123 The Vatican door Opens Wider for Women Voices of Faith Event March 8, 2015 This remarkable day-long event concluded with a first-of-its-kind panel discussion in the heart of the Vatican. Read the full transcript. On March 8, 2015, International Astrid Lobo Gajiwala of India, Tina have subordinated women and Women’s Day, a Vatican door Beattie of the U.K., Ulla robbed the Church of the many gifts opened a little wider for women in Gudmundson of Sweden and women have to offer. The panel the Catholic Church. Voices of Gudrun Sailer based in Rome also shared their hopes and ideas Faith, an initiative of the Fidel joined moderator Deborah Rose- for expanding women’s roles today. Goetz Foundation, whose slogan is Milavec, Executive Director of Thanks to the generosity of Linda “All Voices Count,” forged a brand FutureChurch for this first-of-its- Pinto and CORPUS, a 41-year old new conversation about women’s kind discussion about women’s faith community affirming an leadership, ministry and roles in roles in the Church. inclusive priesthood rooted in the Catholic Church. In a turn This event was truly unique a reformed and renewed Church, away from the usual pattern of because the panelists were able to you can read the full transcript of having male clerics discuss and speak clearly about their the hour-long discussion that took decide what is best for women in dissatisfaction with the traditions place on March 8, 2015 right here. the Church, this conversation was and practices in the Church that about women by women. I dream of a Church where it won’t matter whether you’re a man or woman, and you just respond to the call to service. Panelist Astrid Lobo Gajiwala Gudrun Sailer Gudrun Sailer, Tina Beattie, Deborah Rose-Milavec We Have a Dream Panel Discussion Deborah Rose-Milavec: Well, I want to welcome everyone back Ulla Gudmundson after that beautiful song. What a great way to start the second part of this event. The second part of our Voices of Faith event starts with our panel discussion. We've titled it, We Have a Dream because all of us here, and I’m sure all of you in the audience, have a dream about women's leadership in the church. And we’re also be awarding the Women's Sowers of Development, Caritas Internationalis, and the Voices of Faith Prize after this, just so you know what's coming up. My name is Deborah Rose-Milavec. I am the Executive Director of Tina Beattie Future Church, a U.S.-based reform organization. My predecessor is Sister Christine Shank, who I think many people know. One of the things we do is work to create opportunities for Roman Catholics to participate fully in the life and leadership of the Church. Today, I have the honor of moderating this discussion with four amazingly accomplished women who will talk about their experiences as women working in the Catholic Church. Today we heard a lot in the first part of this about women in society: how women are suffering, how women are being excluded, how their rights are being violated. And so we wanted to turn that lens a little Astrid Lobo Gajiwala bit. Can we take that lens and look inside the Church and see what is the place of women in the Church today? 12 3 And so they’re going to talk and career diplomat. She's a member of the Lutheran Church and about their experiences, but served as Sweden's ambassador to the Holy See from 2008 through they’re also going to talk about 2013. She has served in many prestigious posts, has authored a book their dreams and their hopes on NATO, and has written numerous articles and essays on security and their ideas for how to policy, international relations, religion, literature, and lots of other create a better future for topics. She has written for the Tablet, and she regularly contributes to women's leadership in the Osservatore Romano—the Vatican newspaper here—in their monthly Church. So with me today I insert on women in the Church. Welcome, Ulla. have Gudrun Sailer, Ulla Tina Beattie is a professor Catholic studies and the Director of the Gudmundson, Astrid Lobo Dibgy Stuart Research Centre at the University of Rohampton. Her Gajiwala, and Tina Beattie, and research interests focus largely on the role and represen-tation on I’m going to share just a little women in the Church. She has written and published extensively in the bit about each of them. None area of theology, art, psychoanalysis, Catholic social teaching, and of this will give them the honor human rights. they deserve, but I'm going to keep it short for time’s sake. Her latest project focuses on maternal well-being, poverty, and international development in the context of Catholic social teaching, Gudrun Sailer is originally from with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Tina is part of the Theological Austria, but has worked as a Advisory Group for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and radio journalist in the German a regular contributor to the BBC Radio 4, the Guardian Online, and the section of Vatican Radio in Tablet. Welcome, Tina. Rome for the past twelve years. She also works with German Astrid Logo Gajiwala is a scientist with a doctorate in medicine who television news, talking about established India’s first tissue bank at the Tata Memorial Hospital. She the Vatican and the Pope. She is a founding member of Satyashodhak, a feminist collective in says, "I interpret [what the Mumbai, who has done an amazing amount of work empowering Vatican and the Pope are women in India, and by extension, in the United States and other saying]." That sounds like a places. really important job. She has She was the first woman to be invited to address the bishops of India at written three books about the one of their plenary assemblies, and in 2008 she had a key role Vatican, two of which are working with Sister Lily Francis and the bishops drafting the gender dedicated to the topic of policy of the Catholic Church of India. Released in 2010, this policy is women. She’s going to talk a the first of its kind in the Catholic Church. It’s both practical and little bit about her work today. prophetic, as it relates to women's full and equal participation in the Welcome, Gudrun. Church. Ulla Gudmundson is a writer Astrid is a member of the Indian Theological Association, has served as 435 assistant coordinator for appointed as the first rector of a a clerical environment and so Ecclesia of Women in Asia, is a pontifical university in Rome. sometimes I wonder if some member of Indian Women's Still, you need only one hand, and cardinal would be more open to Theological Forum, and a actually only two fingers to count being interviewed if he were member of the Indian Christian the number of positions women asked by priests and not by a Women's Movement. She has hold in the Holy See from laywoman like I am. But mostly written and published undersecretary and up. So we see this is not a question at all. And extensively on the concerns of movement in the Church when it so I can really say this is a very women and interfatih comes to women's leadership, but good and respectful working relationships since the 1980s. we also see there is an urgent need environment, even if I have some Welcome, Astrid. for expanding the roles of women, career limits, being a laywoman especially at the highest decision- in the Vatican. So, let’s begin. I just loved making levels. Leslie Ann’s question this Deborah Rose-Milavec: I morning, “Where are the So with that in mind, I'm going to know that you've written some women?” It’s a beautiful start this off with an interactive books on women working in the question. And I think as we conversation with our panelists. Vatican. Tell us a little bit about look at the Church we can ask And I'm going to start with the how you got interested and a that question with real question, “Tell everyone here and little bit about what you found in legitimacy. Anyone who those out in the blogosphere about that work. follows Pope Francis knows he your experience as a woman has repeatedly said he wants to working in the Catholic Church.” Gudrun Sailer: I came to create a more incisive presence Talk about specifically where it has Vatican Radio twelve years ago, for women in the Catholic been satisfying, and maybe where as you mentioned. And before I Church. And he says this is it has been less so. So I want to was wondering, well, how is it something he holds dear to his start with Gudrun. Would you tell going to be? Am I going to be heart. That’s very touching, us a little bit about your the only women? But then I and I love Pope Francis. experience? immediately discovered we are so many, and also in the Vatican. And at the February Gudrun Sailer: Yes. I am a And as a journalist, I'm always Consistory, the cardinals journalist at the Vatican, at the keen on talking to other women seemed to agree. We know Vatican Radio at the German who have Vatican jobs. So let’s more women are being Section.