — Regional Programs Office, Jesuit Refugee Service, Great Lakes Wolfgang Schmidt is the offical photographer for the Voices of Faith ‘Why Women Matter’ 2018 event PHOTOGRAPHER: ABDUL AZIZ AL HAKIM AL AZIZ ABDUL PHOTOGRAPHER: VOICES OF FAITH 5 We live in times marked by change, Today, women are asking why the Church is but there are places where gender so slow in recognizing their value and opening governance and ministerial roles to them; roles equality is being systematically that incorporate their faith, gifts, expertise overlooked. The Catholic Church and education into structures of authority is one of them and this puts the at all levels. institution at risk. Young Catholics Voices of Faith believe that women’s voices are leaving, women who have in the Vatican must carry as far as their male been a mainstay of parish life are counterparts, and with the same weight. If current leaders of the Roman Curia do not departing. This is especially true include capable, qualified women in roles of young Catholic women who are that are theoretically open to them, we face absent at rates unparalleled in our a future where the Catholic Church will be a history and are not returning. relic of the past. Our world is facing a future more meaningful by the inclusion of women in significant positions. We won’t allow gender inequality to undermine the longevity of the Church. Our voices stir the winds of change, so we must speak. WILL POPE FRANCIS AND OUR PASTORAL LEADERS LISTEN TO OUR VOICE? PHOTOGRAPHER: BEN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHER: 7 WELCOME FIDELIS GÖTZ President, Fidel Götz Foundation, Liechtenstein First, I would also like to express our deep Why are all men created equal gratitude to our friends the Jesuits, whom we in civil society, but not in the LADIES AND GENTLEMAN have worked with for over 50 years now, for hosting us in this venue...close to the Vatican. Church society? HERE IN ROME, DEAR Second, I’d like to express my deep thanks Why are women and men baptised the same to Chantal and her dedicated team of Voices way in this Church, but the Church excludes of Faith who once again have put on a those same women from the priesthood of FRIENDS WATCHING ON tremendous event together with an illustrious Christ. And why is the Church holding onto round of women and I think one man, who will traditions that have no basis in the Bible, but THE LIVE FEED FROM give us their thoughts and insights on why are based on a self imposed patriarchy. women matter within the Church. We believe it’s high time for the Church to AROUND THE WORLD, Marilyn Monroe once sang ‘diamonds are a change. Please listen to the views and thoughts girl’s best friend,’ she could also have sang ‘girls expressed today. Provoke them, challenge are God’s best friend’ and I think nobody would them, share them, discuss them. Only then can AND IN PARTICULAR ALL have disagreed. Why is that? Girls are women we continue to trigger a thought and change for that matter; are funny, they are courageous, process within this Church. And only then can they are engaging, they are helpful, they are we create the visibility necessary for this. The THE WOMEN WHOM WE role models, they are natural leaders and above future of our Catholic Church depends on it. all, they are faithful. Wouldn’t these all be Don’t let that Church fall asleep - wake her up! CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL qualities and attributes that we would look for THANK in our friends? And wouldn’t these also all be YOU. qualities that God would look for when putting WOMEN’S DAY TODAY, his team together to lead his Church in this millennium, men and women alike? WELCOME TO THIS EVENT So why does the Church struggle to become an all inclusive church, and separate roles for ON BEHALF OF THE FIDEL women and for men? GÖTZ FOUNDATION. MARY MCALEESE VOICES OF FAITH 9 CATHOLIC FEMALE LEADERSHIP, WHY THE CONTROVERSY? — MARY MCALEESE PHOTOGRAPHER: VIDAR NORDLI-MATHISEN MARY MCALEESE VOICES OF FAITH 11 Part 1 “Historical oppression of women has certain classes because of but bishops are allowed to We have been part of a deprived the human race of untold their economic and social ban females and where they civil and ecclesial tradition resources, true progress for women status, sex, or position in the permit them in their dioceses that has offended against Story cannot fail to liberate enormous reserves State, and the corresponding individual pastors can ban women. And, like many of intelligence and energy, sorely needed superiority complex of other them in their parishes. men, we have a tendency in a world that is groaning for peace classes, is rapidly becoming to convince ourselves Telling and justice”. (extract from presentation a thing of the past. At the Why? that there is no problem. by Professor Maryann Glendon, member Second Vatican Council Back in 1976 we were told However unwittingly, we of the Holy See Delegation to the UN Archbishop Paul Hallinan of that the Church does not have often contributed to a Mary Conference on Women, Beijing 1995). Atlanta, warned the bishops consider herself authorized form of clericalism which has to stop perpetuating “the reinforced male domination The Israelites under Joshua’s command to admit women to priestly secondary place accorded to with an ostensibly divine circled Jericho’s walls for seven days, blew ordination. This has locked McAleese women in the Church of the sanction. By making this trumpets and shouted to make the walls women out of any significant President of Ireland 1997-2011 20th century” and to avoid the declaration we wish to react fall down (cf. Joshua 6:1-20). We don’t role in the Church’s leadership Church being a “late-comer personally and collectively, have trumpets but we have voices, voices and authority structure. Yet in in [their] social, political and and do what we can to of faith and we are here to shout, to bring justice their very permanent economic development”. The change this regrettable down our Church’s walls of misogyny. exclusion from priesthood Council’s decree Apostolicam situation. We have been circling these walls for 55 should have provoked the Actuositatem said it was years since John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem Church to find innovative important that women “The regrettable in Terris first pointed to the advancement ways of including women’s “participate more widely situation” arises of women as one of the most important voices as of right in the […] in the various sectors “signs of the times”. divinely instituted College of because the Catholic of the Church’s apostolate”. Bishops and the man made Church has long since “They are demanding both in domestic The Council’s pastoral entities such as the College been a primary global and in public life the rights and duties constitution Gaudium et of Cardinals, the Synod which belong to them as human persons”. Spes said the elimination of Bishops and episcopal carrier of the virus of The longstanding inferiority complex of of discrimination based on conferences. Just imagine misogyny. It has never gender was a priority. Paul VI the normative scenario; sought a cure though a even commissioned a study on Pope Francis calls a Synod cure is freely available. women in Church and Society. on Women and 350 male Surely we thought then, the celibates advise the Pope on Its name is “equality”. post-conciliar Church was on what women really want? That Down the 2000 year highway the way to full equality for its is how ludicrous our Church of Christian history came the 600 million female members. has become. How long can the ethereal divine beauty of the And yes-it is true that since hierarchy sustain the credibility Nativity, the cruel sacrifice of the Council, new roles and of a God who wants things the Crucifixion, the Hallelujah jobs, have opened up to the this way, who wants a Church of the Resurrection and laity including women but where women are invisible and the rallying cry of the great these have simply marginally voiceless in leadership and commandment to love one increased the visibility of decision-making? another. But down that same women in subordinate roles, highway came man-made It was here in this very hall including in the Curia, but they toxins such as misogyny and in 1995 that Irish Jesuit have added nothing to their homophobia to say nothing of theologian, Fr. Gerry decision-making power or anti-semitism with their legacy O’Hanlon put his finger on their voice. of damaged and wasted the underpinning systemic lives and deeply embedded Remarkably since the Council, problem when he steered institutional dysfunction. roles which were specifically Decree 14 through the Jesuits designated as suitable for the 34th General Congregation. It The laws and cultures of many laity have been deliberately is a forgotten document but nations and faith systems closed to women.